Frustrated Balla residents to block main road over speed fears

SAFETY FEARS
Residents of Ardboley, Balla will block this junction off the main N60 Balla to Claremorris road unless the speed limit is reduced.
Pic: Ger Flanagan

Ger Flanagan

TENSIONS were high in Balla last Wednesday afternoon as residents of Ardboley signaled their intent to block the main N60 Balla to Claremorris.
Residents of the village just outside Balla say they will block the section the N60 incorporating the Ardboley junction unless the speed limit is reduced from 100kmh to 60kmh.
The residents outlined their plans to the officials of the Castlebar Municipal District at the District’s monthly meeting held in the Community Resource Centre, Balla on Wednesday.
The meeting heard applications for a reduced speed limit by Mayo County Council were refused by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
The issue was brought to light by the frustrated residents after a high number of accidents occurred at the junction where motorists lost control of their vehicles and crashed.
Dr Jim Broderick, who resides directly across from the Ardboley junction, expressed his fears of the likelihood of a serious accident occurring.
He also highlighted the residents’ lack of confidence in the local councillors over their repeated claims that the decision to change the speed limit does not rest with them.
“There is a serious lack of confidence in the Ardboley people that this case is not being taken seriously enough,” he said. “A death or two, or three, or four is what is going to happen so please take this seriously! You (councillors) are our elected representatives and we come to you to get things done.”
Tim Lavin, resident of Ardboley and chosen delegate, outlined in his presentation that up to 8000 vehicles travel along the N60 Balla to Claremorris Road on a daily basis, while 85 vehicles belonging to residents and workers come in and out of the junction every day.
He also indicated that a pedestrian has only four seconds to cross the road if a vehicle is traveling from the Claremorris direction doing the current speed limit of 100km/h and that it is preventing the Tidy Towns committee from carrying out work due to such fears.
In a rousing speech, Mr Lavin demanded action from the councillors and highlighted the residents’ frustrations of being overlooked.
“We are tired of putting our lives at risk on a daily basis – we demand action,” he said. “We have been fobbed off too many times and we are now prepared to do whatever it takes.
“Are we second class citizens? It is an absolute disgrace.”
Fine Gael Cllr, Cyril Burke, proposed to invite an inspector of the TII to meet the residents at the junction in order to come up with a solution and show them first hand the scale of the problem.
Cllr Al McDonnell (Fianna Fail) gave his full backing to the residents for the protest citing that the “democratic process has failed the people of Ardboley” and highlighted his intentions to “take to the streets” side-by-side with the residents in search of a solution.
Cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal District, Michael Kilcoyne, gave the residents of Ardboley his full support and thanked them for their presentation.