Safer routes proposal at south Mayo school paused

PLANS for a safer routes scheme at Cong National School have been placed on pause pending a decision on preferred emerging routes for a proposed bypass of the village.

It is hoped the bypass routes will be whittled down to three possibilities in the coming month.

Local councillors had expressed reservations about the school scheme when briefed on its preliminary design in July.

They requested a site meeting of stakeholders, including the local garda, school and councillors, and reiterated this during an Active Travel presentation at the monthly municipal district meeting today.

Cathy Mellett, senior executive engineer, explained how the school project is being paused for a while to ensure it is aligned with the emerging route options for the Cong bypass, as the options may impact the safe routes to school scheme.

Roads director Tom Gilligan said the three emerging preferred route options for the Cong bypass should be known later on this month.

Consultation with the public will follow that.