Lethal Bailieboro junction needs urgent attention – Cllrs

Road safety measures are urgently required at the busy Market Square junction in Bailieborough before someone is seriously injured.

That was the strong message delivered by local councillors at the September meeting of the Cootehill Bailieboro Municipal District meeting.

The issue was raised by Cllr Sarah O’Reilly (Aontú) who highlighted the danger, in particular, posed by motorists coming into the town from the Kingscourt direction.

MD Manager, Alan Lyons, informed the members that the location had been deemed unsuitable for a roundabout but committed to look at an alternative solution.

Cllr O’Reilly asked if traffic lights would help, as suggested at a previous meeting, or perhaps rediverting traffic from the Kingscourt side of the town around by Tesco.

“We now require more definite action in relation to the whole traffic issue at that location,” she said, calling for funding to remedy the problem.

Cllr O’Reilly suggested making the Kingscourt Road entrance a one-way system and, perhaps, a left turn only onto Market Square.

“There any too many things going on at Market Square currently including cars reversing out from the footpath near that T-junction. It is a very busy area of the town. Sixty women use the library on Friday mornings; school times adds to the overall congestion,” outlined the cathaoirleach.

“It appears to me that currently when drivers come up the Kingscourt entrance to the town, they proceed on without stopping,” she added of the dangers.

Sinn Féin’s Paddy McDonald supported the motion and said he had raised the same issue back at his first council meeting in 2004.

“I suggested at the time that we put a roll-over roundabout on it. There was apparently a survey done and it was deemed that there was not adequate space to put such a roundabout in place,” he outlined of the history.

He too had suggested traffic lights, and asked if the council had progressed the matter any further.

He agreed with Cllr O’Reilly that traffic measures are urgently required at that corner before someone is seriously injured.

“When you drive up the Kingscourt Road, you are facing with traffic parked on the right hand side of the street and this restricts visibility. Consequently you have to proceed on to the Main Street – the same pertains on the left hand side of the junction. Immediate consideration should be given to traffic calming measures or a one-way system,” implored Cllr McDonald.

Lethal

Fine Gael’s Carmel Brady described the junction as “lethal” and was in favour of redirecting the inbound Kingscourt traffic by Tesco.

Cllr McDonald agreed that a ‘no right’ turn at the Market Square junction would help matters.

The poor condition of the road surface in the area was also highlighted by Cllr O’Reilly, who said potholes are appearing.

Mr Lyons said that engineers conducted a study in 2010 on three towns including Bailieboro, Cootehill and Kingscourt.

Ruling out a roundabout, Mr Lyons said: “They did come up with a solution involving single lights junction and would involve Barrack Street, Institute Road and Thomas Street and the Main Street.”

However, he said that the data from the study was now outdated and there have also since been changes to design standards in terms of layouts in urban areas.

Mr Lyons further pointed out that, as part of urban revitalisation plans agreed for the county, there is a focus firstly on the pedestrianisation of that area in Bailieborough.

Resource issue

The manager also raised the issue of resources and revealed that, when design and construction are taken into account, the measures suggested could cost in the region of €200,000.

“The issue why it has not progressed is funding,” put Mr Lyons simply.

“The problem in dealing with a junction in isolation is the impacts it will have particularly in an area like the Market Street. You have to make sure whatever measure you put in place does not adversely impact upon another junction,” he added.

Mr Lyons said the project could be included in a road regeneration programme to include Kingscourt. A detailed design and costing could be conducted and the project put forward for funding.

He also warned that traffic lights are not a panacea and could lead to tailbacks on other arms of the junction. “You need to be careful what type of intervention you put in there. You have to take account of vulnerable road users and do road safety audits – a lot of detail - we don’t have those resources available to us within the organisation in terms of time and expertise,” said Mr Lyons.

He said a way forward could include a look at the revitalisation plans carried out in 2018 to see if there are opportunities to develop something there and build on the report from 2010.

This could include improving the streetscape at the junction and also feature maybe giving more back to pedestrianisation. “We would be looking at the greater picture and needs of the town and not in an isolated way,” said Mr Lyons.

Cllr O’Reilly suggested a pedestrian crossing to slow down traffic on Main Street, as people go to the library.

Mr Lyons reiterated that all solutions would have to be well considered. He again advised that pedestrian crossings can sometimes have an unintended effect, particularly at a bend and you have to be most careful.

Paddy O’Reilly asked that the parking on either side of the junction be examined and, instead of having cars parked perpendicular to the footpath, they could be parked parallel.

Mr Lyons said consideration had to also be given to whether small scale interventions would work, or would it be more feasible to look at a bigger and more appropriate solution.

Cllr Aiden Fitzpatrick suggested that the 2010 report should be re-visited again by road design, with a view to seeing what solutions could be brought forward.