Lack of progress of N26 ‘disappointing’ as Ballina traffic slammed as 'crazy'

A NUMBER of councillors have lamented the lack of progress along one of the primary national roads into north Mayo.

At a meeting of the roads and transportation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), Independent Councillor Seamus Weir, while praising the volume of works taking place in the programme around the county, said the N26 road from Swinford – Foxford – Ballina, which is the gateway to north Mayo for many, is ‘totally isolated’ from this programme.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Annie May Reape also hoped for more progress in future projects when it came to the development of the N26.

She said that the traffic in Ballina is ‘absolutely crazy’ since June on the Foxford Road to Ballina as well as on the Crossmolina road.

She said the major backlog is putting people off and it is not something the people of Ballina want.

"We're doing very well at the moment in Ballina. The town has gone from strength to strength recently.

"It's all good but we need to keep the people coming in and the traffic at a good pace," said Councillor Reape.

Fianna Fáil Councillor Damien Ryan, cathaoirleach of the roads and transportation SPC, welcomed all progress on the roads projects, calling them 'critical infrastructure’, but said in looking at the county that they needed to be more strategic and every area must get its share of the cake proportionately.