West Mayo fury as key €29m road project is apparently cancelled

The reported cancellation of a multi-million euro project to upgrade sections of the N59 Newport to Mulranny Road due to a funding issue is sending out the message that people must either walk or cycle all along the greenways and roads between Newport and Mulranny rather than expect to have safe roads to travel on, according to members of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District.

Councillors made the claims at last week's meeting following the confirmation by the manager of Westport-Belmullet MD, Padraig Walsh, that the planned N59 Derradda to Newport Road project has been shelved.

The development would see the realignment of the existing N59 Newport to Mulranny road and the construction of approximately 5.1km of a single-carriageway road.

Mr Walsh told members he could confirm that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has "just requested the National Roads Regional Design Office team suspend the tendering process, and letters to this effect will be issuing to the tenderers”, adding: “I was briefed on this by the head of roads only this morning, and that is when I became aware the tender process has been suspended, that is all I can tell you.

“We are aware that the current pavement of over 3km there is quite distorted and we have already introduced a cautionary speed limit on that section and requested advanced funding from TII to deal with it. My understanding is they will be funding this work separately, but they have requested the N59 project be suspended.” 

The shock announcement was greeted with dismay by members, with Cllr Paul McNamara saying the news was devastating for all who use the N59 between Newport, Mulranny and Achill and all the way across to Belmullet and Blacksod, especially as €2 million had been spent on upgrading the nearby greenway.

“There is no question [this project] has to be done. It is the worst section of road in the country - not just the county - and is a health and safety issue. It affects not just ordinary motorists but the whole farming community, whose vehicles and jeeps would be nearly bouncing off the roads there. If it is the case that the project has been pulled, I ask for a health and safety assessment to be carried out immediately."

Cllr Peter Flynn said he was "absolutely" stunned that elected members had been given no notice. He also asked whether negative comments by some councillors about the TII about the ongoing Murrisk greenway controversy had influenced the decision. 

Cllr John O’Malley said he had been told by the engineer at the last meeting that the project would be starting at the end of summer and had told locals the news while out canvassing. 

“Now I have to go down and tell people it’s not going ahead, TII has shelved it. That isn’t a nice thing to have to say. Coming along now with a few pounds for wear and repair, that is not good enough for the people of Newport. After building up their hopes thinking this was going to happen and now it’s not going to happen, it is just not good enough.” 

Following a 15-minute recess, manager Padraig Walsh said he had made contact with the National Roads Office Regional Design Team who told him the project was being suspended due to a "funding issue".

Cllr Paul McNamara commented: “The message being delivered here by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan is that money is more important than the safety of people that travel that road on a daily basis and I think that is appalling. The speed limit has already been reduced on that stretch from 100kph down to 60kph, so straight away it is acknowledged that it is a danger to motorists, and still the Minister refuses to sign on the dotted line.

“What amazes me is TII is considering spending money on temporary repair measures yet over €2 million was recently allocated by the minister to the greenway here. Is it that he wants us all just to be walking along the road, or on bikes from Newport to Achill?” 

Referring to Cllr Flynn's comments about the Murrisk greenway, Cllr Brendan Mulroy said: “If for one minute I thought these two matters were linked I would call on Minister Eamonn Ryan to resign right now because [TII] should not be doing their job if they can’t take criticism. It is the same TII ploughing through people’s land for the Murrisk greenway that has pulled this project, so it clearly it’s a case of his way or the highway, but now there will be no highway. The Minister should resign because he is disappointing people in Newport to Achill now as well as across Murrisk and Loughloon and on to Clew Bay.”

Cllr Gerry Coyle, who attended the meeting online, said the N59 serves motorists right into Erris.

“I’ve been calling for an NCT on the roads for years, and not on the cars, because some of them are just not fit for purpose.” 

Cllr Christy Hyland said the decision to pull the project showed the attitude in Dublin that it was now "to hell or to Connaught".

“There are two ministers here in the county now, in government. Have they anything to say on this? God forbid, before elections back in the day you would see a lot of money going into constituencies, but today the opposite is happening, This is a government decision against Mayo and particularly against West Mayo.”

However, a day after the meeting, Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn told Midwest Radio that he was "confident this project will proceed by the end of this year", adding that it would cost around €29 million and it remains on the State's online tendering portal.

“I’m putting my reputation on the line to say this project will happen as predicted," Cllr Flynn remarked.