Speed limits on rural roads in Louth to be reduced from 80kms to 60kms later this year
Labour Councillor Michelle Hall has secured a commitment from Louth County Council that low cost short-term safety measures will be introduced at the junction of Ballymakenny Road and the Cockle Road in the coming weeks.
The junction has been the scene of many collisions over the years but these have increased recently with the opening of the new link road.
Hall has been calling for traffic calming measures at this dangerous junction for many years and again at the last Drogheda Borough District for this council’s term.
“I’m relieved that some traffic calming interventions will be put in place soon and should I be re-elected next week, I will continue to look for a long-term solution to help prevent further accidents at this busy and dangerous junction” she said.
“I have been logging accidents that have occurred at Ballymakenny Cross to senior management and ladder bar strips were installed this week with additional signage, better positioning of signs and refreshed road markings in the coming weeks.
Councillor Hall also welcomed the news that speed limits on local rural roads in Louth are to be reduced from 80kms to 60kms later this year. She said that residents on busy rural roads are fearful for their lives with so many commuters and trucks using them.
I have called on Gardai to implement speed checks on many roads that speeding is evident such as the Baltray Road, Collon Rd and Ballymakenny Cross. We need a collaborative approach in order to reduce deaths and serious injury as numbers have sadly risen year on year since Covid”, Cllr Hall concluded.
The following low-cost safety measures have been arranged, to be implemented:
- Refreshing line markings at approaches to the junction
- Replacing the existing Stop Signs with new Stop Signs to allow for increased ‘reflectivity’ at night time (the location of some of the Stop Signs will also be repositioned to make them more visible on approach)
- Installation of an additional ‘Prepare to Stop’ sign
- The painting of ‘ladder bar’ markings (yellow painted strips) on both approaches as an added measure to highlight the presence of a junction ahead
