Fresh appeal for 60km per hour speed limit through busy Mayo village

Two elected members of Mayo County Council have issued a renewed appeal to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to reduce the speed limit through Breaffy village to 60 kilometres per hour.

The appeal is being made in the aftermath of yesterday evening's two-car collision at the location which claimed the life of a man in his 30s.

There has been a long-running campaign by the community and elected members of the Castlebar Municipal District for the speed limit to be reduced in view of the number of fatal accidents that have occurred along the N60 at Breaffy over the years.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne said the matter of reducing the speed limit has been delayed for over two years, a situation he described as unacceptable.

He stated: "We have been trying for over four years to get it implemented but found organisations like the TII dragging their feet on the matter due to the proposed costs involved and other issues."

His call for the matter to be given priority status is being supported by Councillor Cyril Burke who said the evidence supporting a 60km per hour speed limit is now overwhelming.

Mayo County Council and TII have been proposing an 80km per hour speed limit through the village.

In response some time ago to a submission by Breaffy Community Council to the TII seeking a 60km per hour limit, the TII said the 60km/h option would cost approximately €3 million and would slow traffic 'to an inordinate extent.'

TII stated the 80km/h option would cost approximately €1 million and that traffic would be 'slowed to an acceptable extent'.

It had been proposed to start work on the 80km/h option early next year.