CRANNY CROSS JUNCTION on the N68 has been identified on Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) HD17 programme as “a potential hazardous junction”.
Officials in Clare County Council’s road design office also have the junction on their “priority list” for the N68, senior executive engineer John Gannon confirmed. He stated, “The next steps are to carry out a topographical survey and preliminary design options in advance of a Feasibility and Options Report”.
An update on the ongoing discussion between TII and the County Council was pursued by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) at a recent sitting of the West Clare Municipal District. He labelled Cranny Cross “the most dangerous road from Ennis to Kilrush” and referenced “a number of accidents there”.
Though not giving away additional detail, Cllr Kelly was of the view that engineers embraced “a layman’s solution” to the junction. “I would like assurance that something be done in the near future, we have had a number of accidents there and I’m afraid more will happen. We should make sure TII meets its obligation in interest of road safety”.
Cllr Ian Lynch (IND) commended his colleague for continuously bringing up the motion “to try get it up the line”. Works such as alterations to the Cross should involve prior discussion with elected representatives, he believed and the Kilrush man cited works at Shaughnessy’s Cross which he felt did not alleviate identified problems.
“I personally thought a good job was done at Shaughnessy’s Cross,” Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) replied. He suggested additional personnel be hired in the road design office to get more projects completed. “I’ve no doubt we’ll get a lot of work done this year, the weather is on our side and we have people to do it,” he then added.
Cathaoirleach of the West Clare MD, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) also supported the call for works at Cranny Cross. “Quite frankly how it is still a junction as dangerous as it is after all these years is baffling,” he uttered.
