Bulk of crashes on N5 occurred on Mayo stretch

Bulk of crashes on N5 occurred on Mayo stretch

The N5 bypass at Swinford where there has been a large number of serious accidents over a 3km stretch in recent years. Picture: Google Maps

The number of serious injury collisions on the N5 doubled between 2016 and 2022 with four-fifths of those crashes occurring in Co Mayo, according to new Road Safety Authority (RSA) figures.

There were just five serious injury collisions in 2016 and six in 2017 but that number had increased to 10 by 2022. However, the number of fatal collisions decreased with just one recorded in 2022 compared to two in 2021 after a high of four in 2020 and 2018.

The N5 connects Longford to Westport and is the main access route to Dublin from Mayo. In the seven years from 2016 to 2022, there were 211 accidents on the road, including 15 fatal crashes, 54 serious injury collisions and 142 minor injury collisions.

A breakdown of the 15 fatal crashes showed there were eight on the N5 between Westport and Ballaghaderreen, including five fatal crashes on the stretch between Swinford and Castlebar. Two fatal collisions happened between Swinford and Ballaghaderreen with one on the Westport to Castlebar section of the road. The remaining seven fatal crashes occurred between Ballaghaderreen and Longford with two of those happening between Ballaghaderreen and Strokestown.

A breakdown of serious injury collisions showed 44 out of the 55 occurring between Westport and Ballaghaderreen with the section from Westport to Castlebar being the worst for crashes. There were 16 serious injury crashes between Castlebar and Swinford and five on the stretch of N5 from Swinford to Ballaghaderreen.

A total of 78 out of the 141 minor collisions took place in Mayo with 30 on the Castlebar to Swinford stretch, 29 between Castlebar and Westport, and 19 between Swinford and Ballaghaderreen.

Sinn Féin Councillor Gerry Murray said there have been calls for Transport Infrastructure Ireland to carry out works on the N5 for many years. Funding of €300,000 for new safety measures on the Kiltimagh Road junction of the N5 Swinford bypass was announced recently.

However, Cllr Murray believes one or two overpasses are needed and interim measures are not a long-term solution.

The coroner for Mayo, Patrick O'Connor, recently called for further investment in the 3km stretch between the Cloonlara and Ballymiles junctions near Swinford.

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