Local motorists ‘living in fear’ at three Ballyshannon junctions

Motorists who use three notorious junctions in the wider Ballyshannon area are in fear of their lives, the June meeting of the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal has heard. 

Cllr Michael McMahon (SF) had previously called for the safety concerns to be passed on to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

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At the June meeting of Donegal MD he said: “The junctions at Cavangarden, Parkhill and Coolcholly, can we get a progress report on them from the TII.

“Locals are living in fear, trying to get across the road. It is an accident waiting to happen. I have been out there myself on several occasions and the speed of the cars and the amount of buses and lorries is frightening.”

Cllr McMahon also drew attention to the dangers of Ballyshannon to Belleek road, particularly given the high volume of traffic using the route.

“It is probably one of the worst roads in the country and one of the busiest roads in the country,” he said. “I would like a reply from TII to see where it is at. There is no point in waiting till somebody is hurt or killed.” 

Area Roads Officer Mark Sweeney said that his team were carrying out traffic survey works at the three junctions, and that would then be  submitted to TII to be used as part of the risk assessment. 

He shared Cllr McMahon’s concerns, saying a right turn-off onto a national road was always a risk. 

“We are trying to build a picture of how many vehicles are doing that at five junctions in the area,” he said. “We have to get that into the TII.”

He explained that equipment had to be put in place at each point of a junction, and left there for a sufficient period of time to give a true sense of the amount of traffic.

“It takes a bit of time but we are working on it,” he said. 

Regarding the Ballyshannon to Belleek road, Mr Sweeney acknowledged the safety concerns. 

“We need the TII to focus on improvement works and realignment,” he said. “There are sections with no hard shoulder and people out walking on it. 

“It is a strategic road into the north. But it is competing with the Ten-T and other road projects.”

Cllr McMahon said there was one good section from Rockfield to Celtic Weave, with a hard shoulder. He asked if there was any way to at least get an extension of the hard shoulder.

Mr Sweeney replied that this would involve road widening, which would require land being purchased, Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) etc, and therefore needed the commitment of TII to carrying out the project. 

“We are trying to get it onto a list for them to consider it,” he said.