Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is calling on the local community in the area to have their say about an upgrade of the historic Metals Walkway, a shared 3km pedestrian/cycle route connecting Dún Laoghaire to Dalkey.

The Council was awarded funding earlier this year following a competition held by the Department of Transport under their Smarter Travel initiative.

Following a month-long public consultation, the Council’s Transportation Department hopes to progress the upgrade over the summer months.

Now more commonly used as pedestrian link between DART stations and a number of Southside villages, the Metals Walkway was originally laid in 1817 to transport the granite stone used in constructing Dún Laoghaire’s landmark East and West Piers.

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The proposed upgrade includes creation of three new pedestrian crossings (Barnhill Road, Castlepark Road and Adelaide Road); installation of cyclesensors to reduce waiting times at junctions; improved informational, historical, and directional signage; resurfacing of parts of the route; and dished pavements and tactile paving to improve access for persons with a disability.

The Council is also working closely with the Irish Heart Foundation to develop a Sli na Slainte programme to encourage more walkers onto the Metals Walkway. The familiar blue and yellow Sli na Slainte wayfinding signage will be installed as part of the upgrade to direct people to the route and provide them with a number of walking route options.

Anne Devine, Senior Engineer in the Council’s Traffic Section, commented: "Cyclists, pedestrians, and those with visual or mobility impairments will all benefit from the proposed upgrade to the Metals Walkway.

The Council encourages all interested parties to get in touch and let us know what improvements they would like to see made to the walkway, or if there are reasons which currently deter people from using the route."

A public display of the scheme is available to view in County Hall and Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey libraries, while comments can be submitted via the council's website.

(NS/BMcC)