New data reveals Mayo's busiest roads
Data published by the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) shows that the volume of traffic on the N26 has been increasing year-on-year.
The average daily traffic count on the national road between Foxford and Ballina was 8,806 in 2025, according to the NWRA’s Transport Dashboard for Mayo, an increase of 2.4% relative to 2024.
Further data published by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) shows the monthly average daily total of traffic at this location has been steadily increasing year-on-year since 2023. In January 2023, the monthly average was below 7,500 vehicles per day. This moved to above 8,000 in January 2026 according to the TII data.
A peak of close to 10,000 vehicles per day was recorded by TII in August 2023, however, the average number per month was higher overall in 2025 with an average of over 9,500 vehicles on the N26 last July.
Local councillor Marie-Therese Duffy, who represents the Ballina Municipal District on the NWRA with Cllr Jarlath Munnelly, told the that this data clearly spells out the long-lasting issues with Ballina's traffic congestion.
“The figures published by the NWRA and TII tell the story. The data shows a year-on-year increase of cars on the N26 with a 2.4% increase between 2024 and 2025,” she said.
“Every single year the problem is getting worse and now we have commuters sitting in their cars in traffic for up to and over an hour.”
Plans are in place for a western and eastern bypass of Ballina serving the Crossmolina and Sligo road ends of the town respectively with the western bypass the more advanced project currently. While Cllr Duffy welcomes progress on both, she said there is a clear need to prioritise the eastern bypass.
“I will be tabling a motion at the next council meeting calling for the eastern bypass to be priority number one in Mayo.
"There has not yet been a funding request to TII for an investment in that road. Ballina is designated as a key town but we’re not seeing the investment in infrastructure needed for decades,” she said.
“We have a sterilised route on a map and we need to get it on TII’s funding list. I see the need of pushing both bypass projects but a large volume is trying to cross over the River Moy and that is where we see most of the gridlock.
“There is no quiet time for traffic here in Ballina,” she added.
The NWRA Transport Dashboard for Mayo shows increases year-on-year at other locations throughout the county with the highest increase of 10.2% recorded on the N60 between Balla and Claremorris where the daily average traffic count was 6,834 cars.
Some 9,142 vehicles on average daily were recorded at the N5 between Bohola and Swinford while 6,280 were recorded on the N5 between Swinford and Charlestown. The N17 between Charlestown and Knock saw 7,064 vehicles on average per day.
