Letter: Dangerous traffic issues in Mayo residential area

Sir,

The Moneen Road (L5786) in Castlebar is a relatively straight road of close to a kilometre in length (0.83 km) that joins the busy R373 (Lidl roundabout) and N5 roads.

The road runs through a heavily populated part of Castlebar.

The residents of almost 500 houses enter and exit their homes via the Moneen Road.

Many of them are children walking and cycling to and from the nearby primary and secondary schools.

Traffic on the road is increased by drivers hoping to cut their journey time by using the road to avoid the Dublin Road roundabout at Mulroy’s Service Station.

The Moneen Road’s linear route allows vehicles to reach speeds in excess of the allowed 50km/h limit.

An added danger on the road is the rise in the road that occurs approximately halfway along the route at a busy junction where the L5786 meets the entrances of Springfield Court, Cherrington Place and Fortlands.

The rise obscures the user’s view of the road coming from both directions.

Currently, there are no pedestrian crossings or cycle lanes on the road.

While there is a directional traffic bollard on the road at Fortfield, it is too small to force speed reduction.

I am glad to read that traffic issues on the Moneen Road were raised at a recent Castlebar Municipal District meeting.

Reducing the speed limit on the road would have little effect, in my opinion, as it would not be enforced.

A better option would be to add speed ramps on the approaches to where the road rises.

I look forward to the County Council’s report on the matter which was requested by Councillor Kilcoyne.

Yours sincerely,

Noel Campbell, Fortlands, Castlebar.