Mayo councillor fears delays to Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme
Construction of a new bridge outside Crossmolina will mean 9km diversion for local residents
A North Mayo councillor fears there will be a delay in the construction of the Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme if local residents are not accommodated to prevent a 9km diversion.
The construction of the Crossmolina Flood Relief Scheme has been ongoing since March 2025 with plans now to construct a bridge over the L1105 which runs adjacent to the Deel River.
The matter was raised at Monday's monthly meeting of Mayo County Council where councillors were warned that local residents living outside the town face a 9km diversions to get into Crossmolina due to this works.
Local councillor Michael Loftus said the residents are extremely concerned and warned they will object to the works going ahead if the OPW do not accommodate them.
“The second bridge going in on the Rakestreet road which will close the road down to all the residents who live in a certain area of it which is up to two miles. They will have to do a turn of 9km around to get into town. We have one young lad with special needs who cycles to work everyday who is no longer able to go to work because the road will be closed. It is unfortunate.
“What will happen now is a request for a road opening licence is going to come to Mayo County Council and what will happen is there will be objections. If there are objections it will delay the whole flood scheme,” he warned.
Cllr Loftus said that there are approximately 16 households who will be affected and the extra time to get into town will affect many of them and it is unfair. He explained that the residents were not aware that the scheme would cause this manner of disruption and if they had they would have raised it at the planning stage.
Cllr Loftus said the residents had proposed opening up a lane known as Wilson's Lane to accommodate traffic but were told by the OPW that it is located outside the parameters of the scheme and they cannot do anything with it.
He asked Mayo County Council to put pressure on the OPW and Minister Boxer Moran to come up with a commonsense solution which will satisfy residents and prevent delays to the scheme.
“I am looking for a commonsense approach to be taken and ask the council to write to the OPW asking them to consider including the laneway. It is used as a walking lane and all the residents along the lane have indicated they are willing to allow any work to be done on it. It is approximately 150 yards of work that will have to be done.
“We feel your [council] support will be welcome and ask for a letter to go to Boxer Moran saying it will be a correct thing to do to extend the bounds of their flood scheme to allow it to happen.
“It will become quite serious. In fairness I know the people in the area and they are going to object and if they do we will have another issue.”