Trimragh Junction

Senna

Why is this junction still open? how many more people will be killed before its closed? its closure has been talked about at many council meeting and i thought it was agreed to be closed after the most recent death.


For those of you that aren't firmilure, the Trimragh junction is on the Dual-carrigway out of Letterkenny, its the only junction on the road. There have been a number people killed there since it was opened and I was nearly added to those statistics today, thank god the car that was pulling out of the junction made it across the road fast enough, but with little to spare.

Broxi_Bear_Eire

Senna wrote: »

Why is this junction still open? how many more people will be killed before its closed? its closure has been talked about at many council meeting and i thought it was agreed to be closed after the most recent death.


For those of you that aren't firmilure, the Trimragh junction is on the Dual-carrigway out of Letterkenny, its the only junction on the road. There have been a number people killed there since it was opened and I was nearly added to those statistics today, thank god the car that was pulling out of the junction made it across the road fast enough, but with little to spare.

Got to agree with this its areally dangerous junction have had a couple of close calls there myself :mad:

muffler

It has to be one of the worse designed junctions ever I seen. I hate to say it but Im surprised there hasnt been more accidents then the total to date which sadly have included fatalities.

I think people need to look outside of the county and contact the NRA, Dail Eireann, Garda HQ and even the Ombudsman's office with a view to applying as much pressure as possible to have it made safe.

What price does Donegal County Council put on a persons life?

Senna

yeah i think pressure will have to come from outside the council. But what annoys me most is the bureaucracy, every councilor agrees that its dangerous and i really thought something was going to be done, but alas, its still open.

There's even a tunnel underneath it that was designed for farmers to bring livestock and machinery across the road, so its not like residents either side will even be inconvenienced by its closure.

donegalman1

I remember the debates about this. The problem lies with spineless local politicians who are worried about the local votes. I wouldn't mind but the old road is still in everyday use for local residents. Apparently the votes count more than lives, most of those killed were not from the area.

If someone in the private sector ignored sensible advice and the reprocussions were so serious, heads would roll, but like usual local politicians in the main are unaccountable and have nothing to fear when being useless.

Remember its not always about individuals when political parties put the people up everytime and allow voters little alternative

emmemm

perhaps next time there is a fatal accident there the minutes of the meeting should be perused and those councillors who voted against closure should be named and shamed.

donegalgirl28

Where is this junction? Maps?

muffler

donegalgirl28 wrote: »

Where is this junction? Maps?

But......sure you're a woman. What use would maps be to you?

Senna

muffler wrote: »

But......sure you're a woman. What use would maps be to you?

glad you said that:P:P:P


its on the dual carriageway from Letterkenny to Manor (Derry road), its the cross-over about half way along the dual carriageway.
In the middle of this link;

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=54.950266,-7.6682&spn=0.025632,0.11055&z=13



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donegalgirl28

muffler wrote: »

But......sure you're a woman. What use would maps be to you?

LOL! I'm actually pretty ACE at maps I'll have you know :P:P

Ah so that's the median crossing place on the dual carriageway from Letterkenny to the Roundabout for Derry and Lifford?? Thankfully I've never had to use it, it really is pretty dangerous! Especially when people are going well over the speed limit of 100kmph.

emmemm

nobody HAS to use it....perfectly good deserted old road is adequate for local traffic without them endangering dc users.

muffler

emmemm wrote: »

nobody HAS to use it....perfectly good deserted old road is adequate for local traffic without them endangering dc users.

Thats more like a comment I'd expect from a council official. What next - you have a car but you dont have to use it?

The fact that the junction is there gives the public the right to use it but its the responsibility of the Council to ensure the junction is safe.

Im open to correction on this but did the locals not campaign to have that junction retained when the idea of a dual carriageway was first mooted.

donegalman1

Locals did campaign for that Junction as did a few councillors. What beats me is that the Tullyearl Junction at Donegal was rectified within months of opening and no one that I know of was killed there. Seems the council or councillors are too afraid to stand up for safety in the Letterkenny Area.

emmemm

I think it is impossible to make that junction safe without stopping the traffic.

