Calls for traffic lights on 'nightmare' Athy junction

A PUBLIC representative spoke for how she stopped for "20 minutes" at a busy Athy junction. 

AT the most recent Athy Municipal District meeting, cllr Aoife Breslin called for traffic lights to be installed at the junction of Barrow Quay and the N78, citing ongoing difficulties for motorists attempting to access the main road from Barrow Quay.

However, the council has stated that there is currently no funding available to progress the request.

In a report issued by Mr Daragh Conlan, acting senior executive engineer with the projects team, officials said the proposal will instead be considered as part of the broader Athy Improvement Project. That project aims to enhance accessibility for walking and cycling in the town and will also look at introducing restrictions on heavy goods vehicles in the town centre.

Cllr Breslin called the junction an “absolute nightmare” and told the room how she sat for 20 minutes trying to access the road.

“We have been left behind on this,” she said.

“We badly need a traffic light before there is an accident,” she explained.

Cllr Breslin’s motion reflects growing local concerns about traffic management and road safety at the busy junction, which serves as a key access point to the N78. Cllr Breslin told the council that this instance shows how elected representatives “know perhaps more than the engineers” when it comes to local roads and driver behaviour in the area.