City centre access in Kilkenny

Sir, – Mayor of Kilkenny Martin Brett (July 19th) ignores the issue of the incomplete outer ring road for Kilkenny city. Three-quarters of the city has a ring road, which has dramatically eased traffic congestion. I would suggest the Normans or Victorians alluded to by Cllr Brett would have used this solution rather than destroying the fabric of our city with a bridge that leads from one brownfield site to another. Smithwick’s brewery survived without the need for a third bridge for over 300 years. That site is due to become an innovation and research hub, hardly requiring heavy vehicles. The second brownfield site is easily accessible using the existing ring road.

Complete the ring road, don’t cut the city in half. – Yours, etc,

CONAN DOYLE,

Pococke Lower, Kilkenny.