Residents’ fears over accident blackspot in Co Cork

Villagers are seeking local authority intervention at a high-risk traffic accident spot on an inter-city route.

A residents’ association in Killeagh village, on the N25 between Cork and Waterford, have warned of a notable rise in traffic accidents following a €3m street enhancement scheme.

Youghal Road Residents’ Association of Killeagh has recorded incidents where several cars have failed to negotiate a bend on the eastern exit, with sections of a wall being demolished twice and a sign pole being dislodged along with a series of minor accidents.

Residents’ spokesman Alan Hannigan said:

It was only by the mercy of God there was nobody walking on the footpath when the collisions occurred because they would almost certainly have been seriously injured or killed.

The association is seeking the provision of a proposed footbridge where the road crosses the local river and arcs towards Youghal and also Waterford.

Motorists unfamiliar with the Killeagh bridge area, where a new road surface was also laid, may be particularly susceptible to misjudging the bend due to speed or weather, locals believe. The road carries an estimated 15,000 vehicles daily through the village where there is no footpath at the location where accidents occurred.

Pedestrians are faced with accessing the village centre by either walking on the roadway or twice crossing the busy national primary route, including where it diverges onto a rural slipway.

Carlo O’Brien, who also represents the residents, lives close to the bridge.

He claimed it was “an absolutely lethal situation” for pedestrians, especially children walking to school, the elderly and people in wheelchairs among others. Mr O’Brien said he narrowly escaped injury recently by a passing vehicle at the point where the N25 divided.

Residents are annoyed a small off-road footbridge across the Dissour River to accommodate pedestrian traffic safely into the village centre was not included in plans for the street enhancement scheme. The likely cost is €100,000. Cork County Council, however, said the enhancement project’s current contract is still ongoing while the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is also examining the matter.

A TII senior executive said “construction of a footbridge will commence later this month” but residents claim similar assurance had been given, previously.