Footpath needed on ‘dangerous’ Tipperary road that is popular with walkers
Calls have been made for a new footpath along a “dangerous” but heavily used walking route outside Thurles, after councillors raised safety concerns at a recent municipal district meeting.
At the March meeting of the Thurles Municipal District, independent councillor Jim Ryan tabled a motion calling for a footpath to be added to the Thurles to Twomileborris road, as far as the Drish Bridge.
In response to Cllr Ryan’s motion, engineering staff from the council said that they couldn’t consider the installation of a footpath at this location because the speed limit along the road is 100kmh, and that there are no urban settlements along the stretch of road.
Cllr Ryan said that while he can understand the engineers’ point of view, the road remains popular with local walkers.
"It’s an extremely busy walking route, and it’s one of the most dangerous roads in the country in regards to speeding traffic,” he said.
"There’s three reasons given by the engineers why they wouldn’t add a footpath extension, but just in relation to the 100kmh speed limit and generally it’s not allowed to construct a footpath outside the 50kmh speed limit, but there’s plenty of examples across Tipperary where footpaths have been constructed on a 100kmh road,” Cllr Ryan said.
The independent councillor added that the current footpath that is already there goes beyond the start of the 100kmh zone, and added that this fact contradicted the reasons given by the engineering staff.
"It’s unusual because you have a footpath, then you have a gap, and then you have a footpath again over the bridge, so it’s just closing the gap is what I’m looking for here,” he said.
Agreeing with her district colleague, Fianna Fáil councillor Kay Cahill Skehan said that she walks the route regularly herself, and is in favour of Cllr Ryan’s motion.
"I’m one of the people that actually walk on that road, and there is a little margin where you can walk in on, but in this weather, you’re sinking in it all the time, which makes it more dangerous because people are more inclined to walk out on the road,” Cllr Cahill Skehan said.
"We need to be looking forward because we’re going to be getting our footpath and our walkway on the Mill Road, which is going to be linking up with this walk that people are doing. People prefer to do a loop walk rather than going out and going back again,” she explained.
"I think this is something that we need to keep within our viewpoint and in our agenda because more and more people will be walking on this when we get the Mill Road walk completed,” she added.
Also agreeing, Fianna Fáil councillor Seán Ryan said that it’s a very dangerous road and a footpath would make it safer for all.
“It’s a very, very dangerous, and very straight road. If a footpath was there, it would make it that little bit safer.
"I appreciate that there’s a lot of situations where we don’t put footpaths on national routes, but there are exceptions there,” Cllr Ryan added.
District engineer Thomas Duffy said the council’s priority remains the Mill Road walking route, but confirmed the proposal would remain under consideration.