'The big bucket on the digger,' is needed now on a dangerous Tipperary road

A Motion was brought to the recent Tipperary/Cahir/Cashel Municipal District meeting "That this council remove the pinch points along the R670 at Kileenabutler and between Shamrock Lodge and Rochestown due to the number of accidents on the road in recent years."

The issue was raised by Councillor Andy Moloney who referred to the fact that: "the ditch has stone faces and they are out at the side of the road," and said that it is very dangerous in relation to trucks and buses on the roads. 

"They are inclined to keep out into the middle of the road a little bit and in doing so they are breaking the law," he said before explaining that they are protecting their vehicles as "the average price of a truck mirror is between €600 and €800 because of all the electronics and you can't blame lads for trying to keep out a little bit but it is because the roads are driving them out," he said. 

Cllr Moloney continued saying that there is a pinch point at the opposite side of a layby on the right: "Coillte owns the woods inside it but the outside is owned by the Council and when that was trunked up before, it was because of a fire at the Mill in Cahir, so it was trunked up and the wall was built outside it," he said. 

The issue has to be addressed as: "The road was built at the time for an ass and cart." 

Cllr Moloney then pointed out that there are three "pinch points" and what it needs is "the big bucket on the digger or on the duck to take away a skelp of the ditch around it and just leave the lane in a little bit," he said. 

The truck drivers are saying it to him, said Cllr Moloney. Something has to be done, he said because "the average width of a bus is 2.55 metres and if you put two buses passing together you know yourself," he told the meeting before adding that "we don't have 5.1 metres."

He concluded his appeal by addressing the Council again: "I know you said that the location will be considered for application under safety and improvement schemes in the coming years - (but) it doesn't need big works of safety, it just needs a small bit.

"That's what we saw last week in Kilkenny, the very same thing, a bus and a truck approaching coming off a bridge. That is what caused the crash of the Roscrea bus and it is the same thing we are dealing with," Cllr Moloney said. 

Cllr Maureen McGrath seconded the motion and spoke of the heavy traffic on the route as well as highlighting the fact that other things need addressing too.

The Council representative replied that "We can have a look at it."