Galway City Council has been urged to ‘act with urgency’ on a road junction in the Knocknacarra area where a serious or fatal road accident ‘is only a matter of time away’.

The Clybaun Road/Rahoon Road/Mincloon Road junction — described by locals as ‘a country crossroads’ — has already been the location of a number of accidents, including two earlier this month.

According to local Ballymoneen Road resident and member of the Galway Cycling Campaign, Kevin Jennings, both short-term and long-term actions are urgently required from the City Council at the junction.

“This is effectively a country crossroads but within the city boundary and right beside major housing developments. There are no lights, no pedestrian crossings and no proper footpaths at what is a very busy junction,” Kevin Jennings told the Galway City Tribune.

He said that as ‘an absolutely necessary short-term measure’, zebra pedestrian crossings should be provided at the four arms of the junction which would help to make it safer for people trying to cross the roads.

“From a more long-term point of view, the whole planning strategy for roads — where housing developments are taking place — must be urgently reviewed.

“This is an area where more and more houses are being built; the roads are getting far busier; and yet there has been no upgrade of the junction.

“This junction is dangerous and should be remedied with similar urgency to a burst water main instead of waiting for some unicorn motorway to come and fix the problem,” said Kevin Jennings.

He also added ‘it was his suspicion’ that because these roads had the wrong speed limits on them for over a decade, the requirement to design them according to DMURS [Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets] was overlooked.

Mr Jennings said that a cyclist had suffered what he described as ‘life-changing injuries’ as the result of an accident on a nearby road recently, adding that schoolchildren cycled from Ard na Gaoithe to the Gaelscoil along these roads.

A doctor at the University of Galway has also written a detailed letter to the Chief Executive of the City Council, local councillors and City Council engineers, outlining a range of concerns she had on road safety issues at, and near, the junction.

She said that she wished to reiterate her deep concerns about the ‘very dangerous roads’ at the Clybaun Road/Rahoon Road and Mincloon Road junction, adding that the safety of local residents ‘depended on urgent action being taken by Galway City Council’.

“There have been many car accidents at this junction. I am aware of two serious accidents in the last fortnight alone (a two-car crash on Saturday, December 2 and another collision requiring hospitalisation of a young woman on Saturday, December 9).

“To my mind, it is only a matter of time before there is a very serious or fatal accident here. As councillors and executive officers, there is a fiduciary  [legal/trust duty] responsibility to the people of Galway, and in particular to the local residents impacted, to address this issue.

“You need to give it the immediate attention it requires and publish timelines on the plan of works,” said the doctor in written correspondence to the City Council.

She also asked Galway City West and Galway City Central councillors to submit a Section 140 motion directing the City Manager and relevant staff to:

■ Complete the installation of traffic lights at this junction.

■ Complete upgrade works at a minimum length of 100 metres in each of the four directions of this junction to allow for the installation of pedestrian footpaths, lighting and where possible cycle lanes and for providing adequate sightlines.

■ Use all powers up to and including Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers to acquire the required lands to complete such upgrade works.

■ Publish a substantial and detailed design for the upgrade of this junction.

■ Undertake to complete these works during 2024.

Pictured: The damaged barrier at the junction, where numerous vehicles have crashed over the years.