Funding queried for Mayo road 'not fit for ass carts'

FUNDING for the Westport - Louisburgh road has been questioned by local councillors.

With pipe-laying for the Murrisk water scheme ongoing, Councillor Brendan Mulroy noted how the road is in a 'diabolic' state, and from what he could see there is no funding for it to be reinstated to any degree of safety.

Area engineer Heather Gibbons said there wasn't funding available within the contract so it will have to be added to the three-year road works programme, to be done in stages.

That would mean other regional roads in the Westport district would suffer.

However, both he and Councillor Chris Maxwell said funding should come from central government coffers.

Councillor Maxwell pointed to the significance of the route, leading to Croagh Patrick, and beyond that to a range of fantastic beaches, Delphi, the Lost Valley and other attractions.

“That road is so important from a tourism and community point of view,” he said, and money had to be found from central government to bring it up to standard.

Councillor Peter Flynn said these things don't happen at the stroke of a pen.

The reality of the road being upgraded any time soon was 'zero', he said, and they would be doing well to get it back to the standard it was prior to the laying of the pipeline.

Councillor Maxwell said TII should take the €10 million earmarked for the mountainside greenway that's opposed locally and put it into the road, to bring it up to standard, and run the greenway beside it.

The road, he said, 'isn't fit for ass carts', he commented.