Kilkenny County Council
Waterford Road Pedestrian and Cyclist Improvement Scheme
Improvement works are underway on the Waterford Road to provide safer footpaths, pedestrian crossings and cycling facilities for residents, students and commuters.
The purpose of the scheme on the Waterford Road is to improve the walking and cycling facilities along the Waterford Road. This is to ensure that commuters using this route and students travelling to the five schools in the immediate vicinity, have safe, viable, alternative modes of transport. The benefits will extend to residents in the locality on completion.
Kilkenny County Council recognises the difficulties commuters and residents are experiencing and the disruption due to the current roadworks that are taking place. The programme of works is scheduled to continue for the next 4 to 5 months. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank the public for their understanding during the works.
Image 1 Ongoing works on the Waterford Road
The final scheme will have improved footpaths, crossing points and cycle facilities along the Waterford Road. The current works will result in redesigned roundabouts with single-entry lanes and raised pedestrian crossings on each arm of the roundabout. Single lane roundabouts accommodate up to 25,000 vehicles per day, significantly greater than the capacity demand at this location, and are the appropriate design for urban areas.
The new kerb lines at the roundabouts incorporate shared space arrangements for pedestrians and cyclists, and space for sustainable urban drainage. Rain gardens and verges have been incorporated at the roundabouts to manage rainwater run-off, that has contributed to flooding incidents in the past.
The previous flared design of the roundabouts prioritises traffic speeds and impedes safety at roundabouts. With flared roundabouts, when one vehicle stops in an outer lane to yield to a pedestrian, a driver in an adjacent flared lane may not see the pedestrian and fails to stop, creating a high-risk of collision for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. Flaring also makes the crossing distance wider, leaving pedestrians exposed in active traffic for longer and making it more difficult for pedestrians to cross, particularly those with mobility issues. More vulnerable pedestrians struggle to identify gaps for crossing in faster, multi-lane traffic streams.
The roundabouts will feature raised pedestrian crossings. At the current stage of construction, the kerbs on the approach appear to be extremely high, but once complete, crossings will be ramped up at this point, increasing the safety for all road users.
This scheme will result in greatly improved pedestrian and cycling facilities and an overall traffic calming effect on this section of the Waterford Road.
The design is built to the latest standards/guidance, the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets, National Transport Authority’s Cycle Design Manual, and Neighbourhood Traffic Calming and Road safety interventions. The scheme has been peer-reviewed by the National Transport Authority and other consultants. Vehicle tracking has been carried out, taking into account the turning requirements of larger vehicles. However, Kilkenny County Council is continuing to monitor the scheme throughout the build and we are engaging with drivers of delivery vehicles and bus companies in particular and, where necessary, minor adjustments will be made. As always, designs may need adjustment on the ground and based on localised constraints and patterns of human behaviour.
Based on monitoring to-date, there will be adjustments on the Lidl roundabout entry and exit to and from the Bohernatounish road to include overrun areas. There will also be minor changes to the Cashel Downs access. Throughout the scheme’s construction, we will continue to monitor and review and post construction monitoring will also be carried out.
Over the last number of decades, Ireland’s growing reliance on cars has led to rising traffic volumes and urban congestion. Many people have few or no safe and viable alternatives to car travel. Continuing with a car-dependent system forces trade-offs including lost time in traffic, economic strains, poorer health outcomes and quality of life, compromised road safety, loss of independence for those who cannot drive, and lack of space for alternative transports.
Transforming our transport system will involve many steps, from changing our national policies to redesigning our local road layouts.
By investing in safe, attractive infrastructure for walking and cycling, independent travel can be restored for many, and people of all ages and abilities will be provided with real transport choices and a safer, healthier alternative to the car for short journeys.
We apologise again for the disruption during the construction phase of this scheme. Please allow more time for your journey during construction phase and we would like to thank the public for their co-operation and understanding while these works are in progress.
Image 2 Ongoing works on the Waterford Road
