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So what’s the solution?
In the third of Killarney Advertiser’s series on the Killarney bypass road junctions, Eve Kelliher talks to Killarney Gardaí, Kerry County Council, road users and public representatives and presents their views
Local residents Pa McGillycuddy, left, and John Lyne, right, with politicians at the busy Lewis Road junction on the Killarney By-Pass road. From left are Deputy Martin Ferris TD, Cllr Niall Kelleher, Senator Paul Coghlan, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae TD, Cllr Maura Healy-Rae, Cllr Donal Grady, Cllr John Joe Culloty, Cllr Brendan Cronin (Mayor of Killarney), Cllr John Sheahan, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae TD and Cllr Michael Gleeson. PICTURE: EAMONN KEOGH
Killarney Gardaí
Kevin Moynihan, local road user
“When gardaí are called to respond to an accident on the bypass, prior to arrival our expectations are that it’s going to be an accident involving serious injury or fatality.”
“My office is nearby so I use this route four or fives times every day. I feel it is extremely dangerous. The only logical solution is a roundabout. It is extremely dangerous crossing three lines of traffic when you are going right and even turning left, you are exposed to danger.”
Kerry County Council “We have raised the concerns of the members in relation to the Lewis Road Junction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland on a number of occasions. The junction with the Killarney bypass is part of the N22 National Primary Road Network. Any improvement works, including the revision of the road layout, is subject to the approval of and provision of funding from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The TII directly determines the locations that will be funded, based on criteria that are set down in their technical standards, and which are ranked having regard to recorded collision data. Whilst the location was not included on the list of schemes approved for design in the current year, we had further discussion with the TII, particularly having regard to the recorded minor injury accidents at this location over the past five years. We will shortly be making a formal submission to have this junction assessed.”
John Lyne, local resident “Sooner or later a child is going to be killed on the bypass. I think the closed pedestrian access under the Bridgefield Bridge should be reopened or else a flyover is our only hope, or have a lollipop man there on a 24-hour basis!”
Deputy John Brassil, Fianna Fail “I think there should be a left turn only at the Lewis Road junction. There is great risk with the right turn on to the bypass. The other solution is a roundabout but I don’t think there's enough space to put in an effective one.”
Deputy Martin Ferris, Sinn Fein “I am in full support of the efforts of residents of the area to make the exit from Lewis Road left-turn only, I also want to see the pedestrian crossing upgraded to ensure pedestrians, especially children, are able to cross the road safely.”
Deputy Brendan Griffin, Fine Gael “The Killarney bypass junctions with Lewis Road and Madam's Hill and the Tralee-Killarney road are just two examples in very close proximity to each other that public representatives constantly raise, but the TII and the Department respond that they are not an issue. These are examples where the process needs to be tweaked.”
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, Independent “One thing I continuously ask for is the reduction of the maximum speed limit of 100 km/h on the
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National Primary Route and on the bypass. The cost of this would be minimal and could be done very quickly. Obviously much greater works need to be done and should be given urgent consideration.”
Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, Independent "I have asked Irish Rail to open the existing pedestrian underground crossing with no cost which will make it so safe for pedestrians and it is, as I have stated, the most dangerous junction in Ireland. I await their reply to this query."
Mayor of Killarney Councillor Brendan Cronin, Independent “I have always maintained, based on the amount of accidents, that the Lewis Road junction and Kilcummin junction on to the bypass are lethally dangerous and it is now time that senior council roads engineers along with management of the TII provide adequate funding to re design a safer layout on what must be the most dangerous junction in Killarney.”
Councillor Michael Gleeson, Kerry Independent Alliance “Many years ago I suggested that there should be a left only turn there and that vehicles would proceed to the Cleeny Roundabout. Obviously in the immediate future a strictly enforced speed limit of 60km per hour should apply for 200 metres on both approaches to the junctions. In the longer term the possibility of re-aligning the bypass road should be investigated and actively