Contractors building near dangerous Louth junctions should ‘do what needs to be done’ to make them safe

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

An onus should be placed on contractors planning to build houses near two “dangerous” junctions in the Dundalk area to “do what needs to be done to make the junctions safe,” according to a Louth councillor.

Cllr. Shane McGuinness highlighted two areas south of Dundalk where he said action should be taken.

He told councillors at the monthly meeting of Dundalk Municipal District that roads officials from the council had visited both junctions in the Haynestown and Dunmahon townlands.

"We had very positive, proactive discussions. But I think one thing that has come out of it is the lack of money to do anything.”

He said that at one of the junctions there is a development in for planning to build 24 houses, and another with planning submitted for 22 houses.

"I always understood that when an application comes in the roads engineers get involved with the planners, and that discussions and decisions were made around the safety of it.”

He said that development levies should come into play when roads are being looked at as part of a planning application.

Cllr. McGuinness added that in the case of the two housing developments at Haynestown, where footpaths are being built on either side of the road, there should be an onus on the contractor “to do what needs to be done to make the junction safe.”

Deputy Chief Executive, Thomas McEvoy, told the meeting “in all cases, in all planning applications, there are consultations with the roads teams.”

He said planners reports are made public, which include the engineers reports “so it is important that that message goes out.” He added that any modifications made would follow analysis by qualified engineers.