Roscrea bypass junction will be highlighted as 'urgent' and 'dangerous' to TII by local reps

THE elected members of the Municipal Council for the Roscrea, Templemore and Thurles area will soon submit a report to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) about issues they feel need to be addressed most urgently on the local road network and a dangerous junction in Roscrea and issues relating to the M7 motorway near the town were among those singled out by the members.

The junction on Roscrea's bypass at Tullaskeagh, where the bypass converges with the Knock Road and New Road towards the town centre, has been the site of fatal accidents in the past.

The junction, which has been raised several times with the national infrastructure authority, will again be highlighted for TII this year after making the same list of blackspots last year.

The junction will soon be carrying an even greater burden of traffic as large-scale residential developments are underway on the Knock Road, which serves as the main route for people travelling on foot and by vehicle for work and school from large housing estates.

Cllr. Shane Lee raised the issue at a meeting of the Municipal Council on Monday and warned there will again be a tragic accident at the junction if remedial works to promote safety are not soon carried out.

This was echoed by Cllr. Michael Smith, who said the junction became a priority in the aftermath of a fatal accident, but “fell down the list” and was neglected for several years.

“We have to get serious with TII on this - we need results”, Cllr. Smith said.

MOTORWAY
Issues with standing water and torrents of water streaming across the M7 motorway were also highlighted by Cllr. Lee, who said over 20 cars were forced to pull into the hard shoulder of the M7 recently because the motorway had become “unusable” during severe downpours.

The stretch of motorway between Junction 22-Roscrea and 23-Moneygall has been singled out as particularly treacherous in poor weather and experiences more instances of fog and rain compared to the surrounding topography, previous meetings heard.

New information gantries, which alert motorists about weather conditions, were installed in recent years to attempt to increase safety.

Another issue to be raised with TII is the surface of the N62 road from Templemore to Junction 22 on the M8 at the Horse and Jockey, which Cllr. Noel Coonan told the meeting needs urgent repairs.

THURLES BYPASS & TURTULLA CROSS
Public demand for a bypass in Thurles, which remains the only major town in the county to not have an arterial road to ease heavy-goods traffic congestion from clogging the town centre, is also a priority for the elected members.

Councillors Seamus Hannafin and Jim Ryan both pleaded for the the Thurles bypass issue to be top of the list in the submission to TII, adding that traffic congestion and frustration for local motorists are a major issue on the minds of Thurles residents and the local business community.

Another dangerous junction towards the south of the Municipal region has also been repeatedly highlighted by elected members and will again make the list for submission to TII.

The crossroads at Turtulla near Thurles, which also has been the site of serious road traffic accidents in the past, will again this year be highlighted as urgent and was singled out by Cllr. Jim Ryan as one of the worst blackspots in the area at Monday's meeting in Thurles.