Ballinrobe enduring traffic ‘chaos’ due to delay in installing traffic lights

BALLINROBE is said to be enduring traffic ‘chaos’ since work began to install new traffic lights at the end of Glebe Street.

Local county councillor Michael Burke said that cars are taking 28 minutes to cross the town on Friday evenings due to the level of traffic. 

Cllr Burke complained that delays in installing new traffic lights were causing severe traffic congestion in the South Mayo town during busy periods.

The instillation of the lights started approximately two months ago and had been scheduled to take six weeks to complete.

Cllr Burke said that the company undertaking the works could not do anything about the traffic delays and requested that the council write to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for an update on the works.

“On Friday evening there was a 28-minute delay from Finlay’s [filling] station down the Castlebar Road, that’s now known as Mace, to get through Ballinrobe town. This is just crazy,” he told the monthly meeting of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District. 

“On Friday evening, and indeed most times around the school closes, we have utter chaos in Ballinrobe. If a company tells us, Mayo County Council, or TII that they can do the work in six weeks, the work should be done in six weeks. We haven’t seen a poll put up yet on those lights. It’s very irritating for people,” the Fine Gael councillor added.

Cllr Burke also voiced concern about three ‘major potholes’ on the Castlebar Road that had been reported ‘on several occasions’ but had not yet been filled.

His concerns were echoed by Fianna Fáil councillor Damien Ryan and Independent councillor Patsy O’Brien.

Cllr Ryan said that local representatives had been ‘inundated’ with concerns about traffic congestion in the Ballinrobe area.

Local people voiced their opposition to the installation of the traffic lights on Glebe Street after learning that it would involve the removal of some parking spaces near residential buildings.

Cllr Ryan said that local representatives’ ‘hands were tied’ regarding the traffic lights and said an outer relief road would be needed to solve the town’s traffic woes.

A ‘Phase 0’ strategic assessment report on a bypass for the town is currently being progressed by Mayo County Council’s National Roads Office.

Padraic Flanagan, Head of Claremorris Municipal District, said the local authority would ask TII for an update on when the traffic lights will be completed as a matter of urgency.