West Mayo councillors call for speed limit reduction on Westport road following accident

A MOTORIST was lucky not to have been killed after driving through a roundabout and going down an embankment near Westport according to a Mayo councillor.

The monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District heard calls for a reduction of the current 100km per hour speed limit on the northern Westport relief road.

The new relief road which links the N59 Newport Road to the new N5 dual carriageway currently has a speed limit of 100km per hour but local councillors have long called for it to be reduced as they felt it was currently too dangerous.

The matter was highlighted by Cathaoirleach of the municipal district, Cllr Peter Flynn who explained that motorists and pedestrians were lucky not to be seriously injured after a car drove through the Abbvie roundabout.

“Last week a car coming from Castlebar road went straight through the Abbvie roundabout and I mean straight through it. It went through the roundabout and over the footpath and through the fence and down about 70 to 80 metres.

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“Luckily nobody was hurt or walking along it and God knows how we would be starting this meeting today if that was the case. If you ever wanted evidence that this road is completely at odds with what is happening then to have 100km going into and out of a roundabout is illogical.

“It really is an accident waiting to happen and we need a barrier along that road and particularly around the roundabouts. I am asking that you bring this to the TII to question how the speed limit can be brought down,” said the Fine Gael councillor.

Last year, Westerport councillors rejected proposals by the TII and Mayo County Council to reduce the speed limits along the new N5 and N59 claiming that the reductions did not go far enough.

Cllr Brendan Mulroy agreed that the speed limit along the new road had been flagged previously and he has received more complaints about it in the last couple of weeks. He also pointed out that safety concerns at the junction of the Slogger Road along the N59 which were flagged have yet to be addressed.

“I wonder at what stage will certain engineers listen to elected members. You cannot get in the Slogger road without crossing the white and it [road junction] was recently designed. Something needs to happen or someone will be killed,” he said.

Senior engineer, Martin O'Grady agreed that the speed limit along the relief road needs to be reduced and stated he will bring the councillor's concerns to the Mayo Road Design Office.