Crossmolina to Ballycastle road must be gritted demands Cllr Loftus

A CROSSMOLINA-based councillor has demanded that a regional road linking Crossmolina to Ballycastle be gritted after claiming five lorries jackknifed during the latest cold snap.

A section of the R315 linking Crossmolina and Ballycastle is not included in Mayo County Council's Winter Maintenance Service Plan which prioritises the roads which are salted and gritted during freezing weather.

The road was not gritted during last week's snow and freezing temperatures and according to local councillor Michael Loftus it resulted in bedlam with the road blocked.

“This is a regional road and the only regional road in Mayo that is not gritted. Last Friday we had absolute bedlam on the Crossmolina to Ballycastle road where we had five lorries jackknifed. We had roads blocked and lucky enough no injuries but the roads were totally blocked on Thursday and Friday.

“Friday was worse because the frost was on top of the snow and it was unbelievable from Crossmolina to Moygownagh especially. Five lorries jackknifed over a space of four hours and the road was impassable as a result,” he told the monthly meeting of the Ballina Municipal District.

As part of the Winter Maintenance Service Plan, Mayo County Council ordinarily treats approximately 1,350km km of road across 21 treatment routes which equates to 100 percent of the national primary network, 100 percent of the national secondary network, 90 percent of regional roads and 5 percent of the local road network.

Cllr Loftus commented that a local business person whose father was dying in hospital had to deal with the jackknifed lorries when he should have been in the hospital. He said this was unacceptable and demanded that the road be gritted in the future.

“I want to see that road put on the winter schedule. I said it to Kevin Kelly [Chief Executive of Mayo County Council] at the council meeting and his words were they will have to look at it and it might be down to finances. That is not good enough.

“It is a regional road and the people from Ballycastle to Crossmolina are entitled to have that done. I am saying it has to be done whenever there is another situation of frost.

“Tom [Gilligan, Director of Services with responsibility for roads] said he would do his best and while his best is good, I want it done,” he demanded.

Cllr Loftus was supported by his Fianna Fáil colleague Cllr Annie Mae Reape, who said that everyone was in agreement that the road should be gritted.

Meanwhile, councillors in the Ballina Municipal District praised the work of the council's outdoor staff for dealing with the snow and freezing weather conditions which was immediately followed by Storm Isla and Storm Jocelyn.

Cathaoirleach of the municipal district, Cllr Seamus Weir said Storm Isla was one of the worst storms he witnessed for falling trees and complimented all the storm for ensuring roads were quickly cleared. He also complimented them for ensuring the roads were gritted and the streets around Ballina were cleared.

Bonniconlon-based councillor John O'Hara who works with ESB was unable to attend the meeting as he was busy helping to reconnect customers left without power due to the storms. His Fine Gael colleague, Jarlath Munnelly said it was important they acknowledge the work done by the outdoor staff who are out in the worst of weather.