N81 Hangman' s Bend to the north.
Summary
Wicklow County Council is progressing the development of the N81 Route Improvement Scheme, namely the N81 Whitestown Lower and N81 Hangman’s Bend and Tuckmill Projects, in conjunction with Kildare National Roads Office, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the Department of Transport.
The scheme aims to address road deficiencies contributing to the poor road safety record on the N81, such as poor road alignment, numerous junctions and accesses, and limited overtaking opportunities due to inadequate forward visibility and sightlines.
The N81 Whitestown Lower project is approximately 2km long and extends from the Castleruddery Junction to the south to the Ballylion Junction to the north.
The N81 Hangman’s Bend Scheme and Tuckmill project is approximately 4km long and extends from Raheen Junction to the south to Hangman’s Bend to the north.
Solution
As lead consultant on the scheme, ROD is progressing both projects from consideration of options, including on-line and off-line options, and selection of preferred improvement options through to statutory processes.
The first non-statutory public consultation ran from 27 March to 26 April 2024, with the public and interested stakeholders invited to make submissions on the constraints study and the route options developed for the scheme. The feedback gathered during the submission period was reviewed and used by the design team to inform the selection of the Emerging Preferred Option for each project.
The second non-statutory public consultation took place on 30 January 2025. Representatives from Kildare National Roads Office and Wicklow County Council joined ROD’s project team to present the project objectives, answer queries and give the local community an opportunity to voice concerns and/or identify potential opportunities for the Emerging Preferred Option.
The route options displayed during the second non-statutory public consultation have undergone detailed assessment in accordance with Project Manager's Manual for Minor National Road Projects, TII Project Appraisal Guidelines and the Department of Transport’s Transport Assessment Framework (TAF).
The project has now moved forward to the next stage of the option selection process: confirmation of the preferred option for each project and completion of the Option Selection Report. The feedback received during the second public consultation period is being used to guide the design process. The Preferred Options will then advance to PMG Phase 3 - Design and Environmental Evaluation.
Services provided:
Planning and design
