Trucks clipping corner of Mullingar business on a 'weekly basis'

Kerbing is to be installed on the corner of a business in Blackhall Place in a bid to prevent trucks from clipping it when they are going around the mini roundabout

Since the roundabout was installed in recent years as part of the new traffic plan for Mullingar the number of vehicles that have hit with the corner of Joli hair and beauty salon has increased significantly, Cllr Mick Dollard told the September meeting of Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.

Cllr Dollard asked that the local authority “put in place a technical measure at the side of Joli, which would ensure that the wall would not be damaged”.

He said that the issue has been raised “ad nauseam” and that on a “weekly basis the side of the building is being hit with heavy lorries”.

He said that the roundabout is too narrow to accommodate trucks.

“What I suggested as a lay person was that a steel pole be erected at the side of the building and that it be painted white so that it would be luminous at night time. For the life of me, I don't know why the executive won't go and do this particular work as it would solve the problem.

“...Lorries are go around the roundabout and they are hitting this particular wall and it's not right.”

Cllr Aoife Davitt agreed with Cllr Dollard that something needed to be done and that a few days before the meeting a “large chunk” was taken out of the wall when it was struck by a vehicle.

She added that for motorists who want to “do a 360” around the roundabout it is a difficult manoeuvre to complete due to the location of the roundabout.

She says that there are “a lot of things that need to be looked at” when it comes to roundabout and the junction, in general.

Cllr Ken Glynn noted that most representatives have raised this issue in recent years. He added that something needs to be done to improve safety at the junction before a serious accident occurs.

“We are talking about this so long and we are getting nowhere. It is frustrating.”

Cllr Emily Wallace also raised concerns about safety at the junction.

“Right now it is not safe for neither motorists nor pedestrians,” she said.

Cllr Hazel Smyth, Mayor of MKMD, agreed with the previous speakers. She said that it is a “very tight junction for anyone to try and manoeuvre around and the visibility can be very poor in terms of being able to see whether you can merge out onto it.”

District engineer Paul McCool told councillors that MKMD proposes to install a “line of kerbs along the side of Joli just to keep vehicles out that little bit further”.

“It's the tail swing from the trucks that is catching the corner of Joli,” he said.