Ballymote/Gurteen, Sligo—Fears of a “serious accident” on the R293 road, which runs through Ballymote and Gurteen, have intensified after Sligo County Council confirmed that a funding application for crucial upgrades was rejected by the Department of Transport for 2024.
The alarming state of the road was the subject of a heated debate at the recent Ballymote-Tubbercurry Municipal District meeting, with local councillors voicing serious safety concerns.
“Lorries Going Off the Road”
Councillor Paul Taylor led the charge, hitting out at the “terrible condition” of the R293. In a motion to the council, Cllr Taylor demanded an update on the upgrade funding, stating that up to six sections of the road were so bad that it would be unsafe to travel at the legal speed limit of 60km/h.
“There are people contacting me every day about this road… There are accidents, there are lorries going off the road. There is going to be a serious accident,” Cllr Taylor warned, emphasising the immediate need for repair. The motion received unanimous support, with Cllr Michael Clarke even sharing that he had “broke a spring on that road.”
Funding Application Denied
The response from Jim Molloy, Director of Service Climate and Infrastructure, confirmed the community’s worst fears regarding the funding timeline. Mr. Molloy stated that an application submitted to the Department of Transport for works on the R293 in 2024 was unsuccessful in securing the requested funds.
Crucially, the Director of Service confirmed that a “further application for funding will be submitted in Q4 of 2025,” with the hope that the Department of Transport will approve the request this time.
This means that essential, safety-critical repairs will be delayed, potentially well into 2026, leaving local residents and commuters to contend with the dangerous road conditions throughout the remainder of 2025. Local representatives are now being urged to explore whether the Council can allocate emergency funds from its own account to address the most immediate hazards, as Cllr Taylor suggested.
