A senior business and farming delegation from the north-west is to take its case for the N4 to be upgraded directly to the European Commission. It will argue that the region has been disadvantaged by the National Development Plan because it will be the only major route not to be upgraded to a motorway.
The delegation will be led by Mr Brendan McKenna, managing director of Abbot Ireland, the largest employer in Sligo, and Mr Michael Farrell, chief executive of Connacht Gold Coop. The Independent MEP, Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon, is facilitating the meeting with the EU Commissioners for transport and the regions.
Representatives from seven counties along the route of the N4 are involved in the campaign, which is being led by chambers of commerce and IBEC. "If the Government pursues the policies in the National Development Plan in relation to roads, then this region will never be able to catch up," said Mr Jim Lawlor, president of Sligo Chamber of Commerce. He said the decision not to upgrade the N4 to a motorway took no account of Sligo's likely designation as a growth centre.
The arrival of new companies employing large numbers had also not been considered. He said projections of vehicle movements carried out by the National Roads Authority did not reflect the growth in new vehicles in the seven counties affected. Safety was also a consideration, as NRA studies had shown that of 28 primary roads in the State, the N4 had the fifth-highest rate of accidents.
The meeting in Strasbourg is to take place at the end of the month. The delegation will argue that both the N4 and N2 should retain their designation as Trans-European Network feeder routes. A meeting is also being sought with the Taoiseach, as the decision to upgrade the road to motorway lies with the Government.