by Dionne Meehan
A WORRIED mother living in the Ballymaleel area of Letterkenny has pleaded with Donegal County Council to install further safety measures on the R245 amid fears someone will be killed.
Mary Lane, who has been living on the road for over nine years, said she witnesses and experiences “near misses” on a daily basis.
The R245, situated between the Silver Tassie Hotel and Moorefield Filling Station, is lined with approximately ten houses, one national school and one play school.
Despite it being an 80km/hr road, Ms Lane said this limit is excessively and dangerously broken by motorists.
So much so, that, she said, it is too dangerous for the children living on the road to play in their front gardens.
“Of the 10 houses on the stretch, three have young children living in them,” Ms Lane told the Donegal News.
“The 80km/hr limit is already excessive in this area and for motorists to be constantly breaking that limit is simply unacceptable and extremely dangerous.
“Accidents have already occurred where vehicles have smashed through garden walls and fences on this road, so it remains too dangerous to allow children to play in the front gardens.
“While we acknowledge that speed detection vans are very often located on this road, there is no deterrent at any other time,” she said.
However, this is just one issue families living on this stretch of road face. Ms Lane also voiced concerns over road markings.
“On approaching the area from Letterkenny, the broken line allowing for overtaking begins right in front of entrances to homes,” she said.
“This has proven to be incredibly dangerous as it is the first opportunity that impatient drivers have to legitimately overtake since before the Silver Tassie Hotel.
“As it is a busy farming road, there are often slow moving tractors and drivers who want to get around them at any opportunity.
“It is only a matter of time before one of these motorists causes a serious accident by their actions,” she said.
Calling on Donegal County Council to extend the continuous white line currently on the R245, she said residents aren’t the only ones frequently put in danger on this road.
“At the two school premises, it is unacceptable that the white line is broken, therefore allowing legitimate overtaking in that area- right in front of the school gates,” she said.
“Parents and guardians using these two schools are frequently forced into dangerous positions due to people trying to overtake, motorists speeding and motorists not anticipating the schools and not expecting traffic to slow down to turn in.
“There should be no question, that stretch should have an unbroken white line,” she said.
As well as implementing a continuous white line at the schools, Ms Lane has also made calls for the speed limit to be reduced.
“This area should have a reduced speed limit, at the very least during school pick up/drop off times, similar to Magherabeg National School in Manorcunningham, Lurgybrack National School and other schools throughout the county that face onto busy regional or national roads.
“The safety of the children, staff, parents and guardians should be absolutely paramount, and in the current arrangements it is highly dangerous,” she said.
Despite resurfacing works being carried out on that road recently, Ms Lane said they haven’t helped the situation in the slightest.
“Look, it’s been resurfaced,” she said.
“It’s a lick and a promise.
“We would be delighted to see rumble strips across the road to deter speeding in this area.
“I would hate to think that just because they’re small properties that we’re being left behind.
“It will only take one of our children to get killed for something to get done,” she said.
At the September meeting of Donegal County Council, Councillor Jimmy Kavanagh raised Ms Lane’s concerns.
“I was out at Mary’s house and I witnessed first-hand just how dangerous the road is and there is a lot of speeding on the road,” he said.
“I fully agree that the continuous white line should be continued out past those houses.
“Overtaking there is extremely dangerous for anyone living there or for anyone trying to exit from their home on to that road.
“The speeding issue also needs to be addressed.
“The roads engineer, in his reply to me, indicated that they would look at the situation and extend the continuous white line if the criterion was met.
“I have now asked for an update on this and I would like it dealt with urgently.
“This is very clearly a dangerous situation.
“Those people resident in the area are continually stressed by the situation and there are young kids living in the area.
“It is a source of constant worry and stress for their parents,” Cllr Kavanagh said.
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