National Development Plan (2025-2034)

hans aus dtschl · 26-11-2025 03:23PM

To emphasise that, I'm now left wondering if some of the larger active travel projects that I've seen recently shelved will now come through the roads allocation instead. I can think of two or three offhand that were recently shelved but could proceed that way.

marno21 · 26-11-2025 03:24PM

An addendum in the press release re: projects with a value under €200m that are to start construction by 2030:

N72 Mallow relief road

N52 Ardee bypass

N3 Clonee-M50

N58 Foxford bypass

mydiscworld · 26-11-2025 04:32PM

N22 Macroom-Ovens is a big surprise. I'd be shocked if it even got to planning submission stage by 2030 though

KrisW1001 · 26-11-2025 05:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124020611#Comment_124020611

Macroom-Ovens was so toxic the last time around that NRA (as was) just let it quietly disappear, and when funds were available again, the government focused on getting Macroom-Baile Bhuirne progressed instead. There’s a lot of people living along the current road who absolutely do not want the thing to be built. Or, rather, they don’t want it to be built near their house at least. Unfortunately, they’ve got both money and time on their hands.

That said, something really needs to be done urgently with the narrow 4.5 km from Coolcower to Dunisky bridge, as it’s now the worst stretch of the whole road and right against the new 2+2. Lissarda-Cork is congested but otherwise safe.

road_high · 26-11-2025 07:09PM

had Quick Look at this- seems like a rehash of the last 1/2 dozen “plans” where nothing has happened yet. Course big play is made of the few under construction to make more of the illusion they’re doing something.

Course why would it to be any different when there’s no penalty or punishment for late or no delivery

marno21 · 27-11-2025 03:39AM

I've rearranged the roads list by date

2025 or before

N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge

M21 Adare Bypass

M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy Phase 1 & 2

2026/27

M21 Limerick-Foynes remainder

2028

Donegal TEN-T (N13 DC upgrade, N14 Letterkenny-Lifford, N13/N15 Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass & N56 Letterkenny relief road)

N2 Slane bypass

N4 Carrick on Shannon bypass

2029

N3 Virginia bypass

M6 Galway City Ring Road

N21 Newcastlewest bypass

2030

N2 Clontibret-Border

M4 Maynooth-Leixlip

N11/N25 Oilgate-Rosslare Harbour

N21 Abbeyfeale bypass

N22 Farranfore-Killarney

N25 Midleton-Youghal

After 2030 (procurement underway before 2030)

N2 Ardee-South of Castleblayney

N4 Mullingar-Longford

N17 Knock-Collooney

M20 Cork-Limerick

N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction

Smaller schemes to commence before 2030

M3 Clonee-M50

N52 Ardee bypass

N58 Foxford bypass

N72/N73 Mallow relief road

Not much to happen before 2028, which is purely a function of what can happen before 2028. There is currently zero projects with full planning permission that are not at least partly under construction.

jimbob955 · 27-11-2025 10:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124020757#Comment_124020757

I drive this road often. I find it so frustrating. Traffic flows well on the Ballincollig bypass and then crawls to the Macroom bypass. More often than not it is a slow driver doing 40/50km. Who won't pull over or look in the mirror and a massive stretch of traffic behind.

I'm not sure if they need a full dual carriageway the whole way, maybe if they brought the Macroom by pass passed lisarda and then a few passing out lanes to the ballincollig bypass??

Even though I hate that section of the road, are there more deserving roads to get done first from a Cork perspective. East Cork has a bigger population. West Cork could be improved to really open up the area. Cork City badly needs a proper North Ring road to connect Ballincollig to Glanmire. This would take pressure of the JLT. And give people an option if there was a crash at the tunnel.

josip · 27-11-2025 10:18AM

I see that the solution for the single carriageway N25 between the New Ross and Waterford 2+2 bypasses is not allocation of funds but a "we'll see" and to reduce the speed limit to 80kph.

Are there many other National Roads that have an 80kph limit outside of urban areas?

marno21 · 27-11-2025 10:43AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022695#Comment_124022695

East Cork is in the plan and West Cork is a secondary road.

If the Macroom-Ballincollig section was dual it would be a useful alternative for West Cork traffic which might reduce volumes on the N71.

In the 1998 Road Needs Study, Farnanes-Cork along this route was proposed to be a dual carriageway (in the same report, much of the N8, N9, N18 and N20 were to be single carriageway upgrades). There is strong merit for a dual carraigeway from Macroom to Cork, likely 2+2 as far as the R585/R619 turnoffs and Type 1 from there into Ballincollig.

