€250m spent on new road but Achill fails to get a mention, says councillor
The famous Michael Davitt Bridge at the entrance to Achill Sound.
An Achill-based councillor has called for road signage to be put in place to let people know how to get to the popular West Mayo destination.
Cllr Paul McNamara told last week's meeting of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District that he was "baffled" there was "no sign whatsoever" for Achill along the new N5 Turlough to Castlebar route.
"I can’t understand how one hasn’t been put up. Achill is the largest island off Ireland and 80 to 90% of all traffic from the east coast is coming this way now. They are not coming into Castlebar but are heading on to Newport and Mulranny and there is no sign whatsoever for Achill. Is there a reason for it?”
Senior executive engineer with Mayo Co Council's National Roads Office, Marian McHugh, said the signage was subject to regulations around road destinations and that the same approach applied right around the county. Once motorists came further along a route, such as the N59, they would see signs in Newport for Achill, but Achill is not the sole destination on that route, she explained.
Cllr McNamara said he was not happy with the reasoning.
“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous we spend €250m on a road and does it mean we now have to come up ourselves and put signs on it for Achill? It is very difficult to explain to people that there can’t be a sign in Westport to Achill.”
The engineer responded: “We are stuck with what is the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) strategy. From Dublin, the N5 is signed to Westport and not Castlebar. We have the same problem coming out of Ballina, it is not signposted.”
Cllr Brendan Mulroy mooted that a sign for Achill might just pop up in Westport and on hearing no response to his question as to whether it would be taken down if this happened, quipped: “A sign is on its way.”
Cllr Gerry Coyle said he was sick of listening to the powers-that-be saying it was all about road safety.
“If you drive up to Ballycroy now you can barely see the yield signs with the long grass and hedges needing attention there.”
Cllr John O’Malley said there was also no sign on the Newport Road in Westport for the Fahy area and people coming to visit had nothing but a straight road to follow.
