Dundalk JPC: Dissatisfaction over new Lordship speed cushions
Disquiet about the newly installed speed cushions on the R173 in Lordship was expressed by Michael Muckian of Cooley Peninsula Community Alert at last Wednesday’s public meeting of Dundalk JPC.
The Council recently resurfaced the road and removed two speed ramps replacing them with new smaller speed cushions.
Mr Muckian praised the work of local gardai and Superintendent Charlie Armstrong for their community engagement around speeding on the Bellurgan straight but said that the challenge arose from “something that the Council have done.”
Referring to high profile cases in the national media of people caught speeding in the area as part of National Slowdown Day, he said:
“It’s an embarrassment to see in the national media, 123km/hr at a 60km/hr [zone near a]school, 98km/hr at a 50km/hr [zone near a] school, all motorists stopped thanks to Superintendent Armstrong running a special project in the last two weeks at our local schools.
Mr Muckian expressed issues with the newly installed speed cushions on the road saying that they did nothing to moderate speeding in the area.
“Those two vehicles were stopped within one hundred metres after the speed cushions, so it goes to show the speed cushions are not fit for purpose.
He further said that it was the case that the council had “removed vital speed ramps and replaced them with bumps.”
He concluded by saying: “Those speed bumps are not slowing people down past 80km or 90km.
“123 km to accelerate from the speed ramp where that visible garda car stopped them shows the council's actions on the road are negligent and they have to do something before a child is hurt.”
In response Director of Service with Louth County Council Thomas McEvoy said that:
“There was road works done about a month ago and the road was resurfaced and relined and in place of the three ramps one ramp was left and the other two were converted over to speed cushions.
“You’re in a 50km zone so obviously cars are meant to obey that speed limit so you’re graduating from a 60km down to a 50km were you hit a cushion, you hit a ramp, you hit another cushion and then you graduate up into your 60k zone.
“If anyone is breaking that and particularly if they’re doing 120 kms, that’s bad driving behaviour, no amount of cushions is going to slow somebody who is intent on breaking the law at that level.”
Mr McEvoy did agree to talk to the county engineers to discover the rationale behind the placements and get back to the community alert group.