"It's a concern people have expressed to me - that the centre may struggle because it could be difficult for people to get to and from it, " says Fine Gael Cllr Donal O'Sullivan. "I live just five minutes from the centre and in the run-up to Christmas the traffic jams were particularly bad. This is down to government neglect and the fact that the National Roads Authority didn't give us a third access off the bypass.

The reality is there's just one way in and out of Arklow and that's the problem."

The 350,000sq ft Bridgewater Centre will include 32 retail units, a six-screen cinema, riverside restaurants, offices, apartments and 1,000 designated parking spaces.

The centre will be anchored by a 72,000sq ft Dunnes Stores.

Other high-profile retailers lined up include TK Maxx, Virgin, Oasis, and Elvery Sports.

According to Martin Reaney of Colliers Jackson-Stops - joint selling agents with Bannon Commercial - take-up of retail space is brisk. "In terms of overall lettings we're about 82% at legals, and of that 82% I'd say that probably 30% have signed now."

The centre is expected to provide around 750 jobs when it opens. Some 400 people are already employed in the construction phase of the 13-acre development at North Quay.

This is expected to rise to 1,500 during the fit-out of the centre.

"The Bridgewater Centre will service the 140,000 population within a 35-minute drivetime catchment with an annual expenditure of over Euro5,500 per capita on comparison goods, " says Reaney. "This region has a healthy target market with a higher than average per capita spend and, with no effective competition, retailers are confident that this centre can capture a very significant market share."

"If the centre gets the volume of business that's anticipated it may cause congestion that may not only damage it, but also the rest of the town, " O'Sullivan claims.

"I want to see this becoming an election issue - the need for decent proposals to show how the town could be better accessed. Bridgewater is a fantastic development and we need it. I don't want to come across as negative but I do think we need some joined-up thinking about the entire infrastructure of the town."

According to O'Sullivan, the town's population "has been allowed to mushroom" from 8,500 to 11,500 in five years. "If land already zoned for residential and commercial development is utilised, the expectation is that by 2016 the population will have risen to 22,000."

Cllr Dr Bill O'Connell (Fianna Fáil) says the narrowness of the roadway through the area is a significant problem. "I feel a foot should be removed from each kerb to encourage the traffic to flow more freely."

He claims the slightest obstruction on the road often caused lengthy tailbacks, especially during the school peak time. "This is a problem that is getting worse every day."

Cllr Patrick Sweeney (Fianna Fáil) rejects the accusation that the government is in any way responsible for traffic congestion. "The government didn't plan the centre - the town planners planned it and the town councillors passed it.

There is a problem with traffic but it's not down to bad planning. Arklow is a busy town. It's a growth-rate town and we will have a traffic problem, certainly. I believe the construction of a second bridge, either upstream or downstream of the existing bridge, will have to be discussed in the next town plan. Certainly it would alleviate the traffic problem."

He's confident the concerns of some established traders about the possibility of losing out to retailers locating in the new centre will prove unfounded. "Traders are watching this with open eyes. They're saying it will probably take business out of the main street, but give it six months and things will settle down.

"You have to put up with these problems until things level out. It's important to emphasise how positive this development is. The centre will provide a great boost for the town. It will really put Arklow on the map. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs and that's the reality of it."

For further information on the Bridgewater Centre contact Colliers Jackson-Stops, 01-633 3700 or Bannon Commercial, 01-647 7900.