Green Party councillor and Chairperson of Bray Town Council, Deirdre de Burca, has welcomed the recent allocation by the Department of the Environment of almost 18 million euros to County Wicklow for non-national roads. She said that this funding was particularly welcome because non-national roads have tended to be overlooked in terms of investment in the past.

“We are all aware that non-national roads in County Wicklow are under tremendous pressure given the heavy volume of traffic that uses them” says de Burca. “There is an unprecedented number of heavy good vehicles using these roads, because of quarrying and the transport of inert and other waste, and the condition of the roads has suffered badly”.

The Green Party councillor has also called for some of the funding allocated to be spent on improving the safety of these roads. She points out that many of the horrific fatalities that occur each year on Irish roads take place on small rural roads. She has called on the local authorities in County Wicklow to allocate some of the new funding for road signage, pedestrian crossings, new and improved footpaths and traffic calming measures. “Bray Town Council received 600,000 euros and while we could have done with more, we will certainly spend every penny on improving many of the important non-national roads in the town,” she says.

Cllr De Burca has also welcomed the 279,000 euros allocated to both Arklow and Wicklow Town Councils. The Green Party councillor has also welcomed funding that has been provided in 2006 for the development of the Wicklow Town Relief and Port Access Route. “If Wicklow Town is to develop as a Growth Centre in County Wicklow, the development of this new road will be essential,” she says.

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Press Release by Deirdre