[Article] Controversial road opens in Co Sligo

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0902/sligo.html

Controversial road opens in Co Sligo
02 September 2005 16:06

A controversial road which has divided the people of Sligo for decades was officially opened by the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, today.

Known as the Inner Relief Road, the 4.5km route runs through Sligo town.

Opponents of the road had argued for years that it would split the town, running as it does through one of the oldest parts of Sligo.
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The road was first mooted almost 40 years ago. The debate raged for the next few decades with protests, court cases and a public inquiry. Opponents claimed that a by-pass would have been a better option.

Mayor Rosaleen O'Grady, who was against the road's construction, said it had divided people in Sligo but it was time to move on from that now.

The new road is expected to reduce traffic in the town centre by 10% and also reduce accidents on local roads by the same rate.

Victor

http://www.transport.ie/viewitem.asp?id=6908&lang=ENG&loc=1850

Economic complacency our mortal enemy says Cullen
Break line image
2 September 2005

"Economic complacency is our mortal enemy", Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen said today (2nd September 2005).

The Minister was speaking in Sligo, where he officially opened the Sligo Inner Relief Road, eight months ahead of schedule and within budget. Minister Cullen also outlined plans for improvements in rail services in the North West, with new rail carriages and improved levels of service this year on the Sligo to Dublin line.

Commenting on Irelands economic advances, Minister Cullen cautioned against complacency, saying that we still have to make advances if we truly are to be a wealthy nation.

"We cannot be complacent about our success. It was hard won, it must be hard defended. Now that Irelands macroeconomic fundamentals are right, we need to complete the transformation of our country by investing for the future. Ireland may well have become a very income-rich country but I dont think that we could be described as a wealthy country yet. If we are to reach our full economic and social potential as a nation, it is now imperative that we get the strategies right in transport, in health, in education and in childcare.

"The Governments 10-year transport plan will be central to our future advances. If we are to compete and win on jobs in a more prosperous Ireland, the transport plan is paramount. The plan will see our capital endowment becoming aligned with our activity requirements."

The Minister said he was acutely aware of the importance of transport infrastructure advances in regions like the North West, particularly in light of recent job losses. "It is irrefutable that if we are to protect and grow jobs, good transport links are vital. As new communities develop and expand here in the North-West, we have a responsibility to plan to ensure these communities are supported with first-rate transport services. The Sligo Inner Relief Road is central to delivering on this objective. This Government investment will mean reduced traffic logjams and an improvement in journey times for Sligo road users. Equally, with better access to and from Sligo town, local businesses can thrive and jobs in Sligo can grow.

"The roads location on the N4 to Dublin, improves access from Sligo and the North West to Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, and Leitrim. Furthermore, its completion ahead of schedule, along with the upcoming opening of the Kilcock/Kinnegad motorway means major benefit for road users travelling from the North West to Dublin", he said.

On Sligo rail, Minister Cullen said: "Jimmy Devins, Eamon Scanlon and Marc McSharry have pushed strongly for the need for further investment in Sligo rail services. Through our rail strategy, the Government is responding. By the year-end we will see the arrival of 36 new rail carriages for the Sligo to Dublin service. By replacing the old carriages with a modern fleet, it will mean improved comfort for Sligo passengers, plus an increased level of service on the line.

I welcome the opportunity to travel by rail to Ballymote and meet with people at the train station. Today offers me the opportunity to listen to local views and see where improvements can be made."

NRA Chief Executive, Fred Barry said: "The opening of the Sligo Inner Relief Road, eight months ahead of the contract completion date, demonstrates the pace and efficiency of the national roads programme. The good news for motorists using the N4 Dublin/Sligo route does not end there - the Kilcock/Kinnegad motorway is scheduled to open later this year 11 months ahead of schedule. Road users will then enjoy 64km of motorway from Dublin to Kinnegad.

