Councillors highlight road safety concerns about newly upgraded N76 in Grangemockler

Two county councillors have voiced road safety concerns about aspects of the upgrade of 1.2km of the N76 Clonmel to Kilkenny Road at Grangemockler that was completed last month  

Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District  Cathaoirleach Cllr David Dunne and Cloneen Cllr Mark Fitzgerald highlighted their concerns in relation to the  Transport Infrastructure Ireland funded project at Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District’s monthly meeting. 

The improvements carried out to this section of the N76  include resurfacing the roadway, the upgrade and widening of the village footpaths, provision of clearly defined car parking spaces, reduction of the road carriageway width to a consistent 6.5m to reduce traffic speed and redesign of all junctions and accesses in Grangemockler.

The project also comprised a new pedestrian railing on the bridge over the River Lingaun, upgrade of drainage to allow rapid removal of surface water, the upgrade of pedestrian crossings and installation of tactile road paving.

Cllr Dunne praised the “beautiful job” done on the N76 in Grangemockler at the municipal district meeting. The  road was finished to a “very high standard” and the engineers deserved all the credit they received. 

But he claimed that unfortunately the road surface was like a “billiard table” and he feared the project’s goal of slowing down traffic hasn’t been achieved as motorists seemed to be driving on as they now have a clearer view of what’s ahead due to the new design of the road. 

The Sinn Féin councillor also voiced concern about the position of the bus stop in the village. It wasn’t set back far enough from the road, he argued.

  When a bus pulled into the bus stop, motorists weren’t waiting behind the bus until it moved on. 

They were moving out onto the opposite lane of traffic to drive on through the village, which endangered oncoming traffic. 

Cllr Fitzgerald, meanwhile, told council management that people driving HGVs and long agricultural vehicles were struggling to turn at the GAA field junction.

 “They have no choice but to drive over the footpath. They can’t make the turn, it’s too tight.” 

The  same problem existed at a junction at the South Lodge side of Grangemockler.    

The wheel of a tractor driving from a narrow road onto the main road went over the corner of the flower bed at the junction in order to swing onto the N76.  

He asked for these junctions to be widened to facilitate these larger vehicles. 

District Engineer  Denis Power responded that motorists should  follow the rules of the road when they come up behind a bus stopped at the bus stop in Grangemockler. 

He said the narrowing of the  N76 road carriageway in the village was designed to slow down the traffic. 

In relation to Cllr Fitzgerald’s concerns about junction widths, he said they were designed to Transport Infrastructure Ireland(TII) specifications according to the organisation’s design manual for urban roads. 

Tipperary County Council Senior Engineer Liam Brett said the TII signed off on the design  specifications. The specifications were not in the council’s control.  

He explained the “tightening up” of junctions was designed to reduce the speed of vehicles going through them, particularly smaller vehicles. 

Cllr Fitzgerald responded that the situation was a “nightmare” for people with long 40ft vehicles. 

He  asked if the council could go back to the TII and  request that the size of vehicles used on rural roads be taken into consideration when upgrading  roads such as this in rural areas. 

He pointed out there will be forestry vehicles travelling through Grangemockler over the next few years.

 Mr Brett replied that  the council could certainly make this point to the TII.