Warning of potential crash at ‘seriously dangerous’ section of Tipperary road
There is a “seriously dangerous” turn on a major road in Tipperary, according to a local councillor who is warning that an accident is likely unless action is taken.
At the April meeting of the Clonmel Borough District, Fine Gael councillor John Fitzgerald raised the issue of a turn off the N24 at Barne, outside Clonmel.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Fitzgerald said that the turning lane there is a “scary” place to be.
"When you drive into the traffic island, or the turn right position, it’s a scary place to sit in a car.
"Quite a few people have said it to me that there’s going to be an accident there because there’s traffic coming against you, and there’s traffic coming behind you at very high speed at that particular point,” Cllr Fitzgerald said.
The turn in question means drivers have to cross a live lane of traffic on a busy road where the speed limit is 100kmh.
"There’s more traffic on the roads these days and it’s a prayer you say in the car at times at that particular point. It’s never easy turning off a national primary road, onto a side road, especially when you’re going right across the other lane, and I understand that,” he added.
Asking the borough district’s roads engineer Gillian Flynn if anything could be done to make that turning point safer, the Fine Gael councillor said that people who live in the village of Clerihan have to make that turn on a regular basis.
In response to Cllr Fitzgerald’s concerns, Ms Flynn said that she would look into the issue.
"We’ll have a look at the junction on the N24 and we’ll review safety there – the lining, the road marking – and we’ll have a look at the collision history and we’ll see if anything can be done to improve matters there,” she said.