URGENT: Calls for overhaul of two roads in Kilkenny after fatal collisions

Councillors in South Kilkenny are calling for urgent measures in a bid to address the ongoing tragedy of fatal accidents on two major roads in the area.

For many years now, the stretches of the N25 and N24 that run through the south of the county have drawn significant criticism from local elected officials and members of the public.

Deaths on both roads have left lingering pain and tragedy in local communities in recent years, with the most recent death occurring on the N25 in South Kilkenny earlier this month.

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Continued delays and funding issues that have hampered the proposed upgrading of both road schemes have further exacerbated the seriousness of the issue.

This has prompted councillors in the area to call for immediate safety measures to be introduced, and for the overall schemes to be prioritised by the next government.

Chairman of Piltown Municipal District, Cllr Ger Frisby, has emphasised the ‘need to ensure that the N25 is put on a funding stream for coming year’.

“This is going to keep happening unless something is done about it,” he said.

“It has unfortunately claimed another life in another terrible tragedy.”

Cllr Pat Dunphy referred to the N25 as ‘the worst road in the country for deaths’ and concurred that immediate measures, including an average speed camera, are needed.

Director of Services at Kilkenny County Council, Ian Gardner, told councillors that traffic surveys could be carried out on the N25.

“We can do counts at each junction as well as an origin-destination survey,” he informed elected officials.

Area Engineer John Tennyson also noted the councillors’ concerns, adding that the local authority can ‘look into traffic counters’ and discuss the deputation from the councillors with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

He also confirmed that a speed limit review of all national roads is due to take place this year, adding that the N25 ‘will be one of the areas looked at under that review’.

Chairman Frisby welcomed the contribution, adding that ‘we can’t continue with the road the way it is for the next four or five years’.

“We’re not going to get that new road for six to seven years if approved,” he said.

The existing stretch of the N25 from Waterford to Glenmore has a high incidence of junctions and accesses.

Oftentimes, these junctions must be navigated by drivers in the presence of other traffic travelling at high speed.

The nearby N24 road that runs through the south of the county also has a high incidence of junctions and accesses, as well as a variable cross-section.

These factors contribute to limited overtaking opportunities and unstable traffic flow along the existing route. A static speed camera has been planned for the N25 between Glenmore and Luffany, but councillors are skeptical of the impact it will have.

Cllr Tomás Breathnach stated that it would be beneficial for gardaí to engage and consult with elected officials in the area in the future when drafting new proposals and measures in the locality.

Councillors in the Piltown Municipal District have also made plans to bring their concerns to the fore at an upcoming plenary meeting of Kilkenny County Council.

They are also calling on support from members of the Oireachtas to prioritise the advancement of the N24/N25 schemes, in a bid to prevent further tragedies.

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