'The footpaths are very brittle and broken up' in Leitrim town, says local councillor

"The footpaths are very brittle and broken up" said Cllr Roisin Kenny's at the latest Ballinamore MD meeting where she asked about a motion that she put forward at last December's meeting regarding footpaths and road safety at Railway Road, Ballinamore when she had been told that the council had applied for a junction refit under the Active Travel Scheme and were hopeful that the NTA would provide funding. 

Cllr Kenny asked for an update on "as the footpaths between Smyths funeral home and the Nearby shop are in very poor condition and badly need attention."

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The response said that in March 2025, Active Travel applied for, and successfully secured, funding from the NTA to deliver safety and accessibility improvements for vulnerable road users at several junctions in Ballinamore. The project covers multiple locations, including the R199/Railway Road junction, the R199/Willowfield Road junction, the R202/Railway Road junction, the R202/The Line junction, as well as two additional side junctions.

Along the Swanlinbar Road, the existing footway is currently too narrow, the response continued. "This will be widened to better support active travel between residential areas and local town amenities. The project will also involve upgrading surrounding footpaths. Preliminary design work is underway, with detailed design, public consultation, and construction scheduled for 2026"

Cllr Gary Prior supported the motion saying that "it is an area that needs a lot of attention".