The current Draft Ballina Local Transport Plan reaffirms the “long-term” proposal to route a 7.5km bypass from the N59 Sligo Road to N26 Rehins Fort through green areas of two housing estates in the town.
The plan which also includes new cycle routes and upgraded crossings is currently at the public consultation stage with a drop-in session to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31 2024, from 4:00pm to 7:30pm in the Ballina Civic Offices.
It also includes making the upper bridge between Jimmy’s and the Swimming Pool two-way for motorists with a new bridge beside it for people walking and cycling.
The planned link roads listed are:
- N59 Crossmolina Road to Killala Road
- Church Road to Healy Terrace via Cluain Na Rí
- Lower Bridge Road to Glebe Road
- James Road to Lidl
- Sli Ectra to Leigue Cemetery
- Creggs Road to The Quay Lane
One of the planned new roads listed as a “Long-term future link road” will start at the east side of the River Moy close to the pedestrian bridge, travel between the river and the Glebe, along the south of the Glebe estate, crossing Church Road, alongside The Spires and into Cluain Na Rí estate, using the street between houses and the playground to access Healy Terrace / Bonniconlon Road.
Another shorter new link road is also planned to link the Lansyn in Bohernasup with the Belleek Manor. It’s been a long-term plan to link the Bohernasup and Belleek areas but this is the first time.
The map in the plan also shows the currently planned western bypass project from the Foxford Road to the Crossmolina Road as well as another possible project from the Crossmolina to the Killala Road just across from the Coca-Cola factory.
The N59 Sligo Road to N26 Rehins Fort eastren bypass is shown to run beside two estates, the Fairways and Mossgrove Village on the Bonniconlon Road in Ballina. In the case of the Fairways, the new road dissections the estate.
The plans said: “Through relief roads, link roads and bypasses, road space can be allocated to facilitate a sustainable transport network. The routes require feasibility studies, strategic assessments and detailed route option selection. Therefore, they are long-term indicative proposals subject to further analysis in the future.”
The maps shown for “Proposal 5” in the Draft Ballina Local Transport Plan includes indicative routes for a number of new roads including the bypass through the two estates pictured here beside Ballina Golf Course shown in green:
An image of the outline of the link road from Church Road to Healy Terrace via Cluain Na Rí:
The link road from Lansyn in Bohernasup with the Belleek Manor:
Overall map:
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Where’s the strategy for how to reduce through-traffic through the town with the implementation of the bypass? Otherwise, what benefit is it for the town itself if motor traffic can continue to traverse through, create congestion, noise and pollution?
I would have thought that the bypass will encourage cars to use it and thus reduce the amount of cars entering the town?. Also planned reductions in urban speed limits should also encourage cars onto the bypass.
It will need to be accompanied by road narrowing (widened footpaths, or segregated bike lanes), footpath build-outs, continuous footpaths across junctions, widespread use of zebra crossings. i.e. a strategy for pitching the balance to sustainable transport away from motorists while maintaining motorist acccess.
Otherwise, experience of such towns/villages bypassed is increased (speed limits? who cares about them with low urban enforcement?) speed and reduced safety for people walking and cycling.
You mustn’t have read the Local Transport Plan linked in the piece. It mentions segregated cycle lanes, one way car systems, greenway upgrades,new greenway links, junction upgrades for cyclists pedestrians etc.
I think you are being a bit flippant about reduced speed limits. People will adjust to lower limits accordingly and the government has mentioned increased enforcement. You mentioned something about speed through towns increasing after bypasses? The LTP mentions traffic calming measures so I can’t see that being an issue.
Long-term future link road coming into claun na ri estate whats the actual point of this, the amount of traffic that’s in and out every day and now to increase the traffic where kids are playing and cycling. Using the street between houses and the playground, the road isnt wide enough in parts with the calming and speed bumps.