'Positive response' to major Mayo road safety works

Road adjustment works on the N17 have been praised by a local councillor, writes Paul O’Malley.

Independent Cllr Richard Finn told last week’s meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District that the new road markings and right-turn road islands on the N17 have been a cost-effective way of improving safety for road users.

“There has been a positive response to this. It shows what can be done for road safety with little money spent,” the long-serving councillor said.

“We would want to make sure that Transport Infrastructure Ireland do the same on the right-turns from Ballindine up to Charlestown. If these simple things had been done when the road was opened, there’d be people alive today who died because of that road.”

In a separate contribution to the meeting, Cllr Finn pointed out that a “modern art feature” installed at the Seamus O’Malley Roundabout in Claremorris is currently “smothered by bushes”.

“We need to either take it down or have a proper plantation system to make sure it can be seen. It is a fine, modern art piece.

“The trees there are growing too high. I’d like to get the wheels going on this and it could be done in conjunction with the Tidy Towns.”