N26 is a priority, insist Mayo candidates

Edwin McGreal

The long awaited upgrade of the N26 road to Ballina must become a reality, according to many election candidates in the Mayo constituency.
Responding to a Mayo News questions about local issues, there was a cross-party consensus on the need for the N26 upgrade to proceed post-haste.
The two Ballina-based candidates were, unsurprisingly, particularly strongly in favour.
Fianna FΡil’s Dara Calleary stressed that ‘north Mayo cannot be left behind’, adding ‘we need the connectivity to the N5 and the N17 to sustain and grow employment and exploit further opportunities’.
“I believe all upgrades should be designed with segregated cycle lanes and electric charging points installed,” he added.
Michelle Mulherin said she has ‘worked tirelessly’ to address delays around the River Moy Special Area of Conservation along part of the route, particularly at Cloongullane outside Swinford.
“Now that we have a breakthrough on these planning blockages we need to drive on with the upgrade of the rest of the road. However the N58 from Foxford to Ballyvary must also be built to provide proper roads connectivity between Castlebar, Ballina and Westport,” she added.
Belmullet-based Senator Rose Conway-Walsh (Sinn Féin) also said the upgrade is a priority.
“The people of Mayo have had numerous promises and announcements but FF/FG have failed to deliver,” she argued.
Saoirse McHugh of the Green Party also said an upgrade is needed.
“This is a road that is way below the standard required for the amount of traffic it takes,” she said.
Joe Daly of People Before Profit argued money allocated to the new N5 dual carriageway from Castlebar to Westport could be better spent on the N26, which he said is ‘badly needed’ and argued that ‘instead the N5 (Castlebar to Westport) should be realigned and Westport bypassed’.
Paul Lawless of Aontú said the N26 upgrade is ‘pivotal to enhancing business and tourism expanding in the region’.
“Infrastructure is an area that is not given enough prominence in Mayo. To thrive economically we must have better roads. Ballina is a major town and Foxford attracts much tourism,” he said.
Dara Calleary’s Fianna FΡil running-mate Lisa Chambers also voiced her support for prioritising the N26, saying ‘this has been sought for many years and is an important road for Ballina and surrounding areas in terms of connectivity’.
Fine Gael’s Alan Dillon said that while there has been ‘huge investment’ throughout the country in new motorways, ‘we need to continue to develop the west’s motorways and regional roads’, adding it was key to secure TEN-T Core funding for the region.
Independent Gerry Loftus also said he was ‘strongly in favour’ of the N26 upgrade but said ‘more political will at Government level is needed’.