We’re on the road to nowhere

Rural towns and villages in Galway are being lost by the lack of signage on one of the most trafficked roads in the county.

Such is their anonymity that, when former County Mayor Cllr Pete Roche held the annual meeting of Galway County Council in his home parish of Abbeyknockmoy earlier this year, many of his own fellow councillors lost their way.

He said that the road from Turloughmore towards Abbeyknockmoy does not contain signs pointing motorists in the direction of the village or other smaller towns and villages such as Corofin, Barnaderg, Moylough or Mountbellew.

A new section of the N63 which involved the provision of a bridge over the Gort to Tuam motorway was opened earlier this year and involves the provision of three roundabouts along the mile long stretch.

However, there is criticism of the fact that there are no signposts indicating some of the smaller villages in North Galway and this has led to calls for the situation to be rectified as a matter of urgency.

Officials in Galway County Council have been asked to liaise with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (the former National Roads Authority) to provide the necessary signage identifying the towns and villages on the route ahead.

“When a motorist approaches the new stretch of road from the Turloughmore direction, they meet the first roundabout which only has a sign indicating Roscommon and Longford and this is simply shocking.

“It is as if these places don’t exist and that is not acceptable. I mentioned it to officials within Galway County Council several months ago but the issue has not been resolved.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.