TRANSPORT Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is giving ‘the two fingers’ to local councillors regarding their safety concerns in Innishannon and the N71, which according to one councillor is falling apart with subsidence in about 10 to 15 different places.
Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) raised these issues at a recent meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District.
About 16,000 vehicles pass through Innishannon each day and locals have been campaigning for safer driving and traffic calming measures to be introduced in their village. Innishannon Traffic Action Group (ITAG) was set up specifically to highlight the safety concerns.
‘They don’t give one hoot about safety on the roads,’ said Cllr Murphy, referring to TII. ‘They are responsible for the increased speeds coming into Innishannon.’
‘We wanted the 60kph put back at least 50 or 100 yards as you enter the village from the Cork side. I contacted the local chief superintendent in Bandon on this and we made a major case for this. But TII totally ignored us and now we have motorists driving 100kph just as they enter the village. TII are putting their two fingers up to us and that’s not good enough.’
Cllr Murphy said this is a serious safety issue and wants the municipal district to write back to TII on the issue.
He also raised the issue of subsidence on the N71 at a meeting of the local authority and the lack of maintenance on what is a national secondary route.
‘The maintenance of it is being passed back to us and we’re trying to do what we can. The road is subsiding in about 10 to 15 different places due to the high volume of traffic. There is no maintenance of this route being done this year and it’s falling apart.’
Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) also raised the issue of subsidence on the section of the N71 between Innishannon and Bandon.
‘This needs to be seriously addressed and if we are pushing the TTI for funding we should be seeking traffic calming measures and look at it in a more holistic way,’ said Cllr Coleman.
Senior executive engineer Richard Cahill said he will contact the national roads office and outline the concerns raised at the meeting, including the speed limit entering the village.
