Ambitious five-year programme of works planned countrywide

Over the coming years a number of road improvement works are scheduled to take place in five-year phases, with the bulk of all road schemes identified for the period 2000 to 2004.

According to the National Road Authority's Road Needs Study, these include the by-passes for Carrickmacross and Monaghan as well as improvements to the road at Ardee in Co Louth and the Monaghan-Emyvale road in Co Monaghan, all on the N2.

On the N3 the improvements in Phase One include a ring road to the west of Navan from the N3 to the Athboy road. Also planned are improvements to the Kells-Virginia road and the Butler's Bridge-Belturbet road.

At Mullingar there is to be a relief road from the N4 to the N52 to the west of the town, with improvements from Mullingar to Ballinalack and from Newtown Forbes to Dromod, also a small section of the N4 north-west of Carrick-on-Shannon and in Sligo town.

On the N5 improvements scheduled include the road east to west through Charlestown while on the N6 improvements include Rochfortbridge to Tyrrellspass; east to west through Moate, from Athlone to Ballinasloe and Loughrea to Oranmore.

The N18 is to be improved between Gort and Oranmore and the N67 between Lisdoonvarna and Ennistymon. The N52 is to be improved between Borrisokane and Nenagh.

There will also be improvements to the N26 from Ballina to Foxford, the N17 north and south of Knock and from Tuam to Claregalway. The N59 will be improved between Newport and Westport. More improvements will take place between Ballyhaunis and Castlerea.

The N7 improvements include the Dublin side approach to Limerick city. N21 improvements include Adare village, also from Newcastlewest to Castleisland, a relief road at Tralee, and improvements from Inch to Dingle on the N86.

The N70 from Caherciveen to Waterville and from Sneem to Kenmare is to be improved. In Cork, the N20 from Charleville to Buttevant, the N8 from Mitchelstown towards Mallow and to Fermoy as well as the approaches from Macroom, Bandon and Kinsale are all earmarked for improvement. A by-pass is planned for Youghal.

The N8 between Abbeyleix and Durrow and between Thurles and Cahir is earmarked for work, as is the N9 route at Moone and Castledermot.

The approaches from Paulstown and Callan to Kilkenny city are destined to be upgraded as are the routes from Ballyhale, Carrick-on-Suir and Kilmeadan to Waterford, and the road from Tipperary to Cahir.

In Wexford the road from Clonroche to Enniscorthy is to be improved, as is the road from Arklow to Rathnew. In Dublin the road needs study identifies the need for a port access tunnel. Other schemes under consideration include the widening of the Naas road, the extension of the M50 and an outer ring road further from the city centre than the M50.

In Northern Ireland, the strategic corridors include Belfast to Newry, Belfast to Larne, Belfast to Derry, Lisburn to Enniskillen, Enniskillen to Sligo (Border) and Derry to Monaghan.

The Chancellor's Initiative 1998 identified six schemes for improvement: the Westlink and M1; the A1 Loughbrickland-Newry road; A5 Derry-Ballygawley road; the A6 Toome by-pass; the A8 Belfast-Larne road; and the A26 Antrim-Ballymena road.

The schemes include the provision of by-passes for five towns and villages: Omagh, Strabane, Ballynure, Newtownstewart and Toome. The schemes are scheduled for implementation between now and 2004.