Calls for urgent safety works at dangerous N26 exit in Mayo
Safety works at the L1319 exit at Tonybane, Knockmore, where local traffic joins the N26, are being examined by the Road Design Office at Mayo County Council as part of a potential funding application.
Councillors in the Ballina Municipal District have warned that the junction is highly dangerous, saying motorists have very limited visibility when entering the national road and are often forced to edge forward to see oncoming traffic.
At the April meeting, Cllr Joe Faughan tabled a motion urging the council to progress the necessary improvements to make the junction safer for road users.
“Currently, cars have to edge out onto the main road for visibility and [it] needs to be sorted before there is a serious accident,” Cllr Faughnan said.
In response, Senior Engineer Orla Bourke said the request had been referred to the Road Design Office for consideration under a Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) safety scheme funding application.
“Ballina Municipal District will assist in seeking landowner consent for any works deemed necessary for delivery of a safety scheme at this location on the N26,” she said.
Cllr Faughan welcomed the response but asked for a timeline for when the application would be processed and when safety works at the exit would begin.
Ms Bourke said that while she could not provide a timeline at that stage, she would follow up and report back to councillors directly.
Cllr John O’Hara seconded the motion, describing the junction as “very dangerous and it has always been dangerous,” and added that “you cannot see left or right when you approach the national road.”
He said he had recently been contacted by constituents “begging to get something done” at the exit, adding that the motion was one of the “most important” he had seen come before the municipal council for some time.
Cllr Annie May Reape also supported the proposal, agreeing that visibility on both sides of the junction needs to be improved for drivers joining the N26, and described the motion as a worthwhile one.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.