As @KrisW1001 mentioned, there may be some local opposition, but by the time we're playing senior hurling with this project it'll be c. 30 years since the last furore so we may be dealing with a different set of locals.

marno21 · 27-11-2025 10:44AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022700#Comment_124022700

Surprising given how quick out of the blocks Waterford-Glenmore was back in 2018/19 that it's been pushed right down the priority list.

It's still planned to be 2+2 but not til well after 2030.

josip · 27-11-2025 11:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022781#Comment_124022781

Back in 2018 John Paul Phelan was a rising star within Fine Gael which might have been beneficial.

jimbob955 · 27-11-2025 11:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022779#Comment_124022779

Thanks, I would love dual carriageway. Good idea to connect to west cork from here.

My wife made a point, the macroom bypass and maybe this upgrade benefits Kerry more than Cork!!! Should we be more focused on Cork City, West/East Cork first!?

KrisW1001 · 27-11-2025 11:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022890#Comment_124022890

It’s a NATIONAL road network, not a county one; this is not the GAA. The fact is that Macroom-Baile Bhuirne was an appalling, unsafe road, and it’s also on a major tourist route. Ovens-Macroom is different: it’s a terrible route to drive because of congestion, but the design of the road is safe - at least as far west as Dunisky.

And it was Cork people who lobbied against Ovens-Macroom.

marno21 · 27-11-2025 12:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124022951#Comment_124022951

I would say that the point about Lissarda-Ovens being safe is debatable, simply because its overcapacity, has way too many junctions and accesses for a road of that volume, and has the busy right turns from the R585 towards the city and the R619 heading west.

I should also point out that this stretch was flagged by TII as one of the four stretches of the national road network with a particularly severe record of head on collisions when the 2018 NDP was being assessed (this, along with the N22 all the way to Farranfore, the N20 between Blarney and Patrickswell, N4 between Mullingar and Longford and N2 north of Ardee were the others).

KrisW1001 · 27-11-2025 03:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124023058#Comment_124023058

It’s relatively safe because volumes keep traffic speeds low. The sightlines are good, the exits are well marked and you can see them. There are far worse roads.

Head-on collisions are a problem, but I suspect that the opening of Macroom-Baile Bhuirne will have caused a reduction in head-on collisions east of Dunisky. If you drive that road you’ll know that prior to the new N22, if you were still stuck behind a slow camper-van at Lissarda, your next opportunity to pass them would be in Co. Kerry. Same thing on the other direction.

I’ve seen a lot more relaxed driver behaviour on both sections since the new road opened. Everyone knows they can overtake comfortably on the new stretch, so they have a bit more patience on the approaches.

jimbob955 · 27-11-2025 03:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124023477#Comment_124023477

Ya i know it is a national network, just a funny observation and the previous road was a disgrace, needed to be done of course.

I get both points above, the road is quite safe, wide, good sightlines, far as Lisarda but Jesus there is so much traffic and it is so frustrating to drive, one Auris doing 50km, holding up the whole show. It might just need a pass out lane or 2 rather than another huge investment!

hans aus dtschl · 27-11-2025 05:03PM

I have too. Even my own behaviour is different, it's a much less stressful section of road now than it used to be.

Consonata · 27-11-2025 09:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124019627#Comment_124019627

Given that they are underfunding existing PT projects which have cleared planning, I'm nkt convinced

road_high · 28-11-2025 12:02AM

I am absolutely fatigued with all these “plans” and I’m only in my early 40s. No sooner has a plan NOT been delivered from the past 5 or so years, then we get yet another re hashed plan with a new focus of buzzwords, title and “priorities” to deliver. Why can’t we have a forensic analysis of the preceding one and see that has all been completed first? I’d never operate like this in work and I doubt any professional in the real world would either. It’s smacks of political games, little else and certainly not delivery

Pete_Cavan · 28-11-2025 07:43AM

Here is the 2018-2027 National Development Plan thread which Marno created on 24-01-2018;

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057833928/2018-2027-national-development-plan

Here are the projects under the various headings given by Marno in the OP;

Schemes with planning:
* N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin - tender, to start 2018
* N5 Westport to Turlough - to start 2021
* M7 Naas/Newbridge bypass - under construction
* N8/N25/N40 Dunkettle Interchange - to start Q1 2019
* N22 Macroom to Ballyvourney - to start Q1 2020
* N56 Mountcharles to Inver - Phase 1 start 2018, Phase 2 start 2020
* N56 Dungloe-Glenties - 2/6 parts open, 1/6 at tender, 3/6 parts at planning
* N59 Moycullen bypass - to start 2021

