Calls for traffic light trial at busy Mayo junction
There are calls for traffic lights to be put in place at the problematic location.
Castlebar councillors are pushing for traffic lights to be trialled at a problematic junction.
The Gallows Hill area of the county town has been experiencing traffic backlogs for a number of years with the situation set to get worse with the construction of new housing estates.
John Kearns, of Mayo County Council’s Road Design Office, told a meeting of Castlebar Municipal District that consultants may be tasked to examine a new orbital route to alleviate traffic issues in tandem with the possible use of traffic lights at Gallows Hill.
Gallows Hill, close to the Rathbawn Road and located at the junction of Tucker Street, Chapel Street and New Line, has been a major traffic headache for years. The area is also home to Castlebar’s largest primary school.
Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said consultants should be dispensed with.
“Can we not try out solutions like traffic lights there and see if it works? Sending it to consultants is just a waste of money,” he said.
Cllr Ger Deere agreed that traffic lights should be trialled at the location.
“Let’s try the traffic lights to see if that helps. It’s been chaotic for a long time and you probably have up to 150 houses coming on stream out there in the next year and a half. On average they will have two cars per house. We have to try something.”
Cllr Deere said if the traffic lights don’t work or cause traffic backlogs then other solutions can be looked at.
“We have a real crisis on our hands. It’s the biggest traffic crisis facing the town,” he said.
Cllr Donna Sheridan said she feared that a similar situation could occur when traffic lights for roadworks were put in place at the end of Chapel Street. This led to lengthy traffic jams. However, she agreed a traffic light trial should take place.
“We need to try it quickly. We have been talking about this for the last five years and nothing has been done.”
Meanwhile, a stacking lane at a dangerous on the N5 at Gortnafolla, Turlough, has been discounted.
Mr Kearns said the crossroads are staggered in the wrong direction and renders it impossible to accommodate a right turn lane. He said the solution likely to be backed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland is to close one lane of the junction.
