Campaigners have erected a new cross on the N4 in Co Sligo to mark the 30th fatality on a 11km stretch, which is to be highlighted at a cross-party meeting in Leinster House tomorrow.
The N4 Action Group marked the recent death of 28-year-old prison officer Derek Bannon by adding another cross to the 29 already erected. Each cross marks the scene of a fatality on a stretch of road described by Co Sligo coroner, Dr Des Moran, as the most dangerous in the country.
Remedial works have been carried out on the road but members of Sligo County Council were recently told that, for funding reasons, work on a major upgrade of the road was being suspended. In a letter to the council the National Roads Authority said : “This situation will be reviewed in the event of additional resources being made available to the Authority up to 2016."
Bernard Mulhern of the N4 Action Group which last December received an award from the Road Safety Authority, said decisions on which roads to finance were political. “We believe there is not one person in Ireland who would begrudge money being set aside for this road,” said Mr Mulhern. “Indeed we believe the International Monetary Fund would not begrudge it, given the number of deaths."
The N4 Action Group believes that the erection of the crosses along the grass verges has helped to slow down drivers while other remedial work by Sligo county council has also helped by removing dangerous bends and widening junctions.