Castleblayney Road slip lane outside Dundalk to be reinstated
The lefthand turnoff for the L7132 on the Castleblayney Road was removed by TII in May
A controversial new slip lane layout on the N53 which caused “confusion and danger” to motorists has been reversed after it was highlighted to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) by Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú.
The lefthand turnoff for the L7132 on the Castleblayney Road was removed by TII in May as part of their ‘delineation contract’.
The slip lane was taken away, meaning that motorists who wished to turn left had no choice but to indicate and make the sharp turn in fast-moving traffic.
In an initial response to Deputy Ó Murchú, TII said the removal of the left-turn diverge lane at this location “is part of a TII’s delineation contract. These design proposals were agreed upon with Louth County Council, the road authority for the area, and are consistent with the approach for treatment of such turning facilities elsewhere on national roads.”
But Deputy Ó Murchú persisted with TII, highlighting drivers’ concerns, and asking TII for assurances that safety was their number one priority when redesigning the slip lane.
Last Friday, TII wrote to the Sinn Féin TD again, this time advising them of a change of mind on the junction and promising to reinstate the original layout.
TII said: “In light of the concerns raised in your correspondence, Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII’s) Signs and Lines Team have reviewed this location and will reinstate the original layout.
“TII notes the high traffic flow demands for turning vehicles on this school road and agrees that the previous layout, with a dedicated deceleration lane, appears to have functioned well as part of the original safety scheme at this staggered junction.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention.”
Deputy Ó Murchú said: “This is a victory for common sense, and I am grateful to TII for seeing this. I am also grateful to the constituents who raised this issue with me as the redesigned layout caused confusion and danger to motorists who use this road every day.
“Safety must be the number one factor when looking at roads and how they are designed, particularly considering the increased number of crashes and fatalities this year.
“The way the junction was previously laid out was far safer and I am glad this was recognised by TII.”