The N71 near Innishannon. Pic: Google
A REPORT into the road-surface condition of a stretch of the main N71 just west of Innishannon has claimed that the winding section of road did not have “adequate” skid resistance at the time of a recent serious accident.
The report from the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory was initiated following a fatal collision last September after which it was alleged that the road surface could have been a contributing factor to the accident.
The windy stretch of road alongside the Bandon River had only recently been resurfaced at the time.
The report which was distributed to county councillors said that the grip on the road was “not as high as would have been anticipated” for a newly resurfaced section.
A number of other accidents have also occurred along the same twisting section of national secondary route which includes the bend known locally as “chip van corner”.
In the months following the resurfacing of this stretch of road there were numerous accidents at the bend referred to as “chip shop corner” in your article. There needs to be a further investigation into how the newly resurfaced road was so slippery and who is responsible for it being in this condition. If this was the result of improperly laid surface or incorrect surface materials then surely the company that laid the road are liable for the accidents.