Dangerous road junction on busy road in Tipperary has raised concerns

A treacherous junction on a road just outside of Clonmel needs urgent attention, a meeting of Clonmel Borough District has been told.

Cllr Michael Murphy said it was extremely dangerous for motorists arriving at the junction of the Waterford Road at Two-Mile-Bridge, beside Annerville House, and who were turning west, or right, towards Clonmel on the N24 road.

He said that the 50 kilometres per hour zone needed to be extended as motorists approached Clonmel from the east along the N24.

Cllr Murphy said the situation was so dangerous that some motorists who were driving from Redmondstown onto the N24, and who wanted to turn right towards Clonmel town, turned left instead and travelled four miles to the Kilheffernan roundabout before turning around and returning to Clonmel.

A number of heavy goods vehicles also used that junction.

District Mayor Pat English agreed that it was a dangerous spot, with a lot of traffic coming from the Bulmers and Medite plants, and motorists couldn’t cross the road there.

Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said that the speed limits need to be reviewed, considering the volume of traffic at that junction.

In her reply to Cllr Murphy’s request for the extension of the 50kmh speed limit, District Administrator Carol Creighton said the publication of the updated guidelines for the setting and management of speed limits in Ireland was expected before the end of the year, after which time Cllr Murphy’s request would be considered.

Under the Road Traffic Act 2004, a local authority may make special speed limit by-laws to change the default speed limit on any public road within its administrative area.

With regard to national routes, written consent is also required from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the District Administrator added.