Fears are mounting for the future of the Islandeady community as the preliminary design for the proposed N5 Westport to Turlough dual carriageway is now complete.
The village will be cut in two by the dual carriageway with both sides connected by a bridge. The decision to erect the bridge was made following a traffic survey of the area, by the Roads Design Office of Mayo County Council. The bridge will be for local access only and will not allow access onto the new road.
According to the most recent traffic survey the annual average daily traffic on the Islandeady road is approximately 1,057 vehicles, not deemed busy enough for a left in, left out junction (which would have allowed vehicular access directly onto the dual carriageway, but in one direction only ), according to engineers.
The decision to go with the bridge option was met with disappointment by the members of the Castlebar electoral area committee on Tuesday who said it would “sever” the local community.
Engineers agreed that there would be “some loss in passing traffic for local businesses which will be mitigated by appropriate signage”.
Committee chairman councillor Eugene McCormack expressed his disappointment that a “small community like Islandeady was being sidelined”.
Independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne said Islandeady would be “totally isolated” and he expressed his anger at the National Roads Authority for enforcing this policy. Mr Tony McNulty, of the Roads Design Office, defended the NRA saying this was the design standard that has been accepted throughout the country.
Anyone wishing to join the new dual carriageway at Islandeady will have to travel to junctions at Derrylea or Knockranny, depending on the direction they are travelling in, forcing them miles out of their way.
The project, which used to be the N5 Westport to Bohola project, now stops short at Turlough, due to the refusal by An Bord Pleanála of the N26 project. Once the N26 project gains approval, the two projects will be amalgamated, the meeting was told. An environmental impact statement has been completed as well as necessary NRA workshops. The next stage of the project is to look at purchasing the necessary 675 acres of land to build the 27 kilometre road (25 of which are dual carriageway ).
Included in the works will be 10 kilometres of local road upgrading, six roundabouts, and 23 significant structures and bridges.
Other councillors were vocal on the issue, with Cllr Henry Kenny promising that Ireland’s newest Taoiseach, who hails from Islandeady, would be informed of the decision at the earliest possible date.
