Debate sparks over removal of ramps on Leitrim road

Speed ramps on the Castlecara road became a source of contention and frustration at January’s meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon municipal district.

Cllr Cormac Flynn put forward a motion requesting the Council remove the oversized speed ramps on Castlecara road, noting the impact they can have on vehicles.

“They’re oversized. It’s like a 20cm high wall in the middle of the road. You have to slow down to nine kilometres per hour to cross them safely,” Cllr Flynn said.

Cllr Flynn told Carrick-on-Shannon MD that he has seen trailers detaching from vehicles while crossing the speed ramps, with one instance where a trailer mounted the footpath and struck a lamppost. He also mentioned that farmers have raised concerns about cattle being thrown around and injured due to the ramps. 

All elected members of Carrick-on-Shannon MD supported Cllr Flynn’s motion.

Cllr Reynolds remarked that the speed ramp in the middle of Castlecara road is fine, but the two at either side are too harsh. “It’s too big of an issue to be put on the long finger. There isn’t enough notice when you’re coming in from the Kiltoghert side that the speed ramp is coming up,” she said.

Senior engineer Terry McGovern was adamant that the ramps will remain they way they are. “The reason for ramps is to slow down traffic for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.”

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He told members statistics on the likelihood of fatality for vulnerable road users if struck at a certain speed, remarking that the Castlecara road is one of the busiest in the county for walking and cycling.

“If you cross any of those speed ramps under 20km/h it will not damage your car,” he said.

Cllr Flynn argued that with two footpaths in place, the ramps are environmentally unsustainable, as vehicles must to repeatedly slow down and accelerate. 

“There are pedestrian crossings at the correct locations and those speed ramps are in the middle of nowhere where pedestrians wouldn’t be crossing,” he added.

Councillors then suggested that the focus should be on adjusting the severity, rather than their removal.

District engineer Darragh O’Boyle explained the reason ramps were put in after a car, speeding, knocked down two streetlights which could have resulted in the injuries of vulnerable road users. 

“We have to be careful, if this was changed or removed where do we stop?” he added.

A response from the Roads department stated, “We do not intend to remove or reduce

these speed ramps. Once the Carrick bypass is complete, we can look at traffic volumes on this road which may allow us to remove the ramps at a future date."

Cllr Flynn expressed dissatisfaction with the discussion and stated he would be submitting the motion again at a later stage.

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