'More important to save a magpie than a pedestrian'
There have been numerous accidents on the N17 in recent years. Picture: Conor McKeown
Members of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District have called for urgent safety works on access roads along the N17.
Fianna Fáil Cllr John Caulfield raised the issue at last week's meeting of councillors when he said that several exits had been recently closed along the Claremorris-Knock section of the N17 and asked when the remaining exits would be closed.
“The increase in traffic here in recent years is phenomenal and the risks of danger at these junctions are also increasing. At the Cloonturk monument junction at Kiltimagh, you are just waiting for an accident to happen.
"We have no issues with cutting of trees at these junctions but then we get objections because there is a rabbit or a ringfort there. Bird protection seems to be calling the shots here over the safety of travellers and road users, where it seems to be more important to save a magpie than a pedestrian.”
Cllr Adrian Forkan agreed that the junction on the N17 coming out from Kilkelly is “absolutely treacherous”.
“There has been a number of serious near misses and unfortunately fatalities there in the last number of years. It is time for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to do something, whether this means moving the junction or realigning the road or installing a stacking lane. I know people say there is a well there and a house, but the possibility of fatalities at that junction is very serious.”
Cllr Deirdre Lawless agreed that immediate action was required to make the Kilkelly junction safe.
"We keep getting batted around between Sligo County Council and Mayo County Council on this and being told it will be dealt with in the Collooney roadworks. It is an accident blackspot, with an accident waiting to happen so we can’t be waiting for a new road to go ahead to fix this."
Director of Services Tom Gilligan said he would raise the issues at a scheduled meeting with TII. In regard to the Kilkelly junction, he noted that Sligo County Council is the lead authority overseeing works on the N17 Knock to Collooney project.
