ROAD PROJECTS

A directory of road projects planned or under construction in the Republic of Ireland.

Explain all this, what's here?

The projects are listed under separate headings for those under construction, in planning, or just outline planned. The projects are ordered within each list by route number. Each list item notes the length of the scheme, the type of road and affected places.

D2H is an abbreviation for two-lane dual carriageway with hard shoulders. HQD2H is an abbreviation for high quality dual carriageway (two lanes with hard shoulder, as standard in Ireland). High quality means it will be built to the same specifications as motorway, but will not have certain features like emergency phones, and will not have motorway restrictions (i.e. general purpose road). HQD2H is fully grade separated with motorway curvatures, motorway specification junctions, crash barriers, etc. Some of the schemes listed as D2H are probably much the same quality, but have not been described as HQD2H by the NRA, local authorities or regional design offices.

2+1 refers to divided carriageway (central crash barrier) with one carriageway having two lanes, and the other one lane, with this arrangement alternating every couple of kilometres. 2+1 may or may not be grade separated.

Click on a scheme for more information.

Major national primary road projects under construction (Jan 2007):

* N1 Border to Dundalk: 9.4 km of motorway and HQD2H to the border, with A1 dualling north of the border.

* N2 Castleblayney Bypass: 16 km 2+1 bypass west of Clontibret, Annyalla and Castleblayney.

N4 Dromod Roosky Bypass: 10 km 2+1 bypass east of the two towns, forming part of a Drumsna-Longford N4 upgrade.

N5 Charlestown Bypass: 18 km single carriageway bypass to the south of Charlestown

* N6 Kinnegad - Kilbeggan (Kinnegad - Athlone Phase 1): 28 km of HQD2H running parallel and south of existing N6.

N6 Kilbeggan - Athlone (Kinnegad - Athlone Phase 2): 29 km of HQD2H, bypassing south of Moate and linking to existing N6 Athlone bypass.

N7 Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase 2: 10 km of D2H west from existing southern ring road (phase 1) to meet N18 east of the city. Includes Limerick Fourth River Shannon Crossing; twin tunnels under the River Shannon.

N7 Nenagh to Limerick: 38 km of HQD2H east of current N7, from start of Limerick Southern Ring Road to Nenagh Bypass.

M8/N8 Cullahill - Cashel: 39.5 km of HQD2H/motorway between Cullahill and Cashel, linking to existing Cashel bypass and planned M8 to Portlaoise.

N8 Cashel/Mitchelstown: 37 km of HQD2H from southern end of Cashel bypass continuing towards Mitchelstown.

N9 Carlow Bypass: 19 km of HQD2H east of the town, connecting to the existing N9 at both ends pending neighbouring N9 schemes.

* N11 Arklow/Gorey Bypass: 23 km of D2H south of the existing Arklow Bypass, bypassing Gorey to the east and ending south of Clogh.

N25 Waterford City Bypass: 23 km of D2H (this includes N9 link-in, and a link road to the south of the city) bypassing Waterford east and north.

M50 widening: 5km upgrade to three lanes between N4 and N7, free flow interchanges at N4 and N7 Red Cow Roundabout.

* Completion due in 2007

Project progressing towards construction (CPO/EIS underway/imminent):

N4 Carrick-on-Shannon Bypass: 6 km of 2+1 carriageway.

N5 Longford Bypass: 2.6 km of single carriageway from Junction with N4 to west of Longford Town.

N7 Newlands Cross: Grade separated junction to replace at-grade crossroads between Naas Road and Belgard and Fonthill Roads.

N11 Enniscorthy Bypass: 20 km of dual carriageway.

N15 Ballybofey/Stranorlar Bypass: 16 km of dual carriageway.

N17 Galway to Tuam: 22 km of dual carriageway to Tuam, probably commencing on new N6 near Ballinasloe.

N22 Tralee Bypass/Tralee to Bealagrellagh: 11 km single carriageway eastern bypass of Tralee, from the N70 round to the N69. Also includes a new section of N22 from the Bypass at Camp to the existing N22 at Bealagrellagh.

N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom: 42 km single carriageway.

N25 New Ross Bypass: 16 km dual carriageway.

N25 Carrigtwohill to Midleton: Upgrade of 4.5 km of existing poor quality dual carriageway.

N26 Ballina/Bohola Phase 2: 18 km single carriageway.