Traffic chaos around Gorey street works?

By Dan Walsh at meetings of Wexford County Council and Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council

Gorey’s €2.5m Esmonde Street regeneration programme is progressing, but concerns remain, with the issue raised at this week’s Wexford County Council and Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District meetings.

A new one-way system designed to ease traffic disruption on the busy Gorey street is due to begin next week.

At Tuesday’s Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District Council meeting, chaired by Leas-Cathaoirleach Cllr Darragh McDonald, members were told that motorists were frustrated by the temporary traffic lights, which had caused long tailbacks.

At the Gorey Kilmuckridge meeting Cllr Craig Doyle told the meeting; “Starting next week they’re hopefully going to have the one-way system in place but it’s not the one I thought was going to happen.

“It’s going to allow traffic off Main Street, down Esmonde Street and to Courtown, but it means anyone coming from Courtown will have to go out the Coach Road and onto the Arklow Road and into town that way.”

Cllr Doyle welcomed the change and claimed something had to be done. “It has been very bad now in fairness with some people saying it’s like we’re back to pre-bypass levels of traffic in Gorey and the town back then was a disaster,” he added.

Meanwhile at Monday’s meeting of Wexford County Council Cllr Joe Sullivan mentioned the traffic disruption while the works were continuing at Esmonde Street and said it was attracting a lot of media posts. “The programme is going forward, the work is welcome and is progressing well,” added Cllr Sullivan.

Chief Executive Eddie Taaffe acknowledged the disruption on Esmonde Street but pointed out that the works also facilitated the laying of a major sewer for Uisce Éireann which was done in tandem with the Council works which is expected to continue until July 2027.

A presentation by Sean Meyler, Senior Executive Engineer at Wexford County Council at the Gorey Kilmuckridge September meeting in 2023 outlined two alternatives; one is to engage with Uisce Éireann and the ESB and carry out the necessary developments on the street, and two, is to repair footpaths and make the street safe which can be done relatively quickly and is more cost effective.

The then Cathaoirleach Cllr Pip Breen favoured working with Uisce Éireann to go ahead with the entire job, get the ESB to put the cables underground, and he felt the work of Uisce Éireann would also alleviate flooding at the railway bridge.