Claims signage on new N5 causing traffic chaos on Newport Road in Westport

Poor signage along the approach to Westport along the new N5 is putting traffic towards the Newport Road and causing traffic chaos, it has been claimed.

Westport councillor Peter Flynn raised the matter on traffic in Westport at the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District where he claimed that traffic flow into the town was coming from the Newport road side since the opening of the new N5.

The reason for this he said was due to the signs on the approach from Castlebar.

“If you come down the Castlebar road you will get to the courthouse without having to stop but the Newport Road is chaotic and I honestly believe that part of the issue is the signage coming into Westport at the main roundabout. The biggest issues are in relation to the signage for the road to Ballinrobe and the road to Louisburgh and particularly the N50 for Leenane and none of them are at that roundabout. They need to be moved to go left [towards Castlebar road] so we are splitting the traffic and not driving every piece of traffic down to the Newport road junction and causing chaos on the Newport road into town,” he said.

Cllr Flynn asked the management of the municipal district to liaise with the TII and the Regional Road Design Office to address this as he felt it was negatively affecting people on the north side of Westport.

Support

He was supported by Carrowholly-based councillor John O'Malley who said that the traffic along the Newport road is a nightmare which he now tries to avoid.

“I will tell you how I got into town now. I go out the new road and come in by Allergan and come into town [along the Castlebar Road]. I was going to a funeral Friday evening and there was a line as far as the Golf Course Road. I went around the other way and did not stop until I was on Mill Street. It is an awful problem but it will get worse when the school opens up again,” he said.

Padraig Walsh, Manager of the Municipal District said he will raise the matter with the TII and see if anything can be done with the sign.

Meanwhile, Cllr Brendan Mulroy expressed concern that there will be a fatality at the new roundabout at Newport Road at Attireesh with people trying to access the Greenway. He said that pedestrians and young people on bicycles have to cross the N59 to get on the Greenway and it is highly dangerous.

“It is not the case that someone will get killed, it is when they will get killed. It is highly dangerous. I have met people asking how to get on the roundabout and what is happening is they are going out the Newport road to get on the Greenway at Slogger and it is creating problems with people crossing the road. It is highly dangerous,” he said.

Cllr Mulroy said he could not understand why access to the Greenway was not considered when the road was designed and at the moment it was ripe for someone to get killed.

Cllr Flynn supported his colleague saying that the council should carry out the work immediately to rectify the problem and not wait for the Roads Design Office to come up with a design and go through planning.