Protesters occupying trees in the Glen o' the Downs, Co Wicklow, are preparing for the imminent start of preparatory works for the controversial dual carriageway, possibly next week, writes Frank McDonald, Environment Correspondent.Earth-moving equipment has been moved into the southern end of the glen and new telephone lines have been installed in a Wicklow County Council depot near Kilmacanogue, from where the roadworks will be directed.
According to the protesters who have been occupying trees in the glen since last October, senior Garda officers as well as six engineers and surveyors visited the site last week on a reconnaissance mission.
"They were investigating how best to organise the cutting down of over 2,000 trees to build the motorway," said an email message issued by the protesters. They believe tree surgeons will begin work next week.
Mr Jeff Colhoun, spokesman for the protesters, told The Irish Times he believed the county council will seek to remove as many trees as possible without moving to evict them from their makeshift camp.
"On the legal side, we are hoping to serve an injunction to prevent them causing further damage pending the result of our petition to the European Parliament, and the council would be obliged to obey that."
He said they had collected 20,000 signatures on a petition calling for the dual-carriageway scheme to be abandoned. This is to be presented to the county council.