Safety concerns on N87 raised

Councillors in Cavan-Belturbet MD area went as long as they could to get across their shared concerns without saying “... before there is another accident” when it came to discussing road safety measures for the N87 Belturbet to Ballyconnell Road.

The discussion got as far Fianna Fáil’s Áine Smith, who skirted around the starkest of warnings until she could go no further.

Cllr Smith was reacting to one of several motions tabled before the recent meeting, by Sinn Féin’s Damien Brady who sought to discuss the need for safety measures at Cranaghan, while Fianna Fáil’s John Paul Feeley highlighted traffic calming requirements on the Derrylin Road.

He also brought to the attention of the meeting the need for traffic calming at Moynehall outside Cavan Town, where he said traffic was “flying” through on a regular basis.

Cllr Brady, who also works as a fireman, told the meeting that four cars “one after another” had left the road and driven “straight into the field” at a particularly sharp turn on the N87 at the junction for Greaghgrahan.

There were also safety concerns at the “90 degree” corner at Ballyhugh, and he asked the council’s executive present if a barrier could be erected to stop more cars from leaving the road.

Further, towards Belturbet he highlighted where locals were still making representations to councillors over the safety for motorists at the junctions near Killanagher Church.

“The safety here needs to be addressed,” he said, asking if the council could write to Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Shocked

Fianna Fáil’s Áine Smith, a schoolteacher in Bawnboy, said she travels on the N87 twice a day and is consistently shocked at the “speed people travel” on what is an 80kmph limit route. She said she had come across the same accident Cllr Brady referenced.

“It’s no surprise,” she told the meeting, acknowledging recent reports where gardaí had recommended against installing barriers alongside roads. “If not a barrier, is there anything else that can be done?” she asked.

Her party colleague John Paul Feeley backed the calls for safety measures, while Cllr Fay requested once again for flashing lights to warn motorists on approach to Killanagher. He even asked if the hedging could be taken out as a interim measure.

“It’s a dangerous, dangerous junction. It’s not something I like saying, but something really has to be done.”

Senior Area Engineer Paul Mulligan explained to the meeting that road design had begun looking at the two bends at Greaghgrahan and Ballyhugh.

He told the meeting that the prevailing sense is that barriers are themselves a “hazard” in that they can push a crashing vehicle back into traffic.

“It’s about trying to save lives. That’s the main objective,” said Mr Mulligan.

Certainly he said, with respect to the junction at Ballyhugh, any works there would prove challenging with open drains either side of the road.

Driving error

He understood the frustrations of members, but said with regards to flashing signs that their impact will only last so long before driver behaviour reverts.

“A lot is down to driver error”.

Cllr Feeley’s motion about the Derrylin Road received a similarly pragmatic response, as did his request in respect of the road at Moynehall.

He said there was “no safe crossing” along the route for pedestrians, where there exists quite a lot of commercial activity.

Cllr Brady supported the motion, and said there had been plans to install a roundabout at the junction with the local relief road.

He said there was a need for traffic calming closer to Ballyconnell too, where a car had hit a fire appliance responding to a call.

“There are a lot of entrances.”

Cllr Smith agreed. “There is a lot of traffic travelling through. Something needs to be done before there is another accident.”