NRA must address dangerous N59

NRA must address dangerous N59


Áine Ryan

THE DANGERS of the N59 approach roads to Westport – from both Leenane and Newport – must be urgently addressed by the National Roads Authority (NRA), according to Westport Town Councillors.
Opening an impassioned debate, at last week’s Town Council meeting, about the two narrow and winding roadways, Fine Gael’s Cllr Christy Hyland was unequivocal about his criticism of the roads authority while Fianna FΡil’s Cllr Margaret Adams urged the implementation of a campaign, which would bring on board the town’s TD, Deputy Michael Ring.
Agreeing, Cllr Michael McLaughlin said: “Somebody will die before anything is done about these roads. We should make representations to our TD.”
Meanwhile, Labour’s Cllr Keith Martin suggested that ‘the power to look after such roads should be devolved to the town council’. This view echoed Cllr Ollie Gannon’s who earlier said that if the town council was in charge of these roads, the dangers would have been addressed.
Responding, Cathaoirleach Myles Staunton said: “It’s disgraceful that such a dangerous stretch of road won’t be addressed unless there is a fatality – which literally makes it ‘an accident waiting to happen’. It is not under our remit, that is the problem.”
Addressing the issues, Martin Keating, Senior Executive Officer said: “We all know the N59 right through its length is substandard. It is a serious issue and it is one that has been brought to the attention of the NRA on several occasions. We share the frustration.”
However, he further clarified the fact that Westport Town Council is not the legal authority for the N59. “Even if we had the resources, our road works programme has already been allocated.”
Mr Keating added that the protracted Arctic weather earlier this year had significantly eaten into aailable road-repair funding. Refusing to be deflected, Cllr Hyland continued to argue that the Carrabawn entrance to the town must urgently be made safe for pedestrians. “I don’t care if it’s the IFA, the IRA or the NRA who is in charge of the N59, something has to be done about it.”