Funding allocated for flood-prone Rosmindle road

Anton McNulty

Help has finally arrived for a small west Mayo coastal community that gets cut off during high tides and heavy rain. The one road that serves the residents of Rosmindle, between Carrowholly and Kilmeena, has been allocated relief funding for long-awaited remedial works to prevent it from becoming flooded and impassible.
The area has been flooded several times in recent years. In January 2014, Rosmindle was cut off for almost five days.
The residents received the long-awaited good news last week, when they were informed that Mayo County Council has allocated €135,000 to raise the road by one metre and carry out other remedial measures.
The money was allocated under a special fund for areas affected by flooding, from which the Department of Transport allocated €5 millaion to Mayo County Council.
The funding for the Rosmindle Road was welcomed by Independent councillor Christy Hyland, who said the news was a relief for the residents who have waited over 20 years for this problem to be addressed.
“This area has always been subject to flooding, and we have been fighting for this work to be done for two years. I have spoken to a number of residents since I got this news, and they are delighted the work will finally be done. They have waited two long years for this, and delays have led to uncertainty for them. Hopefully the work will commence in the summer and will alleviate any fears of further flooding in the future,” he said.
The delay in carrying out the work was due to the need for Environmental Impact Statements and ecological surveys in the nearby Drumgarve canal.
As well as raising the road by one metre, soil on each side of the road will be excavated and replaced by rock. The road will also be resurfaced, and new fencing erected.
Money has also been allocated for work in other parts of Westport, with €10,000 allocated to repair the river walls on the north and south sides of the Mall River, and €5,000 for repair works to the bridge on Distillery Road. A sum of €81,000 has also been allocated to raise the road at Cashel, Ayle, which is also prone to flooding, by one metre.