Potholes to solve bridge speeding issue?

councillors expend much of their energy attempting to persuade Clare County Council to repair pothole-filled roads in parts of West Clare.
However, Lissycasey Councillor PJ Kelly has adopted a contrary approach, aimed at solving speeding issues on the approach to two bridges in the Cooraclare parish. The bridges are located in Cree village and Cloncullen, which is about a mile from Kilmacduane Graveyard in Cooraclare.
“A few subterranean speed ramps on the approaches to those bridges is the only way that is going to slow them [motorists] down. I think the subterranean speed ramp is the answer,” Councillor Kelly commented cryptically.
Perhaps realising some of his fellow councillors were unsure as to what constituted a subterranean speed ramp, Councillor Kelly filled the knowledge void.
“That’s a technical name for potholes,” he informed the meeting.
Cooraclare Councillor Bill Chambers had raised the bridge issue, asking that Clare County Council erect ‘dangerous bridge’ signs at Cloncullen bridge and approaching the bridge in Cree village.
“We can do a little better on the bridge in Cree,” Councillor Christy Curtin said, supporting the motion. “The engineer and his team might have a re-look at it. He’s a competent engineer and I know he will come up with something that is necessary,” he said.
In reply, senior executive engineer Cyril Feeney said there is a ‘caution dangerous bridge ahead’ sign in Cree village and the council will erect a similar sign at Cloncullen bridge. However, he noted that driver behaviour is a problem only motorists could resolve.
“There’s good sight distances each side on the approach to the bridge in Cree. We have signage on both approaches. I’m really not sure how much else we can do. Invariably the accidents that occur at the bridge, in my opinion, are the result of excessive speed,” Mr Feeney suggested.
“Unfortunately, if motorists don’t obey the speed limits and warning signs that they encounter, it’s very difficult to design for those kind of cases. I don’t know what else we could do for the bridge in Cree,” he added.
Councillor Chambers told the meeting three crashes had occurred in recent weeks at the bridge in Cree. He said the accidents were “people hitting the bridge mostly”.