Louth County Council addresses confusion over speed limit signs

Louth County Council has addressed the confusion felt by some locally last week, following the introduction on Friday of the new speed limit on rural, local roads which changed from 80 km/h to 60 km/h.

The change is aimed at making roads safer for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and all road users, as reducing speed can significantly increase the chance of survival in the event of a traffic collision, and lowering speed limits on Ireland’s road network will save lives. Local authorities received grant funding from the Department of Transport to purchase and install poles and signs to display the new speed limit on the relevant roads. 

The Dundalk Democrat contacted the local authority over the speed limit signs in some locations in north Louth, where it was not clear what the speed limit was, or why the speed limit had changed. The first related to the straight in Bellurgan, where it was reported to the Dundalk Democrat that there was an 80 km/h sign on one side of the road and a 100 km/h one on the other side.

Louth County Council explained that “Concerning the Bellurgan straight, this is a regional road and is not one of those rural local roads covered by the change in speed limits.

^{Above: The speed signs at Bellurgan straight}

"In relation to the question asked, however, is it possible that the two different speed limit signs are governing different roads - a main road and a side road for example. Our engineers will check this location in any event, but it is not relevant to the speed limit changeover.”

The next query put to the Council was in relation to Ravensdale, where there was an 80km/h sign, but with a sign above it also, that was marked out. Louth County Council said that: “The default speed limit on Ravensdale Road is decreasing from 80km/hr to 60 Km/hr. The signs at this location will be dealt with as the work crews managing the changeover get to it.”

The third query put to Louth Council related to the speed limit signs of 60 km/h on the road at Dundalk Stadium.
Louth County Council said that: “The road at Dundalk Stadium is a regional road and falls within the urban area – this is why the speed limits at this location are as they are. This road is not one that is included in the current rural local roads changeover.”