Breaking up the improvement plan for the N26 from Ballina to Foxford into a number of small minor works projects is the only way that progress will be made on the road, was the message from the November meeting of the Ballina Municipal District this week.
Independent councillor Seamus Weir had a notice of motion down at the meeting on the matter, which read: "I call on Ballina Municipal District Authority to write to TII urgently for funding to realign part of the N26 from the Tonybane junction to 300 meters past the Lisaniska junction - a distance of two kilometres approximately."
Cllr Weir clarified at the meeting that it was actually a 4km distance rather than 2km he was talking about; he said that he wanted this motion passed before the council's Roads Strategic Policy Committee have a meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland at the end of the month.
Speaking at the meeting Cllr Weir said: "The reason why I am doing this, is that we will have a meeting with TII at the end of the month and the N26 is top of the list. We've gone to a lot of meetings and the N26 has been top of the list and you see the guys smiling and it's like, we'll see ye again. The situation is, there is nothing there in the capital programme for the N26 - but we have to apply for minor works programmes under €20 million.
"I mean this one, this time, we need it; the reason I have put this down is because it is in the Ballina Municipal District from Mount Falcon; it is actually 4k, not 2k; it goes right to the end where we break off. We had the Swinford area before it was broken off, but now we are broken off just before this junction and this is where we stop.
"This part of the road is treacherous, we have talked about it on several occasions, there is nothing you can do about it unless you put barriers up - it is deplorable and I can't accept it any more. What we have to do is focus and say, we will go to one part and go from Mount Falcon to the end of our area.
"I want this council to write to TII and myself and Cllr Annie May Reape will be at the meeting and talk to them on this; nothing else nothing more; we'll just talk to them about this area and this is where this money needs to be put. It would be a minor scheme under €20 million; we need to focus; no more talking; this is the only way we can do it; every year we talk about the N26 and there is no money; so this is the only way we can do it.
"It's a small part but it is so important, because if we can do this 4k, there is another 4k after it towards Foxford. I was listening to Tom Gilligan (Director of Services, Mayo County Council ) on several occasions and he said we are running out of road projects and this is where I really and truly feel we can do something. We did the first bit in 2002 from Ballina to Mount Falcon, at least we had something, and this will also be something."
There was full support for Cllr Weir's stance from the other councillors at the meeting, with Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Mark Duffy saying: "I agree with everything that is said and breaking this into two minor projects is the way to go. TII have had their own counters on that road and I think it was about 1,000 cars less a day than the Castlebar to Westport Road and €250 million was invested in that project versus us looking for scraps for long enough."
