Summer start for upgrade of N59 near Kilmeena

Summer start for upgrade of N59 near Kilmeena


Anton McNulty

Construction on the new phase of the N59 which will remove a series of dangerous bends near Kilmeena is expected to begin next summer.
Councillors at last week’s monthly meeting of the West Mayo Municipal District were informed that the tendering stage for the improvement works of the N59 will take place in February and it is expected to be on site in May for the construction phase.
The next stage of work on the N59 will be a 1.6km stretch from Kilbride to Kilmeena which will include the removal of bends at Rossow.
It also involves an offline section of 600 metres and a 90m cut in the drumlin, the construction of two new river bridges, one bridge widening and the removal of the Greenway crossing at Kilmeena.

Underbridge
The removal of the crossing will mean it will be replaced by a Greenway underbridge at Rossdooaun which will mean pedestrians and cyclists will not have to leave the Greenway and cross the N59 when travelling between Westport and Newport. This phase of the project will then finish at Mid West Furniture in Kilmeena and councillors were informed funding has been allocated for this work.
Pat Staunton of the Roads Design Office of Mayo County Council also informed the councillors that the land acquisition for the N5 project from Westport to Turlough will go ahead in January or February. He said the process could take up to six weeks to complete and once it is complete it is ‘game on’.
When asked by Cllr Brendan Mulroy when will the road be opened, he responded that construction was subject to funding being made available but added the NRA had made the commitment to buy the land and they were ‘unlikely to pull the plug’ on the project.

Newport crossings
Meanwhile, an urgent request has been made for funding to be made available by the NRA for two pedestrian crossings in Newport.
The call was made by Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh who said the development of the Greenway and the Wild Atlantic Way was leading to a substantial increase in traffic through the town and there was a need for the pedestrian crossings to be in place before the new tourism season.
The meeting heard the appropriate locations of the crossing should be at the Post Office on the Westport side of the bridge and along Main Street.
She was supported by Independent councillor Michael Holmes who added that the footpath along the bridge was in a deplorable condition and needed an upgrade before someone broke a leg.
Senior Engineer, Padraig Walsh said he would raise the matter of pedestrian crossings with the NRA and hoped they will allocate funding for the crossings and the footpath.