The Pottery Road Improvement Scheme has been officially opened by cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr Barry Saul. The road, which provides a strategic road link for the regional and national road network, has been significantly improved for all road users - pedestrians and cyclists in particular. Originally Pottery Road was a substandard urban single carriageway bounded by residential and commercial premises with intermittent footpaths, inadequate drainage and poor public lighting.  Pottery Road has now been designed to the highest standards incorporating DMURS and the National Cycle Manual. One of the main challenges on the project was to ensure that the needs of cyclists in terms of road safety, coherence, directness, attractivness and comfort were incorporated into the design.  These criticial criteria were achieved through the introduction of an innovative kerb detail at every entrance along the scheme which has significantly improved the overall quality of service for both cyclists and pedestrians.  Pottery Road has subsequently become a flagship scheme for this detail. From the outset, sustainable drainage was also an important aspect of the design process and this was achieved through the construction of two integrated constructed wetland areas for attenuation purposes at Longmeadow Grove and Clonkeen Park.  The wetlands, with their aquatic planting have attracted  new wildlife, thereby significantly improving the amenity and habitat value of the area. Atkins was commissioned by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in 2008 to provide the engineering consultancy services for each of the key design stages. “Atkins is delighted to be involved with delivering this successful project for Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.  From the project outset and at all design stages, Atkins and DLRCC worked closely together to ensure that the Pottery Road Improvement Scheme will be a major asset for the local residents and wider business community,” said Ursula O’Higgins, associate director, and Atkins project manager. "The improvement of the road provides an excellent facility to local residents and businesses.  The final product provides a great example of how modern road and cycling standards should be designed and implemented and we have achieved this through ongoing collaboration between Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, our design consultants, Atkins and other key stakeholders," said Mick Mangan, senior engineer, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.