Up to 40 concerned residents met on the roadside in Smith’s Road, Charleville, on Tuesday evening this week to voice concern about a dangerous bend at Kippane where accidents are growing more and more frequent.
In less than two years, four serious accidents have occurred at the bend as motorists entering Charle-ville from the Newtownshan-drum side hit the walls belonging to local residents, who are now demanding action from Cork County Council.
“We have had four accidents at the spot in two years and thank God there have been no casualties, but there could have been. The cars in all those four accidents went up in skips, such was the impact of the collisions,” explained local resident Willie McAuliffe, whose property has been damaged on a number of occasions. “On 1st July this year the painter finished the tidying up after a previous accident, and on 5th July the walls were down again,” Mr. McAuliffe said.
As many as sixteen accidents have taken place at the blackspot over the last number of years.
The problem has been exacerbated recently by flying debris from the aftermath of collisions which is causing further damage to property, including smashing the windscreen of a car parked in a driveway recently.
The bend is located within the 50kph and 60kph speed limits and residents are calling for the immediate installation of traffic calming measures and resurfacing of the road.
Local Cllr Ian Doyle, the newly elected chairman of Fermoy Municipal District, has taken the matter up with Cork County Council by way of a motion calling for urgent action.
Cllr Doyle was told in a reply that “a distance plate will be put on the existing warning sign and two new ‘slow’ onroad markings backed in red will be placed in advance of the bend. This will be carried out in the coming weeks. A low cost scheme proposal for a new flashing variable message sign and/or possible high friction surfacing as well as reshaping the road is proposed for the location in 2016. These works could cost up to €59,000 and would have to form the basis of an application by us to the NRA for approval and funding.”
Willie McAuliffe is very grateful to the prompt action of the local Gardaí when summoned to the various accidents at the spot. “Every accident that occurred there, they were at the site within minutes, I cannot praise them highly enough,” he said. “The time for talk is over, action is what we need now,”
See photographs on page 2.