Understaffed office means road project is stalled

A councillor has said he is disappointed that road upgrade works needed for the commencement of the Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme will now not be going ahead despite the scheme’s recent approval.

Cllr Michael Loftus said he wrote to Mayo Co Council's Roads Design Office requesting upgrade works to the R315 between Lake Road and Gallagher's in Cloonamine to coincide with a new bridge being built on the R315 as part of the scheme, just before the Lake Road.

In addition, he asked that dangerous bends leading to a separate new bridge at O’Boyle's on the L1105, near Crossmolina, be removed.

However, Cllr Loftus told last week’s meeting of the Ballina Municipal District that he was informed that these works would not be going ahead for the time being. The councillor said he had been informed by Head of the Roads Design Team Paul Dolan that the office lacks the staffing levels to take on these works.

“Unfortunately, the Roads Design Office won’t look at this because they don’t have enough staff,” Cllr Loftus told colleagues. “If ye want any projects done in the future, there will be no staff in there to do it. That is wrong."

Cllr Loftus welcomed the commencement of the flood scheme and thanked a number of people who helped bring it to fruition after nine years.