All completed

Schemes pending planning:
* N2 Slane bypass - at route selection stage
* N6 Galway City Ring Road - planning submission Q1 2018, ready to go 2021
* M21 Adare to Rathkeale to Foynes - planning submission Q1 2018
* M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy - planning decision pending
* N72/N73 Mallow Relief Road - route selection

The M28 is under construction as well as part of the M21 project. Slane Bypass was approved by ACP but has been JR'd. GCRR has been kicked around the planning system for years (which should not be a surprise to anyone) and if it makes it out of there, it'll be kicked around the courts for years after. Mallow Relief Road might have gone through route selection but has been mostly standing still for the last seven years.

Additional schemes with planning:
* N52 Ardee bypass - to start 2018
* N59 Westport-Mulranny - being done in parts
* N69 Listowel bypass - to start before 2021
* N86 Tralee-Dingle - being done in parts

N69 completed. N52 JR'd. N59 and N86 both still being done in parts.

Additional active schemes pending planning:
* N2 Ardee-Castleblayney - pending
* N2 Clontibret-NI border - pending
* N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge - planning decision pending
* N11/M11 Bray to Kilmacanogue - feasibility study
* N13/N56 Letterkenny DC upgrade + relief road- planning
* N14 Letterkenny to Lifford - planning
* N15 Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass - planning
* N20 Cork-Limerick - route selection and design
* N55 Athlone-Ballymahon - feasibility study

N5 is under construction. The three Donegal projects should go to planning next year and wouldn't expect to emerge for two years.

Additional schemes pending full reactivation/at pre appraisal stage:
* N2 Ashbourne-Kilmoon Cross
* N3 Virginia bypass
* N4 Carrick-on-Shannon to Dromod
* N4 Mullingar-Roosky
* N11/N25 Oilgate-Rosslare Harbour
* N14/N15 to A5 Link
* N17 Knock to Tobercurry
* N17 Collooney-Tobercurry
* N21 Abbeyfeale relief road
* N21 Newcastlewest relief road
* N22 Farranfore to Killarney
* N24 Cahir to Waterford
* N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction
* N25 Waterford-Glenmore
* N25 Carrigtwohill-Midleton
* N40 Cork North Ring Road
* N52 Tullamore-Kilbeggan

A mixed bag. Some projects will be soon ready for planning submission, some have died a death.

So basically everything that was nearly ready for construction in 2018 have been completed. The two major projects (M21 & M28) in planning in 2018 are now under construction. Everything else has been wading it's way through various parts of the system.

Assuming a similar level of progress to the next NDP (i.e. only that already with/near planning approval getting completed), there will be very little done in the life of the new NPD as we have nothing with planning approval.

Redsoxfan · 30-11-2025 07:46PM

Can I ask

M4 Maynooth - Leixlip - is this a 3rd lane or just making the hard shoulder a bus lane?

N3 Clonee to M50 - what's this?

Athlone Bypass - what's this?

road_high · 30-11-2025 09:32PM

I gather the Athlone “bypass” is a relief road from the Mullingar road junction to the M6 (I assume to the N52 junction?). Certainly useful and welcome but hardly the highest priority or biggest benefit scheme. I doubt it’ll happen any time soon/if ever

marno21 · 06-02-2026 10:09AM

Open to correction but I think this is a realistic list of what milestones should be reached this year. Some of the business case submissions if early in the year should also be accompanied by planning submissions. The N86 one is dependent on funding being allocated.

N2 Slane bypass: judicial review resolution
N3 Virginia bypass: business case submission
N4 Carrick-on-Shannon bypass: business case submission
N5 Ballaghaderren-Scramoge: Phase 1 opening bypassing Frenchpark
M6 Galway City Ring Road: ACP planning decision
N13/N14/N15/N56 Donegal TEN-T: planning submission
N21 Newcastlewest bypass: business case submission
N21 Abbeyfeale bypass: business case submission
M21 Limerick-Foynes: Next phase to tender
N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction: business case submission
M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy: Phase 1 opening bypassing Ringaskiddy
N59 Oughteard-Maam Cross Phase 2: environmental issues resolved
N72 Mallow Relief Road: Business case submission
N86 Tralee-Dingle Phase 2: tender issued

Lets see how many of these milestones are hit this year.

