THE council has given an undertaking to assess what steps are needed to make Clonakilty's hospital cross safer for motorists, writes Jackie Keogh.

The issue was repeatedly raised by members of both the West Cork Municipal District and the Bandon-Kinsale Municipal District at their combined Western Division meetings.

At the recent monthly meeting of the Western Division, Cllr John Michael Foley (FG) impressed upon roads director Mark O’Sullivan that the situation as it stands is dangerous.

'Elderly people are coming out of the hospital and have to navigate two lanes of traffic coming from Clonakilty town, as well as motorists travelling at speed from the Cork side,' he stated.

Cllr Foley said he is aware that the situation is being reviewed as part of the Clonakilty traffic study, but he suggested that some traffic calming, or safety measures, would be welcome in the short-term.

Acting chairman of the Western Division, Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) pointed out that the cross is where motorists exiting the hospital meet traffic emerging from the R600 from Kinsale. 

With traffic moving 'more than both ways', and at speed, Cllr Sexton said: 'We really need to do something about this junction’.

With housing schemes in the pipeline, Cllr Sexton said a proper relief road is needed for Clonakilty town. 

Mark O'Sullivan told the councillors: 'We will look at hospital cross in consultation with Transport Infrastructure Ireland.'