Bridge doubt

TEMPORARY MEASURE The bridge at Leenane can only accommodate single lane traffic at present.

Leenane bridge may not be rebuilt

Anton McNulty

THE tourist village of Leenane may be by-passed in the future after the plans for the new bridge in the village were discussed at a public meeting last week.
Last July, the 182-year-old bridge that used to span the Lahill river was swept away during heavy flooding and a temporary bridge was erected to replace it. The temporary bridge can only accommodate single lane traffic and is part of the N59 route which is the main Clifden to Westport road.
At a public meeting held in Leenane for residents to discuss the future plans for the bridge, it was announced that the option favoured by Galway County Council and the NRA was for a new crossing site which would by-pass the village.
Mr Michael O’Toole of the Leenane Development Association told The Mayo News that at present the site of the current bridge was dangerous for motorists and pedestrians. He said that the majority of the residents would be in favour of it as long as there was a proper development plan associated with it.
“It is felt that the old bridge is not going to go back because Galway County Council and the NRA are coming up with the safety argument that it is quite dangerous going around the village.
“The new bridge will be outside the village and the discussion at the meeting was mainly about where would the road turn off for Maam and how to develop the area inside the road. Leenane village has always been dangerous because it goes around in a curve and with the new route the traffic going direct from Westport to Clifden would not go through the village,” he said.
A further public meeting will take place with officials from Galway County Council outlining what design they have in mind for the new bridge. O’Toole feels that if the new by-pass goes ahead it will not affect tourism as long as provisions for parking are made for the people who want to stop in the village.
“He added that since the bridge was swept away the numbers of tourists in the village are down.
“We are finding a reduction in business because there is not enough parking for more than two buses to stop. In the present situation there could be a lot more parking made available.” he said.
He also hoped that if there is a new bridge constructed at a new site, the old bridge would be constructed as a pedestrian bridge using the same stone arch design as the old bridge.