The Roads Strategic Policy Committee of Mayo County Council was given an in-depth overview of the status of major schemes around the county by the head of roads for the council, Paul Dolan, at their June meeting which took place on Tuesday.
He informed them that the N26 Cloongullane Bridge realignment project is almost complete and the scheme will open to traffic in early August with official opening in early September.
On the N17 Lisduff junction upgrade in Claremorris, he informed the members that it is progressing with the bridge being installed on June 21 very successfully and the scheme is due to be completed in January 2023.
In relation to the N17 Knock to Collooney project which is being managed by Sligo County County Council, he told the members that it is at peer review stage and the preferred route will be announced in July or August this year. But the indications from TII are that this will be done as a multi-stage project rather than a major one in one go.
On the N26 Ballina bypass project, a consultant has been appointed to the schema and it is at phase two - the route option stage. Public consultation will take place in September with a preferred route to be determined in quarter four for this year. However there is a significant body of work to be done before it gets close to construction, he informed the members.
The other major N26 project from Mount Falcon to Foxford has seen a strategic assessment completed and submitted to TII for approval and once that is granted, it will move to phase one concept and feasibility stage, before being followed up by a phase two section, which will see route option selection happening.
On the N58 Foxford bypass, Mr Dolan told the meeting that a strategic assessment report is currently being prepared for the scheme and once that it is completed, it will be submitted to TII for the approval to move to the next stage.
Mr Dolan informed the meeting that tenders were due to be submitted by Wednesday of this week for the N60 Heathlawn project and they were waiting to see the outcome of that, but if the awarding of the contract goes smoothly, he expected to have contractors on site by September. On the N60 Manulla project, a consultant has been appointed to the scheme and it is currently at route option stage with the preferred route to be determined by quarter four of this year.
The contract document for the N59 Newport to Derrada scheme which is for 4km to 5km from the Glenhest junction heading towards Mulranny, are practically finalised at this stage and at some stage in early quarter three of this year they will be applying to TII to go to tender and hope to have approval of the tender late this year with construction starting next year.
On the N60 Breaffy safety and active travel scheme, Mr Dolan said that a consultant has been appointed and is working on the design of the scheme and they hope to have a part eight planning permission ready to go in September.
Irish Rail have agreed to co-fund the new railway bridge at Brickens on the N60, he told the meeting, and appropriate assessments and screening have been carried out, the design report has been submitted to TII for approval and part eight planning should follow and he is in discussions with Irish Rail on the project.
N60 Brickens railway over bridge - appropriate assessment screening has been completed, a design report is to be submitted to TII for approval, with part eight planning to follow, the scheme to be co funded by Irish rail, and they are in discussions with Irish rail. The project is to realign the poor over bridge at Brickens. Irish rail at this stage have agreed to fund the new bridge.
In south Mayo on the N84 Kilmaine to Shrule road, the project at Gorteens has had its design report submitted to TII and the tender for the contract is about to be published, with a hope that a contractor will be on site for September. Funding has been approved for the traffic lights on the N84 in Ballinrobe and the council hope to tender contract for construction this month for the project.
Mr Dolan added that the tender assessment is ongoing ahead of the appointment of a consultant to undertake option selection, design, along with the environmental evaluation process, to get the Cong relief road on the R345 project moving.
