Left-turn lanes rule ‘creating danger on N52’ – Gaffney

Calls are growing among Mullingar Kinnegad councillors for urgent road safety improvements on the N52 between Delvin and Mullingar, where members say a lack of left-hand turning lanes is putting lives at risk – particularly near St Tola’s National School.

Cllr Niall Gaffney raised the issue at the July meeting of the Municipal District, tabling a motion asking that the council submit an application to the Department of Transport to install left-hand turning lanes along the busy stretch.

The response from council management stated that diverging auxiliary lanes and tapers on single carriageway roads “do not comply with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) design standards and are therefore not permitted”.

Cllr Gaffney criticised the response as “completely ignorant of the individuality of each junction” and said it disregards local knowledge and experience. “There are 24 left-hand turns between Mullingar and Delvin – four of them have left-turn lanes, all on the Mullingar side. Obviously it was up to standard once when the road was being done,” he said.

He warned that the standards being cited could eventually result in the removal of existing turn lanes, calling for a meeting with TII representatives to address councillors’ concerns. “People are crying out – there’s going to be an accident there. The roads are there to service the towns and the people using them, not the other way around,” he said.

Cllr Aoife Davitt backed the motion, highlighting the removal of a ghost island near Rathconnell (where a fatality had occurred) despite increased traffic volumes in the area. “The reply was ignorant,” she said of previous correspondence from TII. “They increased the speed from 80 to 100 (kmh) but took away those safety capacities for people turning right.”

Cllr Alfie Devine echoed the concerns, saying the upgraded N52 now “feels like a motorway” but still has outdated and dangerous junctions. “The entrances are still the same as they were 100 years ago,” he said. “I’ve been at probably 10 crashes on that road and at least four fatalities. The stretch around St Tola’s is particularly dangerous.”

Cllr David Jones described the situation as “an accident waiting to happen”. He pointed to frequent near-misses at St Tola’s, where traffic volumes are extremely high during school hours. “The design standards may need to be upgraded – they’re just not sufficient,” he said, noting that 44,000 to 45,000 vehicles pass the St Tola’s junction each week. “Those turning right are sitting ducks.”

Councillors supported the idea of writing directly to TII to challenge its current design standards and request urgent consideration of safety upgrades tailored to the local context.

Deirdre Reilly, director of services, confirmed the council executive would write to TII if the members were in agreement.