Safety Concerns Mount At Dundalk Junction In County Louth, Traffic Lights Urged By Councillor, Here’s What You Need To Know

Published on September 15, 2025

An unaddressed lawsuit of roadworthy information has ‘worsened’ owing to ‘reckless driving’ reported adjacent a Dundalk roadworthy junction. It has go a interest for Cllr. McGuinness who hopes to amended conditions surrounding nan junction. The title has instantly gotten attraction owed to nan terrible injuries a motorcyclist faced erstwhile a car collided pinch them astatine nan location.

Closing Cllr. McGuinness has himself arsenic described pinch nan remainder of nan territory has go a superior concern. The restitution for closing nan opening pinch a barricade Cllr. McGuinness sees arsenic nan only measurement to extremity much injuries from happening.

Recent Accidents Spark Renewed Safety Concerns

The push for postulation lights astatine nan vulnerable junction comes connected nan backmost of a caller two-vehicle collision that near a motorcyclist pinch superior injuries. Cllr. McGuinness explained that this was nan 2nd superior mishap successful conscionable 10 days astatine nan aforesaid junction, raising further siren among residents and drivers. The councillor approached nan Gardaí (Irish police) to talk nan issue, and was informed that location were 2 accidents each week connected this peculiar agelong of road, a statistic that only adds to increasing concerns.

Cllr. McGuinness went connected to accent nan captious request for information interventions, saying, “This is perchance 1 of nan astir vulnerable junctions now successful Louth.” He noted that accidents astatine this location are not isolated, and that nan shape of collisions suggested that contiguous action was required to forestall further injuries aliases fatalities.

In his statement, he besides noted nan ongoing discussions surrounding nan information of nan junction, including a caller protestation successful Blackrock relating to h2o issues. He pointed retired that nan vexation of section residents and nan increasing consciousness of postulation hazards astatine this tract would apt lead to further nationalist outcry.

The Need for Traffic Lights: A Matter of Priority

At nan bosom of nan discussions surrounding Sexton’s Junction is nan mobility of really to prioritize roadworthy information improvements. Cllr. McGuinness suggested that postulation lights should beryllium considered a apical priority, fixed nan evident risks involved. He based on that nan determination to instal postulation lights should beryllium based connected an appraisal of risk, fixed nan wave of accidents astatine this junction.

“There are a number of things we person to look astatine here, and 1 is really we prioritise nan request for postulation lights. I deliberation we should beryllium prioritising it based connected risk,” said McGuinness. He emphasized that nan ongoing information issues astatine nan junction were not thing that could beryllium ignored aliases delayed further.

While nan assembly is presently moving connected an Active Travel programme for nan road, which includes plans for improved infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, Cllr. McGuinness expressed interest complete nan lengthy timeline for these changes. He questioned whether it would beryllium acceptable to hold different 2 aliases 3 years for improvements erstwhile lives are astatine stake. His vexation was clear arsenic he stated that nan pressing request for postulation lights could not hold for early projects to beryllium completed.

Active Travel and Infrastructure Concerns successful a Growing Area

Cllr. McGuinness raised concerns astir nan broader rumor of infrastructure successful County Louth. As nan area continues to grow, pinch caller lodging developments and an expanding population, nan section roadworthy infrastructure is struggling to support up. He questioned why nan building of caller homes continues to outpace nan improvement of basal infrastructure specified arsenic safer roads and postulation guidance systems.

“The mobility connected everyone’s lips is why do we support building houses erstwhile we don’t person nan infrastructure?” Cllr. McGuinness asked. This rumor is of peculiar interest for nan section community, arsenic accrued lodging tin lead to higher postulation volumes, exacerbating existing problems astatine already vulnerable junctions. Without addressing nan infrastructure needs alongside residential growth, nan area risks creating an situation wherever postulation congestion, information concerns, and delays go commonplace.

The councillor besides pointed retired that he had been advocating for improvements to nan Sexton’s Junction for years, moreover earlier he was elected to nan council. His long-standing efforts to reside nan rumor bespeak nan extent of interest felt by section residents who person lived pinch nan threat of vulnerable roadworthy conditions for acold excessively long.

Ongoing Advocacy for Safety Improvements

To further reside nan issue, Cllr. McGuinness has arranged a gathering pinch David Jones, Director of Services astatine Louth County Council, successful nan dream of raising nan matter straight pinch him. He hopes that done continued advocacy, he tin thief push for faster, much decisive action to instal postulation lights and instrumentality different information measures astatine nan junction.

The gathering pinch Louth County Council will beryllium important successful determining nan adjacent steps successful addressing nan information concerns astatine Sexton’s Junction. Cllr. McGuinness is hoping that assembly officials will admit nan urgency of nan business and allocate nan basal resources to amended roadworthy information without further delay.

Impact connected Travel and Tourism

The ongoing issues astatine Sexton’s Junction person implications not only for section residents but besides for visitors visiting Dundalk and nan wider County Louth area. As a gateway to immoderate of nan astir scenic parts of Ireland, including nan Mourne Mountains and adjacent coastal areas, Dundalk attracts a dependable travel of visitors. With nan area’s roads being captious to tourism, it is basal that information is prioritized to guarantee that visitors tin recreation done nan region without encountering hazardous conditions.

Tourists often trust connected section roads to entree cardinal attractions, and mediocre roadworthy conditions aliases vulnerable junctions tin deter visitors from returning. If information concerns astatine Sexton’s Junction are not addressed, it could lead to a estimation for Dundalk and surrounding areas arsenic being unsafe for motorists and pedestrians. This could, successful turn, effect tourism gross and nan wide entreaty of nan area arsenic a destination.

A Call for Immediate Action

County Louth, a region pinch a sprouting economical activity, is soon expected to create its infrastructural accommodation arsenic well, a origin for interest arsenic highlighted successful nan lawsuit of Sexton’s Junction successful Dundalk. Due to a precocious wave of incidents astatine nan junction pinch superior injuries, leaders successful nan region specified arsenic Cllr. Shane McGuinness are supporting a origin for installing postulation lights connected nan junction. There lies much to nan lawsuit though arsenic nan interest is rising pinch respect to nan advancements made successful a short long successful nan region.

With specified important economical activity, nan region is anticipated to pull tourists. Their information arsenic good arsenic nan information of nan residents is of utmost importance, nan first measurement successful which is to resoluteness nan issues successful Sexton’s Junction. Cllr. McGuinness hopes this peculiar origin effort on pinch different specified section defense will incite a alteration from nan section authorities connected roadworthy information successful nan area. The area will besides greatly use from nan postulation lights on pinch different infrastructural facilities. The region will thief sphere nan Dundalk and region Louth for nan increasing number of visitors on pinch nan residents.