Gardai have confirmed that a junction at one end of the new £19 million bypass around Donegal town has proven a hazard for motorists. In one morning there were four accidents at the Tullyearl junction, at the southern end of the bypass, and there have been about 10 accidents at the same spot since the road opened on July 27th.
When it was opened, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, said the bypass would "put an end to a notorious bottleneck" on the N15 national primary route and would "ease safety hazards" in the town.
All the accidents have taken place at a T-junction, where traffic from Donegal town joins the bypass to head south towards Ballyshannon. This traffic has to turn right, crossing the busy road. There is an island in the centre which allows the motorists to cross in two stages, but there is also south-bound traffic turning right towards the town at the same point. Some people argue that a roundabout would have been a better option.
A spokesman for the National Roads Authority (NRA) said it was aware that there had been a number of accidents at the Tullyearl junction, and that personnel from the authority had examined it in recent weeks with staff of Donegal County Council.
A number of changes were made to road markings to clarify how drivers should turn right on to the bypass. "We will continue to keep it under review and to monitor road user behaviour," he said. The spokesman said the onus was on motorists to heed signs and drive carefully. The junction was designed by Donegal County Council in consultation with the NRA, and "complied with best practice", taking all considerations including safety into account.
There have been no serious injuries from any of the accidents, but a number of people sustained minor injuries. A Garda spokesman said he believed there had been fewer complaints since the recent modifications were made, but it would take time before it was known if these were sufficient to solve the problem.