Calls for safety measures at Navan Retail Park entrance

A RECENT accident and several near misses at the entrance to the Navan Retail Park have led for calls to provide traffic safety measures in the area.

A local woman who was involved in a recent accident, as she travelled into town from Ardbraccan said there had also been a number of near misses in the same location.

Cllr Edward Fennessy has now called for a traffic safety assessment in the area.

The woman who was involved in the accident was driving from the Ardbraccan area into Navan when she was struck by a car that was coming out of the retail park at the Apple Green exit.

"The other driver was already stopped and I went by, she hit the back door of my car - she hadn't seen me. My car spun around and I landed on the path. That was the biggest fright - I could have killed someone if they had been on the path."

Thankfully nobody was injured, but it wasn't the first fright she got at that junction.

"Just a few days before a lorry drove out from the retail park in front of me. A split second and he could have hit me. He said he hadn't seen me."

Another local driver said that as he drives out of the town from the roundabout, cars often drive out in front of him, because most people "just assume you will be turning into the retail park, even if you haven't indicated to do so."

Cllr Fennessy had been contacted by the woman involved in the accident.

"She asked me to request the installation of traffic safety measures at the entrance for fear of another serious accident taking place there.

"There's been a huge increase in traffic volume and footfall in the Mullaghboy area over recent years. Indeed, I've called for the installation of numerous safety measures on roads around the Retail Park over the past few years.

"I believe council need to carry out a comprehensive road traffic and pedestrian safety assessment covering the entire area from the back entrance of the St Patrick's Classical School to the entrance of the Mullaghboy Industrial Estate and everything in between. Doing so will make the area safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike."

At a recent Municipal District meeting he called for the assessment with a view to installing traffic lights or other such safety measures that may be deemed necessary.

He was told the council's Transportation Section does not have a traffic safety assessment at this location in the current work programme and would not have the resources to progress such a study at this time. This could be considered again at a later date.