Serious road safety concerns at M9 junction

A group of residents presented road safety concerns to south Kilkenny based councillors in Ferrybank Library last week.

Peter McDonald, Sean Maher and Orla Dunphy are residents living close to the R704 Garrandarragh and Ballynooney, Kilkenny.

They say that traffic exiting the M9 motorway from Junction 11 and onto the R704 often maintain excessive speeds, posing serious safety concerns. 

Junction 11 of the motorway is part of the final southern section of the M9 connecting Dublin and Waterford. It is the only motorway junction between Waterford city and Knocktopher, a distance of 30 kilometres.

Resultingly, a large amount of traffic are using the small regional road after exiting the motorway, often travelling at high speeds.

The residents say that the transition from the high speed motorway to the lower capacity regional road presents “a significant road safety challenge”

Mr. McDonald said there is insufficient speed reduction infrastructure on the transitional span of road. He suggested installing better speed enforcement infrastructure at the location, such as flashing LED signs, rumble strips or a speed camera.

Cllr Tomas Breathnach said in preparation for the meeting with the residents he spent time on the road to observe the traffic. 

He said he “couldn’t get over” the amount of traffic on the road, and that motorists were “driving excessively.” 

(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)