'A dangerous situation': Councillors say trucks must be warned of tight Cork city road

CORK City councillors Kenneth Collins and Mick Nugent have raised concerns about “a dangerous situation” on Gurranabraher Rd, leading onto Blarney St where heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are striking the exterior walls of homes.

The Sinn Féin councillors have called for better signage to warn drivers of the narrow road ahead, as many are getting stuck at the bottom of the hill where Gurranabraher Rd meets Blarney St.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Collins, who is a truck driver by profession, said: “One of these days, brakes will fail going down these hills or going down these tight streets and someone will be killed, and that’s when Cork City Council will act — but it will be too late.” He called for flashing signage to warn drivers in good time of the conditions of the narrow road ahead.

“A flashing sign with a truck and a big ‘X’ going through it to say ‘No HGVs’ is needed,” he said.

“You have drivers who have language barriers as well and you’re trying to drive a 40ft articulated lorry, concentrate on the road, and they want you to slow down and read signs that are not in your native tongue, so international language would be a sign with an outline of a truck and an ‘X’ going through it.”

Mr Nugent said that the issue of trucks becoming stuck at the bottom of the hill is now a daily occurrence, and has led to traffic chaos in the area.

“It’s a very busy road and what also happens is that when there’s a truck caught down there, it means traffic chaos in the area, particularly if it happens, which it did there recently, early in the morning.

“With road closures in the general area anyway, traffic is already an issue in the area, but it’s chaos then if there’s a truck caught there.”

Concerns were also raised by those living on Friar’s Avenue and Gurranabraher Avenue at the bottom of the hill, where damage was recently done to the front wall of a house when a driver attempted to reverse his lorry into the terrace to turn.

“There have been trucks that have collided with the walls, and one resident has electricity wires running at the side of his house, and in one incident they came down,” said Mr Nugent.