Funds for N4 but not WDR link

Government funding for the €100 Million N4 Collooney to Castlbaldwin upgrade has finally been ring fenced in Budget 2018 by Minister Shane Ross last week.

The construction work will start, with diggers on the ground, towards the end of 2018 or early 2019 once the tender process is completed next year.

The N4 is one of only two road projects in the country that was listed for start of construction in Budget 2018, the other being the Dunkettle Interchange in Cork.

There was no mention of funding for the Western Distributor Road( WDR) however, which Cllr Marie Casserly lobbied Minister Ross about in August.

“This is great news for Sligo and the entire Northwest the region as the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin road will be a huge