Cllrs call for action on broken traffic lights across Dundalk

Councillors at the Dundalk Municipal District January meeting called for action to be taken on broken traffic light systems in Dundalk, saying that it is adding to traffic congestion in the town and will end up resulting in an accident.

Issues with traffic lights in the town were first brought up by Cllr Robert Nash, who brought up the traffic lights at St Helena's Park, telling the meeting that the sequencing had changed, with members of the public saying it was resulting in motorists sitting in their cars at the traffic lights for longer than they should.

Cllr Seán Kelly spoke next on the issue saying that traffic lights at the Quay were broken twice in the last couple of weeks, and that it was an "extremely dangerous situation every time they're broke because traffic does not act in any sort of rational manner", and asked if there was a long term solution that would stop all the breakdowns that are happening.

Cllr Kevin Meenan also spoke on the issue, saying that he had raised it previously, including with An Garda Síochána at a Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting. Highlighting in particular the Inner Relief Road, including at the Quay St junction and the Xerox junction, Cllr Meenan said that action would have to be taken or there will be a “serious accident”, and put forward that An Garda Síochána might carry out point duty at junctions where the lights are out of order.

Cllr Kelly then proposed writing to An Garda Síochána with such a request and that they would liaise with the Council in relation to it.

Responding to the councillors, Senior Engineer Paddy Connolly said that he would look into the issue with the traffic lights at St Helena's Park. With regards the traffic lights being out of order on the Inner Relief Road, Mr Connolly said that while they would work to keep the lights repaired, the upcoming Active Travel measures planned for the Inner Relief Road would see all the traffic light signals on that road being upgraded, with the scheme starting later this year.

Cllr Kelly then told the meeting that he recalled in a previous council term that there would be investment in a number of traffic light systems in the town, with Mr Connolly replying to say that five traffic light systems were upgraded last year with another number, probably five, to be upgraded this year. Mr Connolly added that this along with the Active Travel measures, would cover “a significant number of junctions throughout Dundalk”.

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat following the meeting, Cllr Kelly said that “there's not a day goes by now where's a set of traffic lights in the Dundalk area not working and it creates traffic chaos when it does.

“We were told that there was going to be significant capital investment in the traffic lights, we need to start seeing it happening, that they are being fixed and they're not going to breakdown. Because, especially on an artery coming into Dundalk, I used the example of the Castletown Road or the Quay - when they breakdown it just causes mayhem in the town area. We just need to get it right."