Mixed messages and further delays for dangerous Mayo pedestrian crossing sparks call for urgent action
Calls have been made to install emergency electronic signage at two locations in Foxford amid further delays to long-awaited safety improvement works at the town centre pedestrian crossing.
At the April meeting of the Claremorris and Swinford Municipal District, Cllr Neil Cruise said he was unsure where to begin in outlining the current situation, having received conflicting updates regarding the publication of a Section 38 notice and design plans.
He told the meeting that he had initially been informed that the documentation would be published within two weeks.
However, he later received a call from the new Head of Roads, who explained that two additional reports must first be submitted to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) before any plans can be published.
Cllr Cruise said it was “amazing” that two allocations of funding had already been made for the project, yet “no one knows what is going to happen at the pedestrian crossing.”
TII allocated €87,300 to the crossing in 2025 for safety measures and junction improvements. A further €64,000 was allocated this year.
“I do hold TII responsible for part of the delay, and I think they should acknowledge it was a bad design and there have been inordinate delays in putting this right,” he added.
Cllr Cruise has been calling for safety improvement works at the crossing since it was first installed in 2014.
There are serious safety concerns with the current layout, particularly for motorists approaching from the N26 southbound from Ballina.
Due to a difference in road levels between the N58 and N26, visibility of the crossing is significantly restricted.
As a result, drivers travelling into Foxford from Ballina cannot see the road markings until they are only a few metres away.
The location of the crossing further adds to the danger as it sits at a busy four-way junction in the centre of the town, where traffic meets from the N26, N58, Main Street and Lower Main Street.
The Foxford-based councillor has now called for emergency electronic signage to be installed while the wait for safety improvement works to begin continues.
Cllr Cruise also told the meeting that, in a single day, as many as 10 road users attempt to turn into Main Street, a one-way street, when entering the town from both Ballina and Swinford.
He said he was unsure whether this was due to a fault in digital map services, but added that “if there are accidents at that spot, I would hold the stakeholders liable for those at this stage”.
Cllr Cruise outlined two specific locations where he believes signage should be installed.
The first would be positioned just after the bridge on the Ballina approach to the town, clearly informing drivers that there is no right turn at the junction of Main Street and the N26.
He also proposed a second sign be placed ahead of the bridge on the Ballina side, warning motorists that they are approaching a pedestrian crossing.
This would alert drivers to the upcoming crossing and to a second pedestrian crossing located further along the N26, just past the Foxford church.
He added that similar warning signs could also be installed on the Swinford approach into the town.
“I think it is fair to ask for these at this stage - 12 years later,” he said. “As an emergency measure to sort something out to [ensure] that someone isn’t killed.”
He said that while TII “chew” on the two reports being prepared by Mayo County Council, and as the town continues to wait for the Section 38 process and design plans to be published, the key question for residents in Foxford remains: “When will physical works actually start?”
“This has been a disgrace and a blot on Mayo County Council and TII’s copybook in Foxford. It is shocking what has gone on,” he said.
Cllr Cruise added he is “disillusioned, disappointed and disgusted” with the situation “at this stage”.
He warned that someone could be seriously or fatally injured if safety improvements are not delivered soon, noting that a number of near misses have already happened at the crossing.
Director of Services Tom Gilligan said he would relay the concerns to the relevant bodies and respond to Cllr Cruise in due course.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.