Calls for Mayo town bypass to become ‘number one priority’ project as commuters face daily gridlock
Traffic congestion in Ballina continues to worsen, with daily delays affecting road users, local businesses and regional connectivity and local councillors want to see action on a long awaited roads project.
With congestion levels mounting across the town during peak travel times, local representatives have said the road network is no longer fit for purpose and that additional infrastructure is urgently needed.
Members of the Ballina Municipal District have now called on Mayo County Council to push the Ballina Eastern bypass as the “number one road priority in this county”.
The Eastern Bypass forms Phase Two of the development of the Ballina Bypass Project.
It would see a 7.5km route running from the Foxford Road near Hollister, crossing the River Moy and connecting to the Sligo Road, providing a route for traffic to go around the town centre.
Councillors have also stressed the need for a meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the National Roads Office and other relevant stakeholders to address worsening traffic delays in and out of the town.
They warned that traffic has become increasingly heavy in recent years, placing pressure on local businesses as commuters choose to avoid the town, and renewed calls for direct action to progress long-discussed national road projects.
Cllr Marie-Therese Duffy raised the proposal, and she voiced her frustration that the town's road network has been “left behind”.
“It is unbelievable that Castlebar has the orbital route, there is a dual carriageway in another part of Mayo, and Ballina has been left behind,” she said.
Cllr Duffy argued that progressing the project would have benefits beyond the town itself, stating that congestion in Ballina is “affecting all parts of the county, and parts of Sligo”.
However, the Eastern Bypass is not currently listed as an active project with TII, meaning it is not under consideration for funding.
Frustration over the lack of direct engagement with TII was raised at last month’s meeting, where councillors were informed that the organisation does not typically meet with municipal district councils.
Cllr John O’Hara has since reiterated calls for a meeting with TII, the Mayo National Roads Office, Minister Dara Calleary, Senator Mark Duffy and local business representatives.
He said owners have contacted him with concerns that ongoing traffic congestion is deterring people from driving into Ballina and is negatively impacting their businesses.
“Business people are paying rates, and they’re paying tax, and people are still not coming into Ballina. They want something done on the route coming from Hollister, and heading out onto the Sligo Road - that’s what the people paying their rates want,” he said.
Cllr O’Hara also highlighted that the proposed route has been earmarked for the Eastern Bypass project for some time.
“That [route] is sterilised for the last 30‑odd years, and not a thing done with it,” he said, noting that traffic delays have been “going on for years” and that congestion “comes from every way you come into town”.
“One time you were lucky to have 15 or 20 cars in a parish,” he said, noting that many households now have multiple vehicles.
“Times have changed. The two bridges here were built in the 1800s, surely to God we are entitled to another bridge,” he said.
Cathoirelach of the Municipal District, Jarlath Munnelly, echoed the need for direct engagement with TII, the design office and the strategic roads office.
“Any time we talk about national roads in this room, we don’t have people around the table who are working on those schemes,” he said.
He said there is “no question” Ballina needs to expand its road network, adding that the town “needed it 40 years ago”, but stressed that delivering such projects is a lengthy process and not a short-term solution.
“Nothing will be built within five years, we have to use the roads that we have better. That requires external expertise,” he said.
Cllr Munnelly added that some “unpalatable” measures may need to be considered in the short term, including one-way systems, increased parking restrictions and the removal of certain right turns.
Currently, Phase One of the Ballina Bypass Project, which will see a 2.3km western route linking the N26 Foxford to Dublin Road with the N59 Crossmolina Road, is progressing through the development stages and is estimated to be completed at the end of 2029.
Cllr Duffy has previously expressed hope that, as Phase One continues to advance, work on the Eastern Bypass could also begin, with the municipal district eager to see both phases develop in tandem as traffic pressures continue to grow.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.