Written answers

Wednesday, 11 October 2017

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Network

Photo of Thomas ByrneThomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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36. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the upgrading of the N2 road will feature on the forthcoming mid term capital review in view of statements he made on 23 February 2017 in Dáil Éireann regarding same. [41972/17]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme.  Within its annual budget the planning, design and implementation of individual road projects (such as the N2) is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual national road projects is a matter in the first instance for TII in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.

The transport element of the Capital Plan "Building on Recovery" makes provision for a limited number of development projects which are targeted at removing critical bottlenecks or upgrading inadequate sections of road.  In addition allocations being made as a result of the Capital Plan Review will support the planning of some additional national road projects.

A bypass of Slane is planned to commence during the period of the Capital Plan, subject to necessary consents being obtained. TII has provided a grant allocation of €1.2m for this scheme in 2017 and consultants have been procured by Meath County Council to progress preparatory work on the scheme.

In the period since February, TII has announced that it is re-activating planning work on the N2 Clontibret to the Border Scheme to narrow down the number of options to a single preferred route.

Further action is also being taken by TII following a safety review of the section of the N2 between Drumgeeny and the Castleblayney Bypass. Arising from a draft Engineering Advisor's report, TII has committed to provide additional funding to develop the report's recommendation for an online upgrade of the N2, extending from North of Ardee to the south of the Castleblayney Bypass.  The intention is to progress the preliminary design and the achievement of planning consent as soon as possible.

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