"To date over half of the 213km strategic Dublin/Sligo route has been improved by the Authority through the provision of motorway/dual carriageway and high quality single lane roads", Mr Barry concluded.

For a copy of Minister Cullen's speech, phone: 01 6041090 / 1091

Further info:
Dan Pender: 01 / 6041089 / 087 2313415
Veronica Scanlan: 01 / 6041087 / 087 6430622



Sligo Inner Relief Road

Project Description
The N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road and county extension consists of 4.65km of dual carriageway extending from the existing Sligo / Collooney dual carriageway road to the Michael Hughes Bridge north of the city centre. There are two grade separated junctions at Carrowroe and at Caltragh and an at grade roundabout at Summerhill college on the approach to the town.

The section through the city crosses four existing roads and signalised junctions are provided at these locations. Cycle ways are provided along some of the route to enable safe cycling into the city.

The contract was awarded to Ascon Limited in March, 2004 and construction of project is 8 months ahead of schedule.

Cost
The total estimated final cost of the project is €74.27 million and is within budget.
The project has received EU funding through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Benefits of the Project
The project is located on the N4 Dublin to Sligo road, which forms part of the East/West Strategic Corridor and the Trans European Road Network. At a national level the East/West corridor links the western counties of Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim to Dublin and the East and is of particular importance in opening up some of the most peripheral areas west of the River Shannon.
The project will benefit all road users, including private, commercial and tourist by improving service and access along this route. It will also remove considerable traffic, in particular, commercial traffic from Sligo city thereby improving the environmental quality for the residents.
The provision of the new road will facilitate the development of the city centre and will act as a growth pole for residential, industrial and retail facilities.
The city centre area will be pedestrianised reducing congestion and air and noise pollution. This will make the city centre area safer and more attractive to the public.
The new road enables new infrastructure to the west of Sligo to be developed. This will enable the development of zoned lands to the west.
The Sligo Inner Relief Road will improve safety on a number of the existing roads. College Road was a narrow road with substandard cross section and alignment used by school children accessing Summerhill College. It now has a cycleway and generous footpath to enable safe access to school.
A new set-down area for Summerhill College has been incorporated into the design of the Sligo Inner Relief Road. This will enable the safe set-down of school children adjacent to the school for both cars and buses.
There will be an estimated 10% drop in traffic in the city centre as a result of the new road and the accidents on the existing roads are predicted to fall by approximately 10%.
The travel time savings form Tonafortes Interchange to Hughes Bridge for through traffic is approximately 12 minutes. This is an average and could be far greater at peak times.
The construction of the project will also confer the following benefits:
Access to St Josephs hospital has been greatly enhanced and journey times to Sligo hospitals generally been reduced;
Cycleways have been provided from Caltragh to the town encouraging the public to use cycles rather than drive;
It will reduce vehicle versus pedestrian, cyclist and other road user conflict on the existing route, which travels through an urban area;
It will accommodate future growth of traffic;
It will provide a consistent national standard of road in line with the policy objectives for the development of the N4; and
It will relieve a number of associated roads around Sligo town.

Thomond Pk

I noted that 20,000 euro was raised for charity yesterday by locals collecting on this new road the cause was breast cancer services for Sligo.

jubbly

its better than no road but it only removes 10% of traffic or something like that. A by pass will still be needed anyway.

DubTony

The Minister ... officially opened the Sligo Inner Relief Road, eight months ahead of schedule and within budget.

After reading this I felt that there was no point in reading any more as the article was obviously a bunch of nonsense.

Victor

Map (conveniently omits Ballysadare - Coolooney section of dual carriageway) http://www.nra.ie/News/DownloadableDocumentation/file,1199,en.PDF

Press Release:

http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/htmltext,1791,en.html

Economic Complacency Our Mortal Enemy, says Cullen at Opening of Sligo Inner Relief Road
2nd September, 2005

“Economic complacency is our mortal enemy”, Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen said today (2nd September 2005).

