Dr. Brian McCann:

Relative to the capacity of the type of road that is there, volumes are over capacity. There is a very good document from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, National Road Network Indicators 2016, the most recent version of which contains a lot of schematics, tables and diagrams showing the infrastructure and its various aspects and attributes. One of the aspects which can be seen very clearly in terms of volume-to-capacity ratio is that many parts of the N4, including the section from Castlebaldwin to Collooney, and the section of the N5 from Turlough to Westport are far over capacity. They are above 120% of capacity. There are 12,500 vehicles per day coming through Castlebar. In most places, that route is a type 2 road with a capacity of only 8,600. Similarly, the Collooney to Castlebaldwin road is not a type 1 carriageway or dual carriageway. There are no hard shoulders on the majority of it. Its capacity is only just over 8,000. The traffic on that road is well over 10,000 vehicles per day in many parts. There are similar problems and a major bottleneck at Carrick-on-Shannon, where the road goes through the town and is really a relief road. One has to look at the individual route and whether it is safe and within capacity. If it is over capacity, not only does that mean that congestion causes issues with travel times but it also makes it very unsafe because people try to overtake in locations where they ought not, which leads to many accidents. The Dromod to Roosky bypass, which was upgraded a number of years ago, is much safer and has a higher capacity of approximately 20,000 vehicles per day. That section is likely to be the type of dual carriageway that will be put in place between Castlebaldwin and Collooney. It will allow for expansion, ease of access, better overtaking and increased safety.

The N4 is a national primary road and an arterial route for the whole country to the north west, the west, and the north midlands. It services a very large region. The amount of traffic is constricted by the poor quality of the road. If there were a wider road, it is likely that there would be more ease of access and that might lead to an increase in tourism. The nearest access to the Wild Atlantic Way from Dublin, the main centre of population, and any traffic that comes from the UK to visit the west of Ireland is to travel along the N4. To give access to that facility, our businesses and potential sites that we have earmarked, there needs to be an improvement in the road. IDA Ireland is trying to develop and encourage foreign direct investment but it is hindered by the fact that the route is substandard and unsafe. Obviously, other regions and other Deputies will argue that other locations need investment and they may have good points but it is important to put the main strategic road network first. In the region that all the witnesses represent, the road network is the only network. There are alternatives for those going to parts of the country such as the south and the south west and the road network from Dublin to the main centres of population at least is of good quality but the same cannot be said of the N4 or N5.