Councillors to lobby NRA on N5 and N26 road projects

Councillors to lobby NRA on N5 and N26 road projects


Trevor Quinn

At last Friday’s 2012 budget meeting, Mayo County Council Engineer Joe Beirne said the battle for the N5 and N26 was not over. He confirmed that a delegation of county councillors will travel to the Head Office of the NRA in Dublin to lobby for the continuation of funding for the road projects.
Cllr Jarlath Munnelly and Cathaoirleach Austin F O’Malley will attend a meeting with the NRA on Monday, January 16, where they will outline the importance of all of the road projects in Mayo, with particular emphasis on the N26 and N5.
In early November last, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar confirmed that investment in transport infrastructure would be scaled back significantly over the next five years.
While Mr Beirne acknowledged this placed the N5 Turlough to Westport road projects at risk, he is determined to fight for them, and to ensure the NRA understands their significance before it decides its grants and funding plans in late January/early February.