Promises for good road from Sligo to Dundalk

westtip

I note in the FF manifesto - they are the only party to make reference to a new road to be built from Sligo to Dundalk via Enniskillen - this will be built we presume as part of the new deal north of the border. An east west route which straddles the border is something I have long advocated - however I am not advocating FF be returned to goverment on this promise alone. Does anyone know any further detail of what this promise entails (Is it evisaged as DC for example) and how does this impinge on the flawed policy of all radial routes from Dublin is the way to develop our road system - for example a good road running East West from Sligo to Dundalk would provide a realistic alternative to the radial routes of the N4 and N3, particulary the N3 when travelling from Fermanagh, Donegal and Derry. It would be a matter of swinging east on good road as far at the M1 and then eithe north or south on that axis route.

Is this committment real or is it just a fob to the border counties to see off SF?

Seth Brundle

Its an election promise, therefore there is no guarrantee that it will be done.
Is it a 'new road' or are they (presumably) going to upgrade the existing one?

westtip

The only real new road section would be from the A 4 at about Brookborough to cut across West Fermanagh and Monaghan county to link with the Monaghan by-pass and onto the N2 and then the upgrading of the N53 from Castleblayney to Dundalk - of course there would be a need for a by-pass around Enniskillen, probably to the south of the town and the continued upgrading of the N16 from Sligo to the border - some of which is happening. The whole project would require immense cross border funding but would be ideal for the North West and would provide an ideal route to the region from the East Coast. I would love to see it if it were only upgraded national type wide single carriageway or evn 2+1, a good quality seamless road straddling the border would be a boon to the area. The promise in one line of the FF manifesto though is not enough to make me vote for them this time round. I just cannot forgive them for the mess they have made of the M3 at Tara.

JupiterKid

This is just an FF election promise that will be long-fingered or forgotten if they get in again. However, I believe that such a route connecting Dundalk and Sligo, as a 2+1 design with a couple of dual carriageway stretches, would be a good idea as the Border region really has no such route today.

Gillie

The plan is to Split the N15 at Teeson (Near tennis club) and have the N16 branch off that. That's the Sligo part anyway!

westtip

I think the FF promise is a bit of a false one - because as mentioned in post above they have already promised to upgrade the N16 Sligo - border road with a bypass of Manorhamilton, the monaghan bypass on the N2 and the upgrading of the N53 is also part of the NRA plan, all of this shoudl have already happened - so the missing link for an east west corridor straddling the border is primarily the route from the border via an Enniskillen by-pass and then branching off the A4 to create a new road to Monaghan - all of which is in the other jurisdiction - so I fail to see how FF are promising on this one, unless they have already tied a deal up with the transport minister at Stormont. My guess is if the republic is prepared to pay for it, or at least part contribute to the northern section it might happen, if not it won't be seen as a priority for the Northern administration, and there will be not Sligo -Dundalk corridor

ardmacha

I seem to recall discussion of previous Dundalk-Sligo route via an upgraded Dundalk-Cavan route and then the N3 to Enniskillen. A greatly improved Monaghan Enniskillen road is needed anyway, this might be a candidate for some sort of special EU or International Fund for Ireland funding. Perhaps they should build a hospital along it!

A 4 lane Dundalk - Monaghan route could provide part of the proposed North-West route and also satisfy much of the Dundalk-Sligo requirement.