Mayo councillors call for traffic lights at busy junction

Mayo County Council has been urged to install traffic lights at one of the busiest junctions in Castlebar in order to free up traffic through the town.

Members of the Castlebar Municipal District were given a presentation on the junction at Gallow’s Hill in the centre of Castlebar and the alternative solutions to traffic delays at this junction. The four-way junction is considered one of the busiest in the town with traffic merging from Rathbaun Road, Chapel Street and Newline onto Tucker Street.

John Kearns, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council outlined possible solutions to traffic delays including a new slip to divert traffic and that consultants will likely look at possible solutions.

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However, Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne questioned the need to speed money on consultants saying they are a waste of money.

“I don't know why we get consultants when they cost half the price of the job. Can we not try solutions like traffic lights in the short term to see if it works,” he commented.

He was supported by a number of councillors who expressed their desire to see traffic lights installed to try to regulate the flow of traffic.

“I don't have the solution but let's try the traffic lights to see if it will do some help,” said Cllr Ger Deere who added that a number of houses planned to be built in Rathbaun will add to the traffic.

“The average will have at least two cars per house so we have to try something. It would not be costly to put up temporary traffic lights just to see because the other solutions will cost a fortune. We have to do something immediately. We have a real crisis on our hands and it is the biggest facing this town and it is at the moment. It is bedlam,” said the Fine Gael councillor.

Fianna Fáil councillor Blackie Gavin agreed with the suggestion of traffic lights saying it was a matter of urgency to find a solution. Cllr Gavin also commented that when he was a town councillor, consultants were employed to look at constructing a new route from the N5 to the old Turlough Road and questioned where those plans had gone.

Cllr Cyril Burke told the meeting that the main factories and the main housing estates were at opposite sides of Castlebar and criticised the Planning Regulator for blocking proposals to zone land for housing near the Breaffy Road.

“We looked at zoning land on the Breaffy Road side near the factories and most of it was discarded which was ridiculous. Most residential estates are that side of town and there is no joined up thinking on how people will commute,” he said.

Cllr Burke also proposed that the Municipal District look at including a northern relief road in the next town plan.