Road safety concerns raised by Wallace

Cllr Emily Wallace raised a number of road safety concerns at the February meeting of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District, warning that several locations across the district were “lethal” for motorists if urgent remedial works were not carried out.

She called for repairs to what she described as a very dangerous dip on the L1609 at Clonlost, Killucan, saying drivers could lose control of their vehicles without warning.

The district office confirmed the road had been included for resurfacing as part of the 2026 road restoration programme.

While welcoming the reply, Cllr Wallace said the issue was not simply the road surface but a sudden dip which she said could “fire you into the ditch”, even at moderate speeds.

She noted the problem had previously been raised by former councillor Frank McDermott and asked that warning signs be erected on both approaches to the dip, saying signage was currently only in place on one side.

District engineer Pat Kavanagh said warning signs would be installed and confirmed he intended to address the issue this year.

Monilea

Cllr Wallace also sought works to widen a narrow stretch of road at Rathcorbally, Monilea, on the L1618, describing it as extremely dangerous as the traffic includes heavy vehicles such as school buses, milk lorries and agricultural machinery.

The official written reply supplied by the district said the road at Blackmiles had been included for resurfacing as part of the 2026 programme, subject to funding, and that the stretch at Rathcorbally would be examined.

Responding, Cllr Wallace said there was a particular pinch point of about 20 metres between Rathcorbally and Fennor where there was “nowhere to go” for oncoming traffic, adding that conditions were especially hazardous in wet weather.

The Downs

In a further question, Cllr Wallace asked for a review of road markings and signage at The Downs junction, where the L1601 meets the R156, saying stop signs were positioned too close to the junction and markings were worn and unclear.

The district office said the signage complied with the traffic signs manual but confirmed a site visit would take place to examine the need for additional markings.

Cllr Wallace said vehicles regularly failed to stop or overshot the junction, and speeding is a particular issue on the Cloughan Road approach.

Mr Kavanagh said the current speed limit of 60kmh may no longer be appropriate given the level of housing and nearby school, suggesting a reduction to 50kmh could be considered.

Director of services Deirdre Reilly said any change to speed limits would have to be examined as part of the countywide speed limit review, which would take the remainder of the year to complete, and traffic calming measures such as ramps would only be considered following that process.