Kilpatrick Bridge dangers of concern to MKMD members

The lives of pedestrians and cyclists are being endangered as they cross Kilpatrick Bridge – the first bridge that greets greenway users as they head west out of Mullingar – local councillors have warned.

The dangers were spelled out by Cllr Aoife Davitt at the June meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, where she asked that the district install signage and traffic calming measures there in the interests of pedestrian safety.

Cllr Davitt pointed out that walkers and cyclists coming along the [northern side of] the canal actually have no choice but to go up to and cross the road at that bridge.

She stated that recently, a car hit the bridge, and just two days later, another vehicle drove into a ditch just 20 metres further on.

Cllr Davitt said the bridge is very tight, and the situation is not helped by its proximity to a junction, and she said that a number of people undertaking a litter-pick exercise at that location recently had suffered “near-misses”.

“The speed of the traffic on that road is a massive issue,” she stated.

“There is a high incidence of accidents there. They may not be reported to gardaí – in most cases they are not – because they are single vehicle accidents,” she said. The result of that, she explained, is that the bridge is not registering as a blackspot for accidents.

Cllr Emily Wallace said she fully supported Cllr Davitt’s stance on Kilpatrick Bridge.

“I’m on that bridge probably three times a week, and as Cllr Davitt said, if you come walking from Mullingar and are heading to Ballinea, there is nowhere to go but out on the road, and cars are flying on that road.”

Cllr Wallace went on to reveal that some motorists are using that road as a way of bypassing Mullingar.

Cllr Ken Glynn also supported the call, saying there is a serious issue at the bridge: “I know it’s probably going to be a significant financial implication, but I think we have to take action,” he said.

The written response to Cllr Davitt’s call stated that there are traffic signs in place at that location, and that traffic calming measures can be considered as part of the 2024 estimates. District engineer, Pat Kavanagh, agreed that Kilpatrick is a busy location, and becoming more so as more people engage in cycling and walking the canal route.

His suggestion was that a safety design be drawn up as a starting point.

Ballinea

At the same meeting, Cllr Davitt sought an update on repairs to the traffic lights at Ballinea, stating that they had not been working for pedestrians for more than a month. “These lights have been fixed,” Cllr Davitt was informed.“They’re fixed for motorists – but not for pedestrians,” Cllr Davitt replied.

Staff have agreed to examine and rectify the issue.