Public meeting to be held to discuss safety concerns in Limerick border town
AN URGENT review of traffic in Charleville is underway “to facilitate the preparation of safety improvement proposals”.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Cork County Council have met to commence the review after recent deaths of two pedestrians on the main street of the Limerick-Cork border town.
The news has been welcomed by Limerick city Councillor Olivia O’Sullivan, who was personally affected by the issue as her aunt Kathleen O’Sullivan died in December 2008, following an incident on that “same stretch of road.”
“It personally affected my family and it was very stressing at the time. It happened to my aunt in 2008. And, to think that there are still people being killed in a similar way on that stretch of road in 2023, it's very hard to comprehend.
“Every time there’s another pedestrian death such as we’ve seen recently, it brings it all back for the families that have been affected over the years,” she commented.
Cllr O’Sullivan said she has been in touch with fellow councillors in the north Cork area to discuss the “urgent” matter, following the recent deaths of two pedestrians.
“I was in touch with Cllr John Paul O'Shea, who informed me that they've been working to try and develop a relief road to take the trucks off the main street. That's obviously the major problem for pedestrians because when you put vulnerable pedestrians near these huge trucks, it is a recipe for disaster,” she explained.
According to the councillor, progress is being made with the funding.
“They need to act on it for the safety of people, particularly vulnerable pedestrians, who can't wait until the N20 project is complete. It can't wait,” she stressed.
Cork County Council have confirmed they met with TII.
“The purpose of this review will be to expedite the delivery on Main Street of the existing Part 8 Scheme for pedestrians near Charleville Library, assist Cork County Council to devise proposals to address pedestrian safety.
“It is likely that the nature of the street will require alterations to improve the visibility and safety of pedestrians.”
The statement added: “Any long-term solution will need to take by-passing HGVs out of Charleville altogether via either an acceleration of the construction of a portion of the N/M20 project, or via a new relief road or upgrading of existing routes”.
Cork County Council also confirmed that have requested TII funding to progress the planning of options to provide traffic relief for Charleville and that such a scheme be funded, and progressed, in addition to the N/M20 Project together with developing safety improvement proposals for the town centre.
Over the last 10 years, eight people have died on the main street of the town. In recent weeks, there have been two fatal collisions on the street.
Margaret Lyons, 72, died after being struck by a lorry on the town's main road.
A few weeks earlier, another fatal victim, Pat Galvin, also died on the same stretch of road.
A public meeting regarding pedestrian safety in town has been called to take place at Charleville Park Hotel this Wednesday at 7.30pm.
Speaking of this week's public meeting in Charleville, Cllr Olivia O'Sullivan noted: “There's obviously huge concerns in the locality there. I know this is in County Cork but it affects us too. A lot of people travel that route on a daily basis to go to work. Charleville is just over the border from us. We want to see this happen just as much as the people of Cork, it's gone out for too long.”