New N4 bypass 'will help end tailbacks'
A new €14m bypass in Co Longford will be a vital step in ending tailbacks and bottlenecks spoiling journeys to the West, it was claimed today.
The 3km stretch of the N4 around Edgesworthtown will carry about 14,500 vehicles a day reducing traffic in the town by 70%.
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said the road would slash journey times on the Dublin-Sligo route and give residents back their streets.
“This is among the most crucial projects in the Government’s road investment programme,” he said.
“For too long, tailbacks and bottlenecks have typified road journeys to the West. We have set about correcting years of under investment to address the problem.”
Construction work on the route will begin immediately and is due to be completed early next year.
Mr Cullen said the new bypass would have a positive impact, socially, economically and environmentally on the town and surrounding areas.
The opening of the N4 Sligo inner relief road later this year and the N4 Kilcock/Kinnegad in 2006 are two other projects that will benefit this east/west corridor, he said.
The minister said the Government was committed to providing lasting foundations to protect and increase employment across the country.
“Investing €150m per month in our road network is not just about delivering shorter, safer and superior road journeys,” he said.
“It is equally about adding personal advantages to people’s lives. Investing €150m per month in roads provides and protects jobs, ensures goods get to the market quicker and allows the regions to prosper. These gains contribute to a better quality of life.”
