Louth councillor urges immediate action at hazardous stretch on N53

Councillor John Reilly has urged that Louth County Council engage with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to seek improvements to a stretch of the N53 at Newtownbalregan, currently lacking a footpath or hard shoulder, which the local councillor says exposes “pedestrians and cyclists to daily risks”

Cllr Reilly raised the matter in a motion at the June meeting of the Dundalk Municipal District, where he asked that Louth County Council “writes to TII to ask them to reconsider their decision not to complete the proposed safety measures at Newtownbalregan, on the N53 route. Currently no hard shoulder exists for pedestrians or cyclists.”

In comments to the Dundalk Democrat following the meeting, Cllr Reilly said that “this stretch of the N53 is unsafe,” Cllr Reilly stated. “Local residents, schoolchildren, and commuters are forced to walk or cycle alongside moving traffic without any protection. This situation is unacceptable and requires urgent attention.”

He explained that "although the N53 is managed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Louth County Council has taken the proactive step of conducting a comprehensive survey to identify the necessary improvements. This includes the challenging task of relocating a high-voltage ESB power supply that currently blocks the installation of a footpath.

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Cllr Reilly has urged the Council to use this survey to engage directly with TII and advocate for the project to be prioritized. “We now have a clear understanding of what is needed. The survey is complete, the risks are evident, and there are no excuses left. I am calling on the Council to make immediate representations to TII. We cannot wait any longer while lives are at risk every day.”

The motion received strong support from other councillors, including from Cllr Seán Kelly who said that it is a safety issue, with a lot of traffic travelling on it heading for the M1 motorway and "don't actually slow down thinking they are already on the motorway."

Cllr Antóin Watters also offered support to the motion saying that the issue had been raised in the past by Edel Corrigan when she was a councillor, "and even as far back as Arthur Morgan."

Cllr Reilly has vowed to continue pressing both Louth County Council and TII on the matter "until meaningful safety improvements are implemented".