Traffic woes highlighted on ‘nightmare’ road

"A nightmare morning, noon and night" is how Cllr Áine Smith (FF) described the Carrickane Road from Loreto Cross to the hospital. She was asking for support to improve traffic flow along the route during this month’s meeting of the Cavan-Belturbet Municipal District.

“The road itself has potholes at the sides and it’s getting worse and worse,” she continued before adding that a man who resides along the route spray paints the affected areas to warn motorists of the hazard.

Cllr John Paul Feeley (FF) threw his full support behind the request. He highlighted how the area had “changed” in recent years and said he is very familiar with the junction.

“There is a garage there and schools in the area; there is heavy traffic there at certain times,” he continued.

“The schools have a role to play in dealing with this; if people are made aware of what can be done, it is easier to find a solution to the problems.”

Cllr Brendan Fay (Ind) expressed his opinion that the issue could be sorted "with a little bit of direction”; while Cllr Damien Brady (SF) pointed to the “unbelievable traffic” in the area.

“It is particularly bad in the morning time; the state of the road surface shocked me and I know that a lot of money has been spent on the road in recent times. So, I was absolutely shocked to see it in its current state,” said Cllr Brady.

Cathaoirleach of the MD, Cllr Patricia Walsh (FF), told those gathered there had been investment in the area since 2004. “It also shocked me to realise only recently that there were such difficulties there.”

In response, Cavan County Council engineer, Paul Mulligan pointed to how the local authority’s Active Travel team “did a lot of good work at the junction”.

“There are further works planned out as far as Loreto College; there are structural issues on the road and there’s a reason there are holes there. It will be dealt with and it will be done.”