Major development in efforts to rid Kilkenny of ‘Road of Death’
Moves to rid county Kilkenny of what is known locally as the ‘Road of Death’ have accelerated after the local council was granted a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on lands required to build a new bridge and flyover over the N24.
An Bord Pléanala approved the acquisition of lands just outside Piltown for the N24 Tower Road Junction Improvement Scheme, which according to the application, will include a bridge over spanning the treacherous stretch of the N24 Waterford – Limerick road.
The plan is to use the land to replace the existing Tower Road Roundabout at the Piltown turn-off, create a new 750 metre link road connecting the Ink Bottle Junction to the Tower Road Junction and then close the Ink Bottle Junction.
The purchase of the land will also allow Kilkenny County Council widen the current N24 carriageway, provide new cyclist and pedestrian facilities, improved public lighting, and provide and install new road markings and signage.
This CPO is part of a larger scheme intended to rectify the problems on the road between Waterford and Carrick-on-Suir, particularly on the section between Fiddown and Carrick-on-Suir, which since it opened more than 20 years ago, has seen more than its fair share of road deaths, as well as countless horrific accidents.
Recently the local authority announced the appointment of a design consultants team, Ove Arup, to the N24 Waterford to Cahir Roads Project to assist with the development through the planning and design phases of the new stretch of road.
