Back in January, local councillors came together to voice their concerns over the junction at Turley’s corner.
Paddy Bracken spelled it out in no uncertain terms.
Someone is going to be killed at Turley’s Corner in Mountmellick unless something is done with the junction of the R422 and R423, better known local as the roads to Garryhinch and Emo.
The Mountmellick councillor wasn’t exaggerating. It was only the luck of God that someone wasn’t seriously injured or killed on St Stephen’s Day just gone by.
At about 6pm that evening over the Christmas holidays a car coming from the Garryhinch-Portarlington direction failed to stop and went flying across the road.
The single vehicle accident saw the car career across the road before it collided with two parked vehicles and pieces of metal went flying inside the home of the Buggie family, according to Cllr Bracken.
He wanted the Council to take urgent action to address traffic calming and safety measures at the junction at Turley’s Pub and Harbour Street.
The reply from the Roads Design Section wasn’t all that reassuring. They committed to inspecting the location to determine the most appropriate intervention required but that the delivery of any such works will be subject to funding being available.
Subject to funding normally translates into the works being put on the long finger.
Cllr Bracken wasn’t impressed and cautioned that someone would be killed if something wasn’t done to make the junction safer.
“There was a shocking crash there on Stephen’s Night and it’s the lucky that no one was killed. The car crossed the road and caused serious damage to the Buggie family home and two cars parked in the drive. They are living in fear. This is the third time this has happened and this time pieces of metal ended up flying into the dining room.
“There was a lot of damage to the house and their cars. There is major work needed here or someone is going to be killed. It is beyond belief the scale of the damage that night and they are now living in fear. It’s like a motorway the straight road coming up to that junction at speed,” Cllr Bracken made his views very clear.
The damage to the vehicles and the Buggie family home is clearly visible today.
Supporting the motion Cllr Seamus Mc Donald said that he had actually come on the scene of the accident in Mountmellick over the Christmas. “The place was wrecked, it was frightening.”
Road Safety at the Barkmills
Cllr Bracken also called for road safety measures to be carried out at the home of Mr Ken Farrell at the Owenass Bridge at the Barkmills in Mountmellick. He said it was dangerous when two vehicles met on the road here, especially lorries.
He said that the family living there have young children and that it wouldn’t take huge money to alleviate the danger, perhaps by installing a kerb to protect the erosion of the roadway.
The Council have agreed to examine the location to see what’s required but again any works will be contingent of the available funding.
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