‘Death trap' N25 between Wexford and Waterford to be the focus of public meeting
'It's a total death trap,' said Bernie Mullally, who is a member of the organising committee for the public meeting. According to Kilkenny County Council, more than 80 people have died on the road in the last 40 years, yet funding has been denied to make changes to the road and implement safety measures for the past four years, as highlighted by both TDs Peter 'Chap' Cleere and David Cullinane in the Dáil recently.
'It's absolutely crazy how many lives have been taken on that road, and to still have no measures put in place by any of the authorities, despite over a 360 percent increase in road users since the last traffic survey was carried out, years ago,' Ms Mullally explained her frustration, adding that just this year, two women have died on the N25 road between the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge - Glenmore Roundabout and the Rhu Glen.
The committee is calling for people to attend the meeting, whether it's to contribute or to support the public campaign to have safety measures implemented in the area.
Ms Mullally also highlighted how much of a priority that route is for people who need to travel for medical appointments and emergencies.
'The only way the people of Wexford can access hospital appointments in University Hospital Waterford and Whitfield Clinic, is by travelling by the ferry in Passage East, or driving the N25 route through Glenmore. I don't need to remind you that the only cancer and orthopaedic treatment centres for the people of the southeast are located in these hospitals in Waterford.
'Hundreds of Wexford people have to travel the N25 daily, to and from Waterford, for these services. The road from Wexford over the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge is a very safe dual carriageway with a central divider, but from the top of Glenmore Hill, road users have to navigate through a notoriously dangerous 5 km stretch of road until Luffany roundabout.
'Year on year this 5km narrow corridor has been the scene of numerous road traffic accidents and fatalities and is certainly not fit for purpose in its current state,' the nurse remarked.
'It's not only the Wexford patients who have to endure this dangerous road, hundreds of Wexford students attending South East Technology University also travel daily, as well as Wexford people commuting to and from work in Waterford,' she added.
While the road is marked as a national road, Ms Mullally pointed out that the volume of traffic for road haulage is huge, as it's also one of the main veins in the European route (E30), as it connects Ireland through Rosslare Europort, with the rest of Europe. Subsequently, with the trajectory for Rosslare Europort expanding each year, the volume of lorries and traffic on this road has significantly increased.
"It's only with the hand of god that more haven't been killed yet,' Ms Mullally said. In her capacity as a committee member for the public meeting, she said the issue is not just an issue for the locals in Glenmore, or Slieverue, or for the residents in the area, 'it's so much more than that, it's devastated so many lives and we need to wake up and do something about it.'
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The committee has extended the invite to the many organisations who rely on the route, such as the Irish Farmers Association, bus services, the Road Hauliers Association, the National Ambulance Service, An Garda Síochána, the National Fire Service, local representatives, TDs and Ministers.
"We're ordinary joe soaps organising this, but something needs to change and soon. People need to be made aware of how dangerous it is, especially as thousands of families plan to flock to Wexford for the Fleadh Cheoil,' Ms Mullally concluded.
The meeting will take place in the Rhu Glen on Monday, June 16, at 8 p.m. in an attempt to improve the road conditions 'before anyone else is seriously injured or killed.'
Representatives from Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and South Tipperary, and other interested parties are also invited to speak at the event.
For more information, please contact local representatives who have been made aware of the upcoming meeting.
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