Freezing roads a driving hazard

A combination of snow and ice has led to some of the county’s roads deteriorating significantly in recent days. Snow fell in Kilkee on Tuesday for the second year in succession.

Until last winter, Kilkee had not experienced snow for 15 years. The road from Kilkee to Kilbaha, via Bella Creamery, was also reported to be very dangerous on Tuesday.
Motorists on the Ennis-Kilrush Road were delayed for several hours last Friday evening as traffic came to a halt on the hill at the Kilrush side of Talty’s Joinery in Lissycasey. While traffic eventually moved the road was in very poor condition for several hours subsequently.
Meanwhile, the stretch of road between Kilmihil and Cree has proven to be virtually impassable in recent days and several minor accidents have been reported.
Back roads in the west and north of the county have been in particularly poor condition over the last ten days, with Ennistymon and Liscannor badly affected. Roads around Ennis have been generally been in good condition.
A two-mile stretch from Cregg Cross in Whitegate to the Galway border at Coose hasn’t been gritted and is dangerous. Added to that is the presence of deer in the area. Motorists are advised to be careful across the East Clare area but in particular along this stretch of road.
Furthermore freezing fog has been evident at night across the county.
Clare County Council has delivered grit to 48 locations throughout the county. The grit can be availed of by communities on local public roads, which are in need of attention and are not being treated by the council. A full list of these locations is available on the council website or by contacting any of the area offices.
The Road Safety Authority has developed a dedicated section on www.rsa.ie to provide road users with advice in severe weather situations. It includes two publications, Severe Weather Advice for Road Users and Severe Weather Advice for Pedestrians, Cyclists and Motorcyclists. The public also has access to a series of fact sheets like Top Ten Tips for Driving in Snow and Icy Conditions.