The planning, design and implementation of national road improvement projects is a matter for the National Roads Authority and the local authorities concerned The current position in relation to the upgrading of the major inter-urban routes is set out as follows. A number of projects in planning are at tender stage, for example Waterford City bypass and Dundalk-Border. It is expected that the remainder of the projects in planning will either be approved by or be before An Bord Pleanála by early 2005.
While the completions in full of the ambitious national roads upgrade programme provided for in the NDP will extend beyond 2006 and the cost of the programme will be in excess of the cost as estimated in 1999-2000, good progress is nevertheless being made in the upgrade of the national roads network. Since 2000 nearly 330 km. of road, 46 projects, have been upgraded and work is under way on more than 200 km.
A range of measures have been taken by the NRA to strengthen cost estimation and control and to secure greater certainty in out-turn cost. The beneficial impact of these measures is evident in the projects now being completed within budget and ahead of contracted completion dates such as Monasterevin and Cashel bypasses, Ballincollig bypass and Ashford-Rathnew bypass.
Route: Galway-Dublin Schemes Completed.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N4
|
Lucan Bypass
|
8
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N4
|
Maynooth Bypass
|
16
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N4
|
Celbridge Interchange
|
—
|
Interchange Junction
|
N4
|
Enfield Relief Road
|
3
|
Single Carriageway
|
N4
|
Kinnegad Relief Road
|
1
|
Single Carriageway
|
N6
|
Athlone Bypass
|
7
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Schemes In Construction.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N6
|
Kilcock/Kinnegad
|
33
|
Motorway
|
N6
|
Loughrea Bypass
|
4
|
Single Carriageway
|
Schemes In Planning.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N4
|
Leixlip/M50 Junction
|
4
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N6
|
Kinnegad/Athlone Phase 1
|
28
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N6
|
Kinnegad/Athlone Phase 2
|
29
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N6
|
Ballinasloe/Athlone
|
19
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N6
|
Galway/Ballinasloe Bypass (PPP)
|
56
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N6
|
Galway Outer Bypass
|
21
|
16km. High Quality Dual Carriageway.5km. Single Carriageway
|
Route: Cork-Dublin.
Schemes Completed.
|
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Naas Road Widening
|
12
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N7
|
Naas/Newbridge Bypass
|
18
|
Motorway
|
N7
|
Kildare Bypass
|
12
|
Motorway
|
N7
|
Monasterevin Bypass
|
20
|
Motorway
|
N7
|
Watergrasshill
|
9
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Dunkettle/Glanmire
|
4
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Cashel Bypass
|
7
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Schemes In Construction.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Naas Road Widening
|
15
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Fermoy/Watergrasshill (PPP)
|
17
|
Motorway
|
Schemes In Planning.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N8
|
Portlaoise/Cullahill (PPP)
|
30
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Cullahill/Cashel
|
38
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Cashel/Mitchelstown
|
32
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Mitchelstown Relief Road
|
4
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N8
|
Mitchelstown/Fermoy
|
20
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Limerick-Dublin
Schemes Completed.
|
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Naas Road Widening
|
12
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N7
|
Naas/Newbridge Bypass
|
18
|
Motorway
|
N7
|
Kildare Bypass
|
12
|
Motorway
|
N7
|
Monasterevin Bypass
|
20
|
Motorway
|
N7
|
Limerick Southern Ring Road 1
|
9
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Schemes In Construction.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Naas Road Widening
|
15
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Schemes In Planning.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Portlaoise/Cullahill (PPP)
|
27
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N7
|
Castletown/Nenagh
|
35
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N7
|
Nenagh/Limerick
|
37
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N7
|
Limerick Southern Ring Road 11
|
10
|
High Quality Dual CarriagewayRoute: Waterford-Dublin
|
Schemes Completed.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Naas/Newbridge Bypass & M9 Link
|
17
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N7
|
Naas Road Widening
|
12
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Schemes in Construction
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (kms)
|
Type of Road
|
N7
|
Naas Road Widening
|
15
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Schemes In Planning.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
N9
|
Kilcullen/Waterford (Northern)
|
46
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N9
|
Kilcullen/Waterford (Southern)
|
64
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
N9
|
Waterford City Bypass
|
18
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|
Dublin — Border.
Schemes Completed.
|
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
M1
|
Dunleer/Dundalk
|
15
|
Motorway
|
M1
|
Dunleer Bypass
|
7
|
Motorway
|
M1
|
Drogheda Bypass
|
20
|
Motorway
|
M1
|
Balbriggan Bypass
|
9
|
Motorway
|
M1
|
Lissenhall/Balbriggan
|
10
|
Motorway
|
M1
|
Cloghran/Lissenhall
|
6
|
Motorway
|
Schemes In Construction.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
M1
|
Dundalk Western Bypass (PPP)
|
12
|
Motorway
|
Schemes In Planning.
Route
|
Scheme
|
Length (km.)
|
Type of Road
|
M1
|
NI Border/Dundalk
|
8
|
High Quality Dual Carriageway
|