Warning of fatality at Whitegate Cross

Someone will be killed at Whitegate Cross if something isn’t done to improve computer parking there.

Cllr Shane P O’Reilly warned of a fatality at the busy N3 location if the issue is not urgently addressed; while the council executive assured councillors at the Ballyjamesduff Municipal District meeting that appropriate road safety solutions are being explored.

Cllr O’Reilly went on to say that, recently, he counted 46 cars parked at the cross, many of which were blocking the view of motorists trying to pull out on to the main road.

Consequentially, the Mullagh man said that motorists, including school bus drivers transporting children, are forced to take their lives and those of their passengers into their hands when attempting to pull out on to the main road.

A frustrated Cllr O’Reilly said he had been talking about it for years and it has now reached crisis point. He’s calling on the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to do something about the issue.

The Independent councillor said he had spoken to a landowner who had offered land to build a carpark.

Cllr O’Reilly further contended that a speed limit of 100kn was too dangerous for a road with a bus stop on it.

Engineer for Cavan County Council John McGahern said there is an informal arrangement in place with the NTA at the bus stop. Cavan County Council, he said, is liaising with the relevant authorities to develop a safer solution at the location.

Mr McGahern also read correspondence from the NTA on the matter.

Cllr Shane P O’Reilly described the response as “disheartening” and demanded a carpark be developed at the location.

However, Mr McGahern cautioned that arranging a solution without properly assessing the situation could do more harm than good.

He suggested a carpark could increase the likelihood of an accident. The engineer further explained that commuters who parked their cars on the northbound side of the road in the morning to catch a bus to Dublin would need to cross an extremely busy road in the evening.

Mr McGahern pointed out that, on a Winter’s evening with cars traveling in excess of 100km, pedestrians crossing the road would be at increased risk of being in an accident.