Safety concerns mount as ‘problematic’ Limerick road is ‘like a racetrack’

THE LOCAL authority is being urged to take action to address major concerns about safety on one of the busiest regional roads in County Limerick.

The concerns  were raised at the January meeting of the Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal District during which  councillors heard  that 31 accidents had occurred along a  stretch of the R513 from Caherconlish to Ballylanders in just  29 days.

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In a motion,  Councillor Brigid Teefy called on the council  to “ensure an equal allocation of the roads budget per kilometre of road network across all districts” in the Roads Maintenance schedule for 2026.

Cllr Teefy said the motion was "about fairness and equity," explaining that "funding is not consistent" across the four electoral districts in Limerick.

She submitted that allocating funding equally on a per-kilometre basis "would help ensure equal road maintenance across all MDs."

She stressed that  regional roads are "essential for people travelling to work and school."

Fellow councillor Eddie Ryan supported the motion, noting that "you’d be blue in the face" talking about roads at budget time, as Cappamore-Kilmallock "have approximately 30% of the roads" in County Limerick, compared with the city which, he said "has 14%."

Councillor Martin Ryan said that in previous years he had "asked for special funding through the council,"  as the R513 took "50% of last year’s [roads maintenance] budget, leaving the rest of our roads in poor condition." He said such funding had not materialised.

Around 6,000 vehicles use the R513, which runs from Beary's Cross near Caherconlish to Mitchelstown in north Cork, every day.

He said the R513 "will be very important" during construction of the N/M20 Cork to Limerick motorway, explaining that "commercial drivers are bound to time," and that the R513 will be used as an alternative route.

Cathaoirleach of the Cappamore-Kilmallock MD, Cllr Gregory Conway, also supported the motion, saying that “especially at this time of year, you can see the road deteriorating.”

Cllr Teefy further remarked that "roads are getting busier and busier and vehicles are getting heavier," pointing in particular to agricultural vehicles.

Patricia Liddy, director of Transportation, Mobility and Placemaking, told councillors that "you have to remember that the commercialism of the city is massive," adding that cities typically receive more funding per kilometre than rural areas.

Ms Liddy said Limerick City and County Council is "the only local authority getting the allocation we are getting to local areas," and confirmed  the level of funding for the MD would not be increased.

However, she noted that it is possible to "prioritise and use the existing funding in the most important ways."

Cllr Eddie Ryan reiterated his concerns about the R513, stating that there had been "31 accidents in 29 days" on what he described as a "problematic road", adding: "From 5am in the morning, it is like a racetrack."

The motion, which received the unanimous backing of  members will now come before a full council meeting, for discussion.