Kitt says he did not object to M50 upgrade

The Government Chief Whip, Mr Tom Kitt, has said he did not formally object to the building of a third lane on Dublin's M50 motorway when he wrote to An Bord Pleanála raising a number of issues on behalf of constituents.

Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, Mr Kitt said he had written to the board last November outlining a number of "observations and concerns".

In his letter Mr Kitt expressed fears that boundary walls would constitute a "prison like" structure, while further concern related to the impact on traffic in surrounding feeder roads.

"My submission also expressed the concerns of residents . . . in relation to the need for a more comprehensive public consultation process, particularly where the proposed widening takes place adjacent to areas with high residential density such as Knocklyon," he said.

However, Mr Kitt said he supported the plan to build the third lane and that it "will have many positive consequences for traffic flows in the south Dublin area".