Call for Gardaí and RSA to monitor traffic along dangerous stretch of road

The local authority’s senior engineer, Damian Mitchell confirmed the request after a delegation campaigning for safety measures at an accident black spot at Bawnmore Cross had left the County Council chamber.

The Athenry/Oranmore Municipal District meeting on Tuesday heard how 4,000 vehicles use the Loughgeorge to Corrandulla Road daily, including around 400 lorries.

There have been umpteen accidents at Bawnmore Cross, including two overturned trucks, and it was only a matter of time before there was a fatality, unless action is taken, Councillors said.

Mr Mitchell said most of the lorries are travelling to ECC Teo in Corr na Móna; and he has been assured by that company that ‘checks and balances’ are in place to ensure lorries are not overloaded.

James Charity (Ind) noted that since the latest accident, the high level of logs on the back of lorries travelling the road had reduced by about five feet.

Mr Mitchell confirmed he has asked Gardaí and RSA to be more vigilant; and he has asked for a list of the haulage companies using ECC Teo so that he can ascertain why they are using that road as a rat-run, and not the newly opened M17 motorway.

A small delegation from the Bawnmore area gave a presentation to the meeting, stressing the urgency of the need for safety measures – it was held ‘in camera’ and media were not allowed in. The delegation was praised afterwards by all seven Councillors in the area, who described their plea for help as ‘passionate’. All Councillors agreed that the road needed to be realigned at Bawnmore, and that short-term or interim safety measures needed to be rolled-out until the road is made safer.

Jim Cuddy (Ind) said Bawnmore was not new and the Council was aware of it “for Donkeys’ years”. “We cannot wait for a life to be lost – we need action now,” he said.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.