Mid-2022 before Cashel Cross fix

It will be the middle of next year at the earliest before works are carried out to improve safety at Cashel Cross outside Ballinagh.

The junction has been the scene of numerous fatal and serious crashes in recent years, most recently in February 2020 when two people lost their lives.

Ballinagh Cllr Winston Bennett (FG) requested an update on the long-awaited works at the site, when Ballyjamesduff Municipal District met recently: “I’ve had a number of phone calls in the last fortnight saying this is supposed to be done and it hasn’t happened.”

The August meeting of the MD heard that, if the plans are approved by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), right turning lanes would be put in place for traffic coming from both directions.

At that meeting it was expected a submission would be made to TII by the end of the year, along with a request for funding.

However, the December meeting heard the plans are still being drawn up. Senior executive engineer John McGahern said enabling works had been carried out on site “some time ago”.

Design stage

He said it’s now hoped the plans will be submitted in the coming months: “It’s currently at design stage. A detailed design will be submitted to TII early next year and pending their approval we’ll go to procurement soon after.”

Mr McGahern said at the earliest it would be the middle of 2022 before works would be carried out.

Responding to comments from Cllr Bennett describing the junction as “deadly, deadly”, Mr McGahern said there shouldn’t be a “knee jerk reaction”.

“It’s important that the design is given the time to find the correct solution. It’s very easy to go out there in a knee jerk reaction and do the wrong thing and make it more dangerous.”

The motion was supported by Cllr Philip Brady (FF).