Renewed calls for safety review at 'dangerous' Cloughan Junction

Fresh calls have been made for Transport Infrastructure Ireland to carry out a lighting and safety evaluation at the Cloughan Junction on the N52, as councillors warn that the junction remains dangerous for motorists, particularly at night and during poor weather.

The issue was raised by Cllr Emily Wallace at the May meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, where she called for a road safety audit at the junction, citing ongoing concerns over lighting, traffic speed and the layout of traffic islands.

In response, council officials said the junction was constructed in accordance with TII standards and noted that national guidance generally restricts lighting on national roads to urban locations.

The Transportation Section stated that lighting on single carriageway national roads is only provided where a specific lighting evaluation justifies it and where approval is granted through a formal ‘Departure from Standard’ process.

Officials added that the prevailing guidance states that, “in most instances”, lighting on the mainline national road network is not considered justified.

Cllr Wallace strongly criticised what she described as a repeated “cut-and-paste reply” from transport authorities and said local experience of the junction tells a different story. “I have been raising this since 2020,” she said.

The councillor described the junction as particularly hazardous because of its staggered layout, heavy traffic volumes and glare from nearby lighting at the Cloughan Inn.

“When it’s wet and dark, it is particularly dangerous,” she said. Cllr Wallace noted that a public light had existed at the junction for more than 40 years before being removed during upgrades to the N52, completed in 2020.

She argued that TII should now be formally asked to conduct a full lighting evaluation rather than relying on general national assumptions.

“For anyone living and navigating this road regularly, and the residents and businesses using it, lighting is required,” she said.

She also requested details of how any such evaluation would be carried out and asked that the matter be formally referred back to TII.

Cllr Aoife Davitt seconded the proposal.

Senior executive officer Mary Goldsberry acknowledged the concerns raised and confirmed that the council would write to TII seeking a lighting evaluation at the junction.

“I know the area particularly well, and I know what they’re talking about,” she said.