The Minister was speaking in Sligo, where he officially opened the Sligo Inner Relief Road, eight months ahead of schedule and within budget. Minister Cullen also outlined plans for improvements in rail services in the North West, with new rail carriages and improved levels of service this year on the Sligo to Dublin line.

Commenting on Ireland’s economic advances, Minister Cullen cautioned against complacency, saying that we still have to make advances if we truly are to be a wealthy nation.

“We cannot be complacent about our success. It was hard won, it must be hard defended. Now that Ireland’s macroeconomic fundamentals are right, we need to complete the transformation of our country by investing for the future. Ireland may well have become a very income-rich country but I don’t think that we could be described as a wealthy country yet. If we are to reach our full economic and social potential as a nation, it is now imperative that we get the strategies right in transport, in health, in education and in childcare.

“The Government’s 10-year transport plan will be central to our future advances. If we are to compete and win on jobs in a more prosperous Ireland, the transport plan is paramount. The plan will see our capital endowment becoming aligned with our activity requirements.”

The Minister said he was acutely aware of the importance of transport infrastructure advances in regions like the North West, particularly in light of recent job losses.

“It is irrefutable that if we are to protect and grow jobs, good transport links are vital. As new communities develop and expand here in the North-West, we have a responsibility to plan to ensure these communities are supported with first-rate transport services. The Sligo Inner Relief Road is central to delivering on this objective. This Government investment will mean reduced traffic logjams and an improvement in journey times for Sligo road users. Equally, with better access to and from Sligo town, local businesses can thrive and jobs in Sligo can grow.

“The road’s location on the N4 to Dublin, improves access from Sligo and the North West to Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, and Leitrim. Furthermore, its completion ahead of schedule, along with the upcoming opening of the Kilcock/Kinnegad motorway means major benefit for road users travelling from the North West to Dublin”.

On Sligo rail, Minister Cullen said:

“Jimmy Devins, Eamon Scanlon and Marc McSharry have pushed strongly for the need for further investment in Sligo rail services. Through our rail strategy, the Government is responding. By the year-end we will see the arrival of 36 new rail carriages for the Sligo to Dublin service. By replacing the old carriages with a modern fleet, it will mean improved comfort for Sligo passengers, plus an increased level of service on the line.

“I welcome the opportunity to travel by rail to Ballymote and meet with people at the train station. Today offers me the opportunity to listen to local views and see where improvements can be made.”

NRA Chief Executive, Fred Barry said:

“The opening of the Sligo Inner Relief Road, eight months ahead of the contract completion date, demonstrates the pace and efficiency of the national roads programme. The good news for motorists using the N4 Dublin/Sligo route does not end there - the Kilcock/Kinnegad motorway is scheduled to open later this year 11 months ahead of schedule. Road users will then enjoy 64km of motorway from Dublin to Kinnegad.

“To date over half of the 213 km strategic Dublin/Sligo route has been improved by the Authority through the provision of motorway/dual carriageway and high quality single lane roads”.

spacetweek

Victor wrote:

The good news for motorists using the N4 Dublin/Sligo route does not end there - the Kilcock/Kinnegad motorway is scheduled to open later this year 11 months ahead of schedule.

That's interesting - the M4 is opening in only a few months?

PandaMania

The new road is a wonder. I drove on it this morning and the time it saves is pretty astounding. The views of Ben Bulben as you enter Sligo are stunning. The finish of the project is very high. Everybody in Sligo seems to love it.

The general design quality of the stonework on the walls though Sligo town is impressive. The traffic lights and predestrian crossing need a bit more fine tuning, but having decided recently that Ireland will never produce, provide, nor aspire to proper public transport and we are a car culture first, last and always, this is the kind of project we need to move forward. Well done to the NRA and the DoT.

I have been told there are plans to include a bus lane in the coming months so in terms of public transport infrastructure for the west of Ireland the Sligo inner relief road is a gem which delivers what's needed for the present and the future.