Seven junctions to be closed on Mayo’s notorious N17 to improve road safety

SEVEN junctions are to be closed on a Mayo road which has recorded 100 accidents since 2019.

Claremorris-Municipal District Council have approved the closure of the junctions on the N17, which has been the scene of several fatal accidents.

The decision was made based on recommendations from Mayo County Council engineers after a lengthy investigation and consultation process.

The junctions to be closed are at Shanvaghera (L-29189), Rockfield (L-15037), Ballinsmaula (L-55517), Drumneen South (L-55517). Eskerlevalley (L-5551), Castlegar (L-55513) and Popes Road., Garryduff (L-25116). All seven will be closed off and replaced with turning circles.

A proposal to close an eighth junction, at Boherduff (L-55512) was shot down due to concerns about its potential impact on traffic in Claremorris.

The road closures were agreed upon unanimously by the nine elected members of the municipal district council.

Conrad Harley, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council, expressed disappointment with the lack of support for closing the Boherduff (L-55512) junction but said he accepted the views of the councillors.

Since last October, there have been seven fatalities on the N17. The 100 km/h road is used by 9,230 vehicles a day, with 85 percent of the traffic driving at 103 km/h or slower. Recently, static speed cameras were installed along the road, which have recorded an average of 32 speeding vehicles a day.

Mr Harley said the N17 outside Claremorris and the N5 outside Swinford had ‘one of the highest accident rates in the country’.

Over 200 public submissions were made after the junction closures were advertised a number of months ago. The majority of these supported the closures.

Cllr Damien Ryan (Fianna Fáil), Cathaoirleach of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District, thanked everyone involved in the process and acknowledged that the decision was ‘not easy’ for elected representatives and thanked all those involved in the process.