Mayo dual carriageway verge cutting closures queried

THE closing of the new N5 dual carriageway between Castlebar and Westport for verge cutting has been questioned.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne has asked council management is the route going to be closed every time the grass has to be cut.

Grass is cut all over the world and they don't have to stop the traffic, he remarked at a meeting of Mayo County Council this week.

Director of services Tom Gilligan said for health and safety reason it is necessary to close off or reduce traffic flow on the network, but they try to keep disruption to a minimum.

Councillor Kilcoyne wondered why health and safety is 'different' than in other counties. If you drive to Dublin you'll find traffic down to one lane. Why couldn't this be done, he asked.

Mr. Gilligan said he couldn't speak on what happens on other parts of the network.

This was the approach adopted and he didn't think it was too much of an inconvenience.