Long stretches of narrow road causing vehicle stand-offs in area of Kilkenny

Concern has been raised about the potential hazards of long narrow stretches of road in an area of South Kilkenny where vehicles have no space to pass each other.

Speaking at this month's meeting of Piltown Municipal District, Cllr Pat Dunphy stated that this is a particular problem on rural roads near Mullinavat, and a big issue for lorries and HGVs.

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He asked if signs could be installed in the Ballyogreek area of Mullinavat to alert drivers on the width and potential hazards of the roads.

"Many drivers are likely to just be following their sat-navs and are unaware of the road conditions, which is a particular issue for larger vehicles," he said.

Cllr Fidelis Doherty told elected members that she saw a HGV driver turn off the R448 in Mullinavat towards Ballyogreek only to discover that the vehicle wouldn't fit under the railway bridge.

"The truck had to back out all the way back to Mullinavat," she said. "The roads in the area are extremely narrow."

It was acknowledged at the meeting that putting an outright statutory limit on what size vehicles could use the roads in the area could impact local businesses and farmyards, particularly for HGV deliveries/collections.

Area Engineer Stan Cullen stated that he would examine if more signage could be provided to better inform HGV drivers of the road conditions, so that they could alter their routes accordingly.