New underpass on Mayo greenway opening soon

A NEW underpass on the greenway in Westport will be opening soon, improving safety for users.

The news has been confirmed by Councillor Peter Flynn, who welcomed people now being able to travel on a safe route.

The underpass - connecting the greenway routes out of town to Attireesh and the main greenway to and from Newport - will open in the coming week.

For the past three years, he explained, cyclists and pedestrians have had to negotiate the N59 and northern relief road. It is, he said, a small miracle that we haven’t seen a serious accident on this section, particularly given the number of visitors using the greenway who were unfamiliar with the road layout.

Thankfully, people will now have a safe route in and out of town - exactly what greenway infrastructure should be about, he commented.

Councillor Flynn extended thanks to the Mayo County Council staff who worked to get the project over the line, and especially to the key landowners who facilitated the works.

In an update on his social media, Councillor Flynn added: “While we hear some politicians talking about greenways as if they are yesterday’s infrastructure, I believe the opposite is true.

“We should be investing more in them, not less. Happily we will see similar happening in Newport next year which again will be a massive addition to both locals and visitors.

“A greenway is not just a tourist attraction. It is infrastructure for everyday life - giving children a safer route to school, people a healthier way to get to work, families a safe way to get to the shops, and young and old a way to get to sporting and community facilities.

“It reduces car dependency, improves health and saves people money.

“That is why projects like this matter.

“Five years of lobbying, one important connection - and another step towards making Westport a safer and more sustainable town.”