No speeding-up of Tuam bypass construction

The current traffic congestion in Tuam will not still not see any early opening of the bypass of the town ahead of the motorway which is currently under construction.

From early afternoon there are now lengthy tailbacks on the N17 approaching Tuam from the Galway direction and these get progressively worse towards evening.

There have been calls from members of the business community for the Tuam bypass to be fast-tracked ahead for the motorway which is not due to be opened until early 2018.

The tail-backs are now being experienced every evening but they are particularly chronic on Friday evenings when there could be traffic backed up four miles from the town.

But Deputy Sean Canney has been informed by the National Roads Authority – now the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) – that to open the Tuam bypass earlier than planned would incur additional costs.

A bypass for Tuam was mooted as far back as 2006 but it was put on the ‘long finger’ and then became part of the €550 million Gort to Tuam motorway which is currently under construction.

Deputy Canney has now come up with an alternative suggestion to the traffic woes in Tuam and that this would cost a mere €30,000.

There are three sets of traffic lights within a half mile distance through Tuam with the lights at the Weir Road junction causing the biggest problem for motorists coming from the Galway direction.

The independent TD said that he had investigated a mechanism by which the three sets of lights could be synchronised in such a way that they would allow the free flow of traffic along the N17 through the town.

He said that he has now suggested this to the TII and has pointed out that even when the motorway is provided, the situation with traffic lights through Tuam needs to be addressed.

“It is an absolute disaster at the moment and it is not just the construction of the motorway that is causing the problem. The traffic lights through the town are an absolute disgrace and something needs to be done.

“There are times, even at 3pm of 4pm in the afternoon, there is a tailback coming into Tuam and motorists are getting so frustrated that they are contacting every public representative that they can.

“Irrespective of the motorway being provided in two years time, there needs to be some synchronisation of the lights and I have put a suggestion to the TII and I am awaiting a response,” Deputy Canney added.

The motorway and Tuam bypass are both due to be completed in early 2018 with motorists travelling through the town not looking forward to the traffic nightmare that could continue to exist until then.