Over €2.3 million for Louth roads and greenways

A total of €2,353,638 has been allocated to Louth County Council under the €554 million national roads and greenways funding for 2023, it has been announced today.

As part of the funding the government has allocated €350k to cover the ongoing costs related to the judicial review of the Ardee Bypass.

In addition to the €350k; €1,035,000 will be used for Capital Investment- Protection & Renewal and Active Travel, €700,00 in funding will go towards greenways, while €268,638 will go to maintenance protection and renewal.

Separately, €600k in funding was announced to progress upgrades on the N2 Ardee to Castleblaney.

Local Fine Gael TD, Fergus O’Dowd, and local Fine Gael Councillor, Dolores Minogue, have welcomed the funding saying the news means the government have reaffirmed their commitment to the Ardee Bypass.

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O’Dowd said: “I’m delighted to see that the Ardee Bypass is firmly included in today's announcement which will see €350k made available in 2023 to cover the ongoing legal costs of the case.

“I hope that the judicial review will be dealt with as expeditiously as possible and if successful, I would expect to see construction commencing shortly afterwards.

“In today’s announcement the bypass is referenced to as a project that will ‘improve road safety, reduced vehicular traffic in the town, better air quality and more active travel opportunities in the town, thereby providing for a better quality of life for local residents.’

“These are the exact reasons Dolores and I have campaigned for so long to get this project over the line.”

Cllr Minogue said: “I’m thrilled to see the bypass is still front and centre of the government’s plans for regional investment.

“Ardee has so much to offer and this bypass would finally allow the town to breathe and develop appropriately.

“I’m also delighted to see that €600k has been secured in 2023 for the N2 Ardee to Castleblaney project to progress the upgrades that are so badly needed.”

With regards to the Ardee Bypass TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) note in their preamble booklet that:

"Louth County Council is progressing the N52 Ardee Bypass, which is proposed to pass to the west of Ardee.

“Currently, the environmental screening decision of An Bord Pleanála is the subject of a challenge through judicial review.

“TII must fund Louth County Council’s participation, as a notice party, in the legal proceedings to protect the integrity of the State’s planning process.

“Multiple collisions have been recorded along the N52 from Mandistown cross-roads to the N2 and on the N2 from the N52 junction to the N33 roundabout in the assessment years 2008 to 2016 inclusive.

“A total of 1 fatal, 5 serious and 31 minor accidents have occurred over this eight-year period, resulting in 34 minor casualties, 4 serious casualties and one fatality.

“These sections of the N52 and N2 consistently have an above or twice above average collision rate when compared to similar categories of road around the country. The N52 is important for enhancing regional accessibility and improving connectivity to border counties.

"The bypass of Ardee would provide greater capacity for passenger and freight traffic on the route, which would support economic expansion of the region.

"In the context of Ardee, this bypass project supports the Compact Growth objective of the NDP and Town Centres First.

“In addition, the project supports improved road safety, reduced vehicular traffic in the town, better air quality and more active travel opportunities in the town, thereby providing for a better quality of life for local residents.”