The government has been called on to set out a timeline for the upgrade of the N4/M4 road between Mullingar and Sligo.
According to Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Sligo-Leitrim Shane Ellis: “Commitment to upgrade the N4 from Collooney to Castlebaldwin and Mullingar to Longford road was contained in the much hyped National Development Plan”.
“Project Ireland 2040 was launched to much fanfare early last year but there has been very little movement on key infrastructure projects. The Dublin to Sligo road has long been a major issue. There is motorway and dual carriageway from Dublin to Mullingar, but once you travel any further west than Westmeath, the road is reduced to one lane for the most part”, said Ellis.
“A high quality road network is essential for attracting investment and business; however the roads across Sligo, Leitrim and north Roscommon leave much to be desired.
“The government committed to upgrading large sections of the N4 in the NDP. While I welcome this, I believe it needs to go further. We need a motorway, or at a minimum a dual carriageway, to link the North West to Dublin to help the region maximise its potential. Anything less is just tokenism.
“It’s now almost a year since this promise was made. I am calling on the government to set out a clear time line for the development of an improved road network for the North West. Until this is prioritised, counties like Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon will be unable to meet their true potential”, concluded Ellis
