At last: a hitlist of the worst road bends

Q: What is happening to the worst bends on Irish roads?

The National Roads Authority said it has drawn up a “hitlist” of the “State’s worst bends” which it plans to eliminate in the interests of road safety.

Authority chief executive Fred Barry said the top “50 or so” worst bends had been identified, and work was already under way or at planning stage on making these safer.

He also said the days of “cheese cutter”wire barriers, used to separate traffic on the State’s new dual carriageways, were limited. But he said the reason the barriers “may be used less in the future” was not a safety one, but the fact that they cost more to maintain than traditional concrete barriers in place on many motorways.

Tipperary tops the league table of bad bends, with seven stretches of road making the NRA’s list.

These were at Ballyhusty on the N74, four corners on the N24, including two at Kilshane, and one each at Killavalla and at Borrisokane on the N52.

Six schemes were identified as necessary to eliminate the worst bends in Co Cork. Four of these bends were on the N72 Killarney to Fermoy road, including three at Dromagh and one at Ballyadeen.

A further six were identified in Co Kerry, including three on the N70, part of the Ring of Kerry (pictured), where two were at Aghatubrid townland and one at the Kilderry bends. There were four bends identified as among the worst in Co Wicklow, and these were all on the N81. They were at Whitestown Lower, Tuckmill Upper, Knockroe and Irishtown West.

Four dangerous bends in each of Donegal, Cavan, Roscommon have also been earmarked for improvement.