(It's now February 6 and no sign of the TII allocations for 2026 which is disappointing. Before Covid, these were finalised and published at Christmas. During the last Government, with all the wrangling going on they became a February publication. Last year it was late March. It's quite difficult to believe this is a serious roads programme when the current years funding is not yet published a full 6 weeks into the year.)

annfield1978 · 06-02-2026 06:01PM

Consultancy Services for Phases 3 & 4 of Knock to Collooney has come out to tender

annfield1978 · 06-02-2026 06:01PM

TII Allocations 17th February

marno21 · 18-02-2026 07:43AM

As expected, the bulk of this years allocations was for the 3 major schemes currently under construction:

N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge - €90m
M21 Limerick-Foynes - €121m
M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy - €110m

The N5 and N28 schemes should have partial openings during 2026. Given the size of the Limerick-Foynes allocation and how the Adare section has progressed, it's reasonable to assume a tender will be issued for the next phase of works during 2026 and construction shortly after.

The following schemes also got meaningful allocations (I omitted funding of less than €1m for major schemes as they are going nowhere this year)

N2 Clontibret-NI border - €1.2m
N3 Virginia bypass - €1.3m
N4 Carrick on Shannon to Dromod - €0.8m
N4 Mullingar-Longford - €6m
M6 Galway City Ring Road - €4.45m
M11/N25 Oilgate to Rosslare Harbour - €2.25m
N13/N14/N15 Donegal Ten-T - €2.3m
N17 Knock-Collooney - €1m
M20 Cork-Limerick - €3.5m
N22 Farranfore-Killarney - €2m
N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction - €2.7m
N25 Carrigtwohill to Midleton - €0.5m
N25 Midleton to Youghal - €1m
N26 Foxford-Mount Falcon - €0.8m
N71 Bandon bypass - €0.6m
N72/N73 Mallow relief road - €0.6m
N86 Tralee-Dingle - €9.1m

I will post a full rundown of every scheme later but these are the headline figures.

Overall, the new roads budget this year is €368.2m, up from €246.05m in 2025 and €141.14m in 2024.

Bummer1234 · 18-02-2026 04:14PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124031931#Comment_124031931

I was Curious about the n3 Clonee to M50 myself and discovered this

http://irishmotorwayinfo.com/inex/roads/futures/m3_up.html

Don't use the other roads so didn't search for them.

jimbob955 · 18-02-2026 04:32PM

thank you for the detail:

Overall, the new roads budget this year is €368.2m, up from €246.05m in 2025 and €141.14m in 2024

What is the equivalent spend in public tranport 2024-2026, presume has reduced?

Active travel has stayed the same - 360 million. Which when you factor in inflation is basically a decrease?

What are peoples thoughts on the above road figures? Is the answer to build roads and more roads and one more lane? And then wonder why traffic is so bad???

hans aus dtschl · 18-02-2026 11:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124246193#Comment_124246193

Page 5 here gives the CAPITAL budgets for the current PfG.

https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/df0ce05f/NDP_Review_2025_Sectoral_Investment_Plan_for_Transport.pdf

That's around 1.5bn in 2026.

There are also maintenance budgets in which I think roads budget comes to around €1.5bn in 2026. And then I'm not sure but think there's LIHAF and so on, where funding is released for roads that enable housing estate development etc.

Remember also that buses etc will get some portion of that benefit, so it's not all just "private cars" thankfully.

Then the PT budget receives another €2bn from the climate fund, like it says on that page.

But as you can see there, the roads budget is proposed to be approx 2 times greater than the spend on all other transport combined in 2030, yes.

I would say this looks a little bit like an "overcorrection" from the previous PfG maybe.

marno21 · 19-02-2026 01:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124246193#Comment_124246193

There isn't much "one more lane" in the roads program. It's primarily the replacement of centuries old tracks built before motorised vehicles with engineered roads which are safe and have sufficient capacity to handle the vehicles using them. Most of the projects on the roads program are also bypasses of towns which do not have the capacity to handle the traffic using them. "One more lane" is a phrase which is better suited to discussions about the merits of widening urban freeways in California and Texas, it doesn't really apply to discussions on removing traffic from Adare or Charlestown or on putting in place a road between Cork and Limerick that wasn't designed in the 1800s.

Many of the above schemes will have active travel components and as @hans aus dtschl pointed out many of them will also be used by buses. The M20 is as much a Cork-Limerick busway as it is a highway for cars and freight.

National Development Plan (2025-2034)

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