An 8km stretch of the N11 in Co Wicklow is to close at night next month to facilitate landscaping works including the removal of 85 trees in the Glen of the Downs.
The north and southbound carriageways of the N11 between Junction 7 Bray South and Junction 11 Kilpedder will close from 9pm to 6am for separate periods during February.
There will be regular access to the road between 6am and 9pm.
The closures are for “safety-related, landscape management works” on the busy route between Dublin and Wexford.
Notices of the closures were distributed to homes and businesses in the area in recent days by contractor Globalvia Jons, working on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The project involves improving sight lines and removing overgrown vegetation along the N11 and its junctions.
On the 2km-long section through the Glen of the Downs, a total of 85 non-native and damaged trees, which have been assessed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), are to be removed.
The trees in the Glen of the Downs were the subject of a stand-off between environmentalists and Wicklow County Council from 1997 to 2000 when the road was widened to become a dual carriageway.
A man protesting against planned tree felling in the Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow in January 1998. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh
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Commenting on the works on Friday, the NPWS said the “unique woodland habitat and wildlife at Glen of the Downs” would be protected.
It said the “damaged and non-native trees which are currently creating a public safety hazard” and would be felled.
“The works also aim to prevent the regrowth of non-native trees, allowing the native woodland to thrive.”
The 85 trees were earmarked for felling during a review of tree safety commissioned by the NPWS and undertaken late last year.
“Trees that will be felled are those assessed as having an increased likelihood of failure within a three-year time frame, and which require proactive management to reduce risk to road users on the N11,” the NPWS added.
The majority of trees to be removed are ash trees suffering from ash dieback, along with non-native trees including sycamore and beech.
Other trees will be subject to crown reduction, branch trimming and stem reduction. Some treated cherry laurel, an invasive species that overhangs the N11, will also be removed as part of the project.
All trees are being checked for signs of hibernating or roosting bats and a small number will require supervision from a specialist bat ecologist during the work.
Birdwatch Ireland commended Transport Infrastructure Ireland for organising the works outside of the nesting season, which typically begins in late February or early March.
The N11 northbound is to close from 9pm to 6am between Tuesday February 3rd and Friday February 13th. There will be diversions via Greystones, Bray Head and the Bray Southern Cross road. Access to slip roads off the N11 between Bray South and Kilpedder will also be affected.
The N11 southbound will close from 9pm to 6am from Monday February 16th to Friday February 27th between Bray South and Kilpedder.
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