Sometimes lesser must suffer to benefit greater.

Senna

donegalman1 wrote: »

Locals did campaign for that Junction as did a few councillors.

i know locals did campaign for the junction when the road was being built, but was there objections to it being closed lately? i.e last 5 years?
I dont think there has, i think nobody in the council has bothered to do anything about, as that wound require them to make an actual decision:rolleyes:

donegalman1

There was absolute uproar a year or two ago when the relevant engineer wanted to close it. Not only from locals but a few councillors also so it was back to the drawing board for the engineer. Public opinion in the area given priority over an engineers safety opinion.

Senna

donegalman1 wrote: »

There was absolute uproar a year or two ago when the relevant engineer wanted to close it. Not only from locals but a few councilors also so it was back to the drawing board for the engineer. Public opinion in the area given priority over an engineers safety opinion.

I stand corrected, i thought any objections made were years ago.
Locals objecting is understandable, but for elected officials to put people at risk for a few more votes is a disgrace.

Done a quick search on donegalcoco.ie and it seems like the issue was being addressed in the summer of 2006 after the fatal accident there, but there is little detail given. One line that did jump out at me was, 'The decision to close the junction is an Executive decision not a Reserve decision' What does that mean, and why is a solicitors judgment needed on a road safety issue.

Minutes of the meetings are only on-line up to jan 2007.


Minutes of Meeting
Letterkenny Electoral Area Committee
MONDAY, 24TH JULY 2006

Trimragh Junction Options
The Committee considered the Progress Report that was circulated with the Agenda. Cllr Dessie Larkin was critical of the lack of progress on this project. Cllr Jimmy Harte stated that in light of the recent tragic accident at Trimragh Junction, it was important that local residents were consulted as to the best plan for the junction. Cllr Harte extended his sympathy to the families involved in the tragedy.
Pat Gillespie stated he would contact the DNRDO regarding the Trimragh Junction in advance of the Roads Workshop on 28/07/06.

18TH SEPTEMBER 2006.

Trimragh Junction Options
Karen McCafferty, Donegal NRDO informed the Committee that the Council were awaiting a reply from VP McMullin, the Councils Solicitors as to the correct procedure that should be followed to introduce any change to the junction.
The Members expressed their dissatisfaction that no progress had been made since the special meeting on 01/08/06 and requested copies of correspondence between the Council and Council Solicitors.
They also asked that a Workshop be arranged for 25/09/06 at 1.00 pm with the Director of Services, and County Solicitors to discuss Trimragh Junction.

MONDAY, 20TH NOVEMBER 2006

Aidan O Doherty, Donegal NRDO advised the Committee that advice had been obtained from VP McMullin, the Councils Solicitors as to the correct procedure that should be followed to introduce any change to the junction. A report on the junction is being prepared and is due to be completed in next four weeks. The decision to close the junction is an Executive decision not a Reserve decision.
It is intended to consult with the members and the public before any decisions are made.
The following works are proposed:
• Immediate Works
• Interim Proposals to be carried out in 2007
• Long Term Proposals
It was agreed that the report on the Trimeragh Junction would be released to members before Christmas and that a Workshop would be held early in 2007.

TUESDAY, 30TH JANUARY 2007

Pat Gillespie informed the Committee that it was proposed to go to public consultation with the proposed new layout options at Trimeragh Junction before the end of February.
The Committee welcomed the public consultation on the proposals for the Trimeragh Junction. The Committee stressed the dangers of this junction and
the ultimate concern is safety and urged residents in the area to bring their concerns and issues to the public consultation

jimmycrackcorm

What it means is that the more time passes, the more people forget about the tragic consequences of the junction design and nothing will be done until the next fatal accident occurs when the whle process starts again.

babaloushka

An executive function of the council is the responsibility of the county manager - a reserve function is the responsibility of elected members. Seems to me that what it amounts to is that this decision, like many others, is a football to be passed around until it disappears up its own a$$!