Eastern bypass of north Mayo town will have to wait

A BALLINA councillor wants to see the eastern bypass of the town prioritised as the number one road project for Mayo, and for the council to engage with TII to ensure its delivery is fast-tracked.

But it's still some way down the line, with efforts being concentrated on getting a western bypass completed.

A motion put forward by Councillor Marie Therese Duffy received support at the monthly full council meeting, where she highlighted congestion in Ballina and how the bypass would improve accessibility not just for the town but a large swath of the county.

At the moment it can take anything from 30 minutes up to an hour to drive through the town.

A route has been sterilised for an eastern bypass, which would also see a new crossing of the Moy.

In a written response, Paul Hyland, senior engineer with the National Roads Office, said the council's priorities for its national roads programme are informed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland's annual grant allocations. The office is currently focused on the progression of the Ballina bypass (western section), which has advanced to phase 3 (design and environmental evaluation) of an eight-phase process.

The project team is currently preparing the planning application for submission to An Coimisiún Pleanála, which is expected in Q2 of 2026. This represents a significant milestone and reflects the level of investment already committed.

In relation to wider connectivity within the greater Ballina area, Mayo County Council has secured €800,000 to progress the N26 Mount Falcon to Foxford project through phase 2 options selection and into phase 3 design and environmental evaluation. The emerging preferred route is expected to be presented to the public in Q2 2026.

The council has also received €500,000 to progress the N58 Foxford transport project through phase 2 options selection, with route options to be presented for public consideration in Q3 2026.

The council has raised the eastern bypass with TII, who acknowledged the increasing local interest in the proposal. While no funding application for an eastern bypass was submitted in 2026, it is important note that progressing any major road scheme from inception to construction is a lengthy and complex process requiring significant resources and funding.

The report advised: 'The National Roads Office is currently focused on the delivery of phase 1 of the Ballina bypass (western section), and the current availability of funding and technical resources does not permit both schemes to be progressed concurrently.

'The most appropriate sequencing is to progress the current phase 1 Ballina bypass (western section) to at least statutory consent before initiating a second major scheme in the same urban area.

'TII has advised that the optimal point to consider initiating work on an eastern bypass is when statutory consent has been secured for the western bypass, which is expected in 2027, subject to planning approval. At that stage, any request for funding for an eastern bypass will be assessed within the context of TIl's national programme and the resourcing capacity available within the National Roads Office.'

Councillor Duffy appealed to TII to reconsider and allow both projects progress simultaneously.

Area councillors John O'Hara, Annie May Reape and Michael Loftus supported their colleague.