Louth County Council urged to prioritise speed limit reduction in Cooley

Cllr Antóin Watters has asked that Louth County Council prioritise a speed reduction on parts of the R173 and R175 in Cooley, in an area where many accidents have occurred in the last few years.

In his motion at the Dundalk Municipal District June meeting, Cllr Watters asked that, "Ahead of Phase II of the Speed Limit review which is due to commence in June 2025, I call on Louth County Council to prioritise a speed limit reduction and gateway between St Andrew's Church, Bush, Riverstown and Peninsula Kitchens, Monksland, Carlingford.

"The route is along the R173/R175 regional roads that have seen many accidents over the last few years. The stretch of road included three major road junctions and community buildings including Bush Post Primary School, Cooley Kickhams GFC, St Mary's Parochial Hall, Cooley Community Playgroup and Cooley Credit Union."

Responding to Cllr Watter's motion, Acting Director of Services, Operations & Environment Deliver, David Hanratty, said that, "The Council is currently progressing Phase II of the Countywide Speed Limit Review, which is  underway and will include a comprehensive assessment of all regional, local and urban roads across the county. 

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"The route you have referenced - encompassing the R173 and R175 through the Busk - Monksland corridor - will be considered as part of this review, along with all other built-up and community sensitive locations.

"We note the significant of this route, particularly given the presence of critical community infrastructure such as Bush Post Primary School, Cooley Kickhams GFC, St Mary's Parochial Hall, Cooley Community Playgroup, and the local Credit Union, along with the history of road safety concerns you have highlighted.

"As part of this review, technical assessments, including traffic speeds, collision history, road geometry, and stakeholder input will guide any recommendations. We will ensure that this location is duly assessed in that context."

Welcoming the response from the Council, Cllr Watters told the meeting that he thinks the road from "the Ballymac to Omeath is the busiest road we have in the county, apart from the motorway."