Speed limits throughout the country are currently being reviewed.
And councillors from the Tubbercurry, Ballymote and west Sligo areas of County Sligo got of an idea of what’s planned for their localities at a Municipal District meeting of the council in Tubbercurry yesterday.
New proposals for speed limits are being put forward by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, formerly the National Roads Authority.
But Sligo County Council Senior Engineer Tom Brennan made clear at yesterday’s municipal district meeting in Tubbercurry that it will be local councillors who will ultimtely make the decisions for the roads the council is responsible for.
In the Tubbercurry/Ballymote municipal district, the changes broadly fall into a number of categories: those proposed for the N4, N17 and N59 as well as roads in areas such as Aclare, Monasteraden, Geevagh and Sooey.
And it’s proposed that there be a 30 kilometre per hour speed limit in all housing estates.
On some roads where there is a 100 kilometre per hour limit, an 80kph limit is proposed where appropriate.
And at dangerous and at-risk locations, a limit below 80 is proposed.
There’s also proposals for changes to limits on roads entering and passing through some villages and towns.
Dealing with national roads in the Tubbercurry/Ballymote area, Mr Brennan told councillors it is propsed to reduce the speed limit from 100kph to 80kph on the N17 from Thornhill Bridge to Curry village.
The 100kph would be retained from the N4 roundabout at Collooney toward Ballinacarrow.
On the N59, it is proposed that there be an 80kph limit, dropping to 50kph, coming into Ballisodare.
From Corhownagh to Beltra, it is proposed that the speed drop drop from 100 to 80.
On the N59 at Dromard, it’s proposed that there be a 60kph limit along the entrance to the football pitch.
Turning to non-national roads, Mr Brennan said that in Monasteraden, it is proposed to extend the 50kph out the Island Road for 550 metres.
In Aclare, it is proposed to extend the 50kph limit toward the R294 toward the plastics factory there. A new limit is also proposed for the Church Hill Road in Aclare, where there is a water treatment plant.
In Geevagh, it is proposed to reduce the speed in the centre of the village from 60kph to 50kph. A similar reduction is proposed for the road through Sooey.
On the N4, Mr Brennan says that from the Curlieus to Castlebaldwin, it was appropriate to retain the 100kph limit.
The TII was proposing to reduce the speed from Castlebaldwin to Cloonamahon to 80kph.
Within Castlebaldwin, it was proposed that a 60kph limit was more appropriate than the current 50.
However, Cllr Martin Baker says the 50kph limit should be retained.
And Cllr Dara Mulvey said the general consensus is that councillors would welcome a drop in speeds.
