THE Naas dual carriageway, the main southern route in and out of Dublin, is to be widened from two to three lanes between Newlands Cross and Rathcoole as part of a £20 million improvement scheme.
The county engineer for South Dublin County Council, Mr Frank Coffey, said that it would make the road much safer for the estimated 40,000 motorists who used it daily. "When you consider that average annual daily traffic figures on the route have risen from 15,000 vehicles when the carriageway was opened in 1969, you get an idea of the need for improved levels of service, comfort and safety on the route."
The traffic lights at Rathcoole are also to be replaced by an interchange, and Saggart and Rathcoole will be connected by a new link road. When it is completed, median openings at Rathcoole, Mill Road and Boot Road will be closed.
The work on the 21/2mile section to be widened will be carried out in two phases and will take two years to complete. The first phase, the outbound Naas Road widening and the Saggart Rathcoole interchange, will begin next Monday, and the inbound Naas Road widening is to start in the summer of next year.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday to announce details of the project, Mr Coffey said that some temporary delays were inevitable while the work was being undertaken, and motorists were advised to allow extra time to complete their journeys. A 40 m.p.h. speed limit will apply from Newlands Cross to Rathcoole.
Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on the outbound carriageway, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday, and on the inbound carriageway, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday to Friday. A minimum of one lane will be maintained at all other times on both carriageways. Pedestrians and cyclists will also be accommodated.
There will be a number of temporary road closures and motorists have been advised to watch for notices in local and national newspapers, as well as listening to the BAA Roadwatch service on RTE radio. The council has asked motorists to be patient, obey signals and co-operate with the contractors and the Garda.
"The upgrading work is taking place as part of the National Roads Authority's objective to bring all national roads up to international standards and will attract EU funding," Mr Coffey said.
