Part of Portarlington-Monasterevin road to be closed
Passlands Bridge
Kildare County Council have advertised their intention to close a section of road between Monasterevin and Portarlington periodically over the summer.
The R424 will be closed for periods between 6 June and 30 September at Passlands Bridge near Monasterevin between the L-7053 and junction L-7049 to allow bridge remediation works.
The council say it will be closed for 14 days at any one time.
Traffic travelling to Portarlington from Rathangan/Monasterevin will be diverted left at the bridge. At the junction of Main Street/R445 (Moore Abbey), they will be directed right along the R445 to Portlaoise. Traffic wishing to rejoin the R424 will turn right at the junction of the R420 (signposted to Portarlington).
Eastbound traffic travelling to Rathangan/Monasterevin will be diverted at Lea Crossroads away from R424 and onto the R420.
At the junction with the R445, traffic will turn left (signposted Kildare/Monasterevin). At the junction of Main Street/R445 (Moore Abbey main gates), traffic will turn left on the R424.
Diversionary routes will be signposted. Any objections or observations can be submitted to the active senior executive officer in the transport section at Aras Cill Dara or through the online consultation portal by Monday 17 February.
Built sometime in the 1750s the Passlands Bridge is believed to be the oldest bridge of the 25 in the town, and “ is of considerable historical and social significance, as a reminder of the road network development in Ireland in the mid-eighteenth century,” according to the National Built Heritage Service.
The work is required on account of the number of vehicle strikes, causing damage to both the parapets, and the pier cutwaters. Cutwaters are the pointed parts of the bridge in the water which help the structure’s hydrodynamics.
“Longitudinal cracking has been noted” according to a council engineering assessment, and the works will consist of a reconstruction of the cutwaters, repairs to the parapet, the installation of rubbing strips, and the removal of vegetation
