More crashes prompt NRA checks at bend in Carlanstown

Three further accidents have occurred at the dangerous bend on the Kells approach to Carlanstown in the past week, bringing the total number of collisions at the bend in the past month to nine. Yesterday (Tuesday) engineers from the National Roads Authority (NRA) inspected the stretch of road and carried out tests on the surface. The results of the tests will not be known for three weeks. Paraic McGuinness, whose home is located at the bend, has been campaigning for an anti-skid surface to be laid down and for traffic-calming to be installed coming into the village for many years. He estimates that there have been more than 30 accidents at the bend in the past year. Mr McGuinness met with NRA area engineer Stephen Lambert yesterday (Tuesday) and said Mr Lambert told him that funding of €150,000 had been allocated by the NRA to fix the problem on both sides of the village and that he would be proposing an anti-slip surface. Mr McGuinness said he was told the work would have to be carried out by Meath County Council by the end of October or the funding would be lost. Since an article was published in last week's Meath Chronicle, three more collisions have occurred at the bend. Mr McGuinness had just had his fence fixed on Thursday and on Saturday afternoon a car lost control on the bend and hit the fence and broke it. Another accident occurred on Saturday evening at around 8pm and, this time, the car was coming in the opposite direction and hit a tree stump, damaging the front of the car. A third accident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a Renault Megane hit the ditch. A spokesperson for Meath County Council said that testing was underway yesterday (Tuesday) and that no decision would be made on how the money would be spent until the results of the tests are collated and verified. She said the council has received funding under the low-cost accident prevention scheme that was earmarked for overhead lighting, lining and signage but that this grant money can be used if necessary for the road surface. Local TD Shane McEntee said: "This is the first time the NRA have said they are going to take it in hand. I welcome the fact that the NRA are coming out. There is something definitely wrong with the road surface and I am glad the NRA are taking an interest and working with Meath County Council." On Saturday, 4th September, a Kells couple were driving through Carlanstown village when they lost control of their Nissan X Trail at the bend and it turned over in the ditch. Ruth and Danny McGuinness from The Bolies, Balrath, Kells, were thankfully not injured but some €3,000 of damage was caused to their vehicle. Mrs McGuinness said: "We were not going fast. We were coming around to Paraic's house when the car started sliding to the left and my husband corrected it but the back end slid across the road. The car went into the hedge and turned on its side. Danny said it was like ice, there was no grip whatsover."