N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

It feels incredibly quiet, but the actual figures show traffic is roughly one third of what it was before the new road opened. See below - thanks a mill irishgeo for reminding us of the traffic counters! AADT was around 10,000 this time last year, now it has stabilised at just over 3,000.

Obviously traffic at the counter east of Castlebar hasn't decreased by as much, but that's to be expected as Castlebar is the destination for a lot of traffic so they wouldn't use the bypass.

If you're cycling the old road to Westport, the stretch between Castlebar and the new roundabout past Cosgrave's is also much busier than the rest of the route, for the same reason.

I actually cycled a stretch of the new road a couple of weeks ago, after seeing someone else on it a couple of weeks before that. The irony of that potentially suicidal exercise is that, with the two lanes on the new dual carriage way (even though I hugged the broken yellow line, not the "slow" lane!) any vehicle approaching you from behind have much more notice and facility to give you a wide berth for passing out than they would on the old road between Cosgroves and Islandeady. Also the lanes are sufficiently wide to allow one to give adequate passing room to a cyclist, even staying in the same lane. Mad experiment admittedly but nothing illegal in it and I actually felt quiet safe (well as safe if not safer than on the old road!).

Yep, but it illustrates how farcical the entire policy is, in that I actually felt safer on it than I do on stretches of the old road.

Same could possibly apply to pedestrians, at least they could walk on the drainage gulley wheras there is nowhere to walk on much of the old Castlebar-Westport rd. (Incidentally I'd never advocate trying either except in full daylight with excellent visibility)

It's a big bugbear of mine how blinkered TII/NRA policy was/is towards anything except motorised transport and accordingly reflected in the majority of local authority road design offices.

One could actually say the same thing with regard to a considerable proportion of the existing National primary and secondary roads network, that they are designed with "no provision for cyclists or pedestrians", but it doesn't prevent them from using them, often through necessity!

Cycling is permitted I'm sure. There are no signs saying otherwise. Whether it's advisable to do so is another story.

In a way the new road could be safer than the older one as the sightlines are better and there are 2 lanes but I still don't think I'd fancy it.

There was talk of putting a greenway on the old road but it would need to be segregated to be safe IMO.

More road closures for grass cutting. 5 nights in October going into November according to the mayo news.

Does the Tuam bypass close for verge cutting as it's a similar road type?

This is an outrage !

I would think it will be an ongoing thing and possibly maintenance requirements may even increase as roadside saplings grow into bushes and trees. I think the recent maintenance work did improve the look of the whole road and a certain amount will always be needed.

What I have a problem with is overplanting of screening saplings. It's fine if it's giving privacy to a dwelling and there are of course environmental benefits and reasons to reduce cross-winds in places but it does create maintenance issues. I drove to Bellavary last week on the original N5 and seeing the size of the trees 30 years after planting it is obvious the amount of work needed keeping them back from the road.

Also on the Ballyheane road leaving Castlebar I see that a lot of planting has recently taken place as well. All fine in theory but the question is will they be maintained? In time they will cover up some attractive limestone walls recently constructed recently during the bridge works. Personally I'd prefer to just see the walls with a line of occasional trees and a grass verge that would be more manageable. Mass planting is less desirable IMO.

I'm not sure why any HGVs would still be using Derrywash but if a councillor says so it must be true!

And a certain E B might need it as a handy little rat run to head out on the batter in Westport! Pity any HGV driver that meets those of a particularly litigant bent on that road!

Some say its the only man made structure you can see from space.

Sounds like scaremongering by a councillor but there are so many bad drivers around that nothing would surprise me!

Overseas visitors might not be expecting a change to single. Maybe include a few 'drive in the left' signs after the roundabout as well. Putting up a few signs is no harm and may prevent an accident. CBA on the adding signs to avoiding an accident would, I'm sure, favour the signs.

Some of the driving entering/exiting the roundabouts by locals is more than questionable too in my experience so far