Fianna Fáil General Election candidate in Mayo, Cllr. Lisa Chambers has pledged her support to fight for the necessary funding to ensure the R312 receives vital restructuring and remedial works.
“We have had a number of public meetings on the R312 and almost all public representatives in the county are in agreement that works required for this road must be a priority. The road currently has to be one of the worst regional roads, not just in Mayo, but in the country.It is littered with bumps, bends and potholes and is a nightmare to travel. It is a vital artery in Mayo’s road network and connects the Erris area to Castlebar. People are using this on a daily basis to get to work and even more worryingly this is the road an ambulance must travel to take people from Erris to Mayo General.”
“I have been inundated with calls from people living in the area and along the route about the safety concerns they have travelling the road. People have spoken about loosing numerous wing mirrors off their cars, continuous damage to vehicles and accidents on the road. I even had a lady speak of a pregnant relative having to be admitted to Mayo General a number of days in advance of her due date because they couldn’t risk her going into labour and having to make the journey on the R312. This may sound crazy but it is the reality for people living in the Erris area.”
“We are hearing figures of in excess of €30 million to carry out all the desired works but it would be possible to make vital improvements in the short term for as little as €9 million. This is not big money in terms of national roads projects but clearly is it way above what the local authority can afford. Mayo County Council simply does not have the resources to finance the project alone and requires national funding to carry out the works. Money can be found for big infrastructure projects in other parts of the country and I see no reason why the money cannot be found for the R312 if there is the political will to do so.”