Safety works to stop cars going into ditch
Sinn Féin Councillor Chris MacManus has welcomed the announcement of €330,000 for road improvement and safety works along a notorious stretch of the R284 between Gleann and Geevagh.
“Regular users of the R284 and the south east Sligo community are very aware of the dangers of driving this road where at certain sections there are sheer drops within inches of the road margins,” said Cllr MacManus.
Two separate allocations were announced under the 2019 Regional and Local Road Grant Allocations: €300,000 under the Specific Improvement Grant at Gleann; and €30,000 for Safety Improvement Works west of Geevagh Village. Councillor MacManus said: “I have raised the issue of safety on the R284 several times with the Council on behalf of the local community and received the full support of my fellow Councillors. Some road widening and the provision of barriers at certain black spots are much needed.
“Trucks, cars and in one instance a bus carrying underage footballers have all left the road veering into steep ditches over the last two years.
“Miraculously, despite how many vehicles ended up, no one was seriously hurt. Locals are rightly concerned about the regularity of vehicles having to be pulled out of the deep ditches with the added dangers that after any continuous rain, the ditches become flooded for several days, sometimes over a metre deep. Local residents have rightly been campaign- ing to see improvement and safety works carried out on this dangerous stretch of road and whilst the announced may not address all issues or black spots, it’s a step in the right direction.”