Warning signs taken down before fatal Mulranny crash

Warning signs taken down before fatal Mulranny crash


Anton McNulty

ROAD safety signs were taken away from a 1.8km stretch of road after it had been laid with a temporary surface, the inquest into the death of an Achill woman in a road traffic accident heard yesterday (Wednesday).
On the third day of the inquest into the death of Ashling Gallagher of Askill on Achill Island, Mr Niall O’Donavon explained that there were no warning signs alerting road users that a temporary road surface was in place and the dangers involved along the N59 outside Mulranny at the time of the accident.
Ashling Gallagher (22) died on December 22, 2004 when her van collided with a cement truck on a bend on the N59 near Mulranny. The surface on which Ms Gallagher was driving was Dense Bitumen Macadam (DBM) which was a temporary surface but was painted with road markings. Her family claim this surface resulted in her van going out of control on a bend.
Mr O’Donavon, who reviewed the signs and road markings at the time of the accident for Atkins Transport Solutions on behalf of the Health and Safety Authority, explained that the combination of the smooth DBM surface, the road markings and absence of warning signs gave the impression that the road was complete and the speed limit of 100km per hour applied.
On Tuesday, another expert from Atkins told the inquest that DBM did not provide the necessary skid resistance for high speed road and should only be driven on with speed controls.
Mayo County Council and the National Roads Authority deny that the DBM surface was not suitable of capable of dealing with traffic at the 100km/ hr speed limit. Mayo County Council say that the final layer was to be applied on the road when the weather improved.
In his report, Mr O’Donavan explained that Roadstone Provinces were contracted to lay the DBM on a 1.8km stretch of road east of Mulranny village and the work was completed on October 4. Mayo County Council undertook the erection of traffic management signs.
He said that DBM was a temporary surface and the road was incomplete but the Council contracted Highway Maintenance to lay road markings which included a centre white line and yellow broken lines.
Mr O’Donavan said that the road work signs were in place a week after the work was completed but the majority of the signs were removed by the time of the accident. He said there was no evidence to any signs indicating a temporary road surface, that the road was incomplete or to reduce speed at the time of the accident.
When it was put to him by Mr Aongus Ó BrolchΡin, SC for Mayo County Council, that there was no need for the warning signs on the road, Mr O’Donavan that DBM was not designed for traffic and as a result the traffic should be slowed down.
Under questions from Mr Damien Tansy, solicitor for the Gallagher family, he explained that following the accident a number of warning signs including a slippery surface sign, a reduce speed sign and flashing amber lights were put in place but still felt they were not adequate for vehicles travelling on a DBM surface.
The inquest continues today in Castlebar.