Carrick-on-Shannon bypass planning application to be submitted in 2025

The long-anticipated Carrick-on-Shannon bypass is set to take a significant step forward next year with the submission of a formal planning application. The proposed 6-kilometre route will run from the Dublin Road to the Boyle Road, aiming to alleviate the chronic traffic congestion that has plagued the town for years.

The bypass is currently in the latter stages of route selection, as well as detailed design and environmental appraisal. According to Joseph Gilhooly, Chief Executive of Leitrim County Council, the project is steadily advancing toward the planning phase.

"The next step, following all the ongoing work, is to progress towards the planning application, which will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála due to the project's scale and environmental considerations," said Gilhooly. "We would expect, all going well, that this will move forward for planning in 2025. After that, we will continue to seek allocations and subsequent approvals. We have no reason to believe this process won't proceed as anticipated. I’d like to see the fruition of that project in the next five years or so."

The proposed bypass aims to address the severe weekend traffic jams that frequently affect the town, particularly on the Co Roscommon side. Motorists and local businesses have long called for a solution to the bottleneck, which hinders both local movement and through-traffic.

Re-elected Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan has also offered assurances to Carrick-on-Shannon residents that the project is "moving at pace." However, he tempered expectations by highlighting the extensive timelines and regulatory processes involved in large-scale infrastructure developments.

"The traffic is worrying. It’s holding Carrick back, but the bypass is moving forward," Feighan stated. "It’ll still take seven or eight years, but the route has been selected, and the work is underway."

Feighan stressed the importance of patience, noting that large projects like this must adhere to specific timelines and procedural stages, including public consultations. "There’s no shortcut," he added. "The process must be followed, and people need to be consulted."

The news of the bypass’s progress has been met with cautious optimism from local residents and businesses, who have long lobbied for relief from the traffic congestion that disrupts daily life in the town. If the planning process proceeds as expected, the bypass could be operational within the next decade, offering a long-term solution to one of Carrick-on-Shannon’s most pressing infrastructural issues.