Sir, – The approach to the Red Cow interchange from the Naas road for M50 southbound drivers, while being one of the newest in the country, is also one of the worst-designed road layouts that we have. A sudden deviation at the last moment is required even for traffic that has attempted to enter the correct lane, which is almost impossible to do as the overhead sign for southbound appears to be over a different lane as one gets nearer. The reason for this is that the approach lane suddenly splits into two at the last moment, with no advance warning at all.
Placing a 60 km/h speed limit at this point has been an admission that the layout is a design disaster, but it can be predicted that this will not be enough to prevent a serious accident. To even attempt to negotiate this part of the road network requires at least 10 practice attempts. Woe betide, therefore, any unfortunate tourist or other individual who is attempting to navigate it for the first or even second time.
There are other examples of poor road design, such as the roundabout at the intersection of the Dundrum bypass and Wyckham Way, but the Red Cow approach described above is easily the worst. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Windy Arbour, Dublin 14.