Major alteration to Mayo road project questioned

Councillors from the Claremorris Municipal District have questioned a ministerial direction on the N17 Knock to Collooney Project that prioritises bypasses over interurban routes.

Head of Mayo County Council's Roads Design Office (RDO) Paul Hyland gave an update on the project at last week’s area meeting. Mr Hyland explained that the project is currently at Phase 3, which involves design and environmental evaluation, and is being completed under an agreement between Sligo and Mayo County Councils, with Sligo as the lead authority. There was an allocation of €900,000 for the project this year.

Mr Hyland said Transport Infrastructure Ireland has approved the bypass elements at Tubbercurry and Charlestown this year instead of the carriageway between the towns on the proposed route.

Aontú Cllr Paul Lawless said he believed this to be "a mistake".

“It is a mistake to prioritise bypasses of Charlestown and Tubbercurry when the interurban routes are the most dangerous. I would propose that we prioritise the interurban routes,” he said.

Cllr Richard Finn said a dual carriageway is the only way forward for the N17.

“The only way to sort this, and it is a suggestion Cllr Gerry Murray has made time and time again, is as a dual carriageway.”

Mr Hyland said a condition of the funding being approved was the prioritisation of the bypasses as a preferred route.

“The Minister (Eamon Ryan) doesn’t necessarily agree with the upgrade of the national primary routes within the interurban, it is a more of a focus on bypasses and the benefits they will bring to the towns,” he said. “He has provided funding only on the basis it prioritises those two bypasses.”

Cllr Finn said the Government was "paying lip service" to road safety by proposing to close several junctions along a notorious accident blackspot on the N17 outside Claremorris. He urged the public to engage with the ongoing public consultation process by making submissions about these planned closures.