Road barrier puts stop to accidents

THE split-barrier overtaking system near Mallow has cut accidents to a trickle along a road where 15 people had died in the seven years before it was planned.

An estimated five million vehicles use the road every year, but on the 2+1 barrier section fatal accidents have been eliminated.

A report into the scheme by TMS consultants said the gardaí have already asked for it to be extended further towards Mallow.

Last year, other national roads in County Cork, the Mallow to Fermoy (N72) and Cork to Tralee (N22), witnessed the worst level of carnage in the country with five fatalities each.

Parish priest at Grenagh Fr Liam Kelleher praised the scheme, near the village of Rathduff, for stopping the figure from going higher.

“There have been far fewer accidents and while it is an inconvenience to some people from a safety point of view there have been no fatalities.”

The road has been contentious for some people inconvenienced by the barrier running through the middle of the road.

Local business man Pat Moynihan said some people are still frustrated by it but the results cannot be argued with. “I know several people still have problems with it because they don’t have the patience to sit and wait. But what it does stop is all that overtaking and crossing over and that is what was killing people so I am a supporter of it.”