Mayo road 'which is becoming a racing track' is scaring local residents

SPEED ramps have been suggested as a possible way to curb the velocity of road users on a 'very dangerous' stretch of road in Ballina.

Councillor Annie May Reape has asked Ballina Municipal District to erect speed ramps on Belleek Road from the entrance at the gate lodge.

“It's becoming a racing track at the moment,” she said, adding that she has had a lot of calls from concerned residents.

The speed limit is 50 kmh but some people are travelling at 50 or 60 mph (80 to almost 100 kmh), Councillor Reape explained, as many motorists are using the area to avoid town traffic to get to the Killala Road.

She asked for the road to be monitored, especially around 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and suggested a lower-type ramp could be suitable.

Not only are people speeding along the route during the day, but it attracts joyriders at night as well, commented Councillor John O'Hara (Fine Gael), and it's not fair on local families.

“It's a lovely area – a walking area around Ballina really.”

Senior engineer Teresa Durkin the first step is to carry out 24-hour monitoring for two to three weeks to get an idea of the general level of speed, and it was hoped that would be done in the next few weeks.

She added, however, that they would probably be looking at an overall safety project for the area and not just speed ramps.