Kilkenny motorists ‘waiting to be hit from behind’ at dangerous road junction

Motorists have to ‘sit in the middle of the road, waiting to be hit from behind’ at a dangerous junction on the Durrow to Ballyragget road, says one local councillor.

Councillor Mary Hilda Cavanagh has called for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to install a ‘ghost island’ at the Lisdowney junction on the N77, to improve road safety.

At the recent meeting of the Castlecomer Municipal District councillors, Cllr Cavanagh proposed “That TII be requested to install a ghost island for traffic turning towards Lisdowney from the Durrow side from the N77 as is the case for traffic going into Tirlán.”

Millions are being spent upgrading the main Ballyragget to Durrow road, she pointed out. TII are “creating a fantastic road, but for people who are coming from Durrow to Ballyragget and want to turn right, towards Lisdowney, they have to sit in the middle of the road, waiting for traffic to come along and hit them from behind.”
Cllr Cavanagh explained to the meeting that TII say they can’t put in a traffic island because it is unsafe.

Cllr Michael Delaney said Cllr Cavanagh was “100% right” especially now ‘with the road works with people not obeying the lights’.

Cllr Cavanagh proposed the council write to TII with her requests, with the agreement of all.
Work on the €12 million Ballyragget to Ballynaslee realignment project began last February and will ‘straighten out’ the road.