Right turns at a Roscrea road removed for cycle lanes

The realignment of the road “has taken away a very important safety measure at R445"

Councillor Michael Smith raised the Old Nenagh road out of Roscrea, the R445, at this month's meeting of Tipperary County Council.

Last year, they had received a significant amount of money to resurface it for over a kilometre at Inane. However, a dedicated right hand turn lane has now been removed, “at a very dangerous spot”.

Cllr Smith said the realignment of the road “has taken away a very important safety measure at R445. Who did it? We weren’t informed about it.”

The old Nenagh road out of Roscrea had a cycleway installed, and a small number of right hand turns were removed to facilitate the cycle track, said a roads official.

“As we install more cycle infrastructure, we have to take away space from other vehicles, so there is a compromise to be found there.”

Cllr Shane Lee said the Tullaskeagh junction, N62, and a section near the Birr road, L3104, is dangerous and numerous accidents have occurred there. “The R502 Castleiney Road is in a poor state, and that’s a very busy road,” he said.

Cllr Eddie Moran said the N62 out of Templemore has “one dangerous bit that’s not finished” going to Roscrea. The Town Hall in Templemore “should be finished in six to eight months time”, but the pedestrian crossing there is “absolutely lethal”.