There are no immediate plans for road safety improvements to be carried out on the Monaghan Road despite fresh calls which followed a multi-vehicle crash this week.
But the situation will be kept under review, Armagh I can confirm.
The three-vehicle collision happened at around tea-time on Monday.
While there were no serious injuries reported, it once again led to calls for urgent road safety improvements – including adequate street lighting – to be put on place at the Umgola and Monaghan Road junction, on the outskirts of Armagh City.
A new footpath has already been laid on this section of the Monaghan Road but it is the junction which is the major cause for concern.
Former Lord Mayor Garath Keating had called for Transport NI to act before lives are lost, saying: “My predecessor Cathy Rafferty fought for years for street lighting to be installed at this junction and in subsequent years I have also broached the need for adequate lighting at this particular spot.
“Pedestrians and vulnerable road users suffer from decreased visibility in the dark, therefore ways of reducing the risk to all road users during the dark hours must be found.
“I am calling on Transport NI to give serious consideration to help enhance road safety at this junction, eliminate night time accidents and facilitate smooth traffic flow.”
There was public support for the lighting to improve safety when we first reported on the issue this week.
Armagh I then raised the concerns of public and political representatives alike directly with the Department for Infrastructure.
A spokesperson confirmed that the area had in the past been looked at.
And there has been no change in the thinking since that time.
The spokesperson told Armagh I : “The Department has previously investigated requests for street lighting at the Umgola Road junction on the Monaghan Road on a number of occasions.
“While the junction does not meet the criteria for the provision of street lighting at present, officials will continue to monitor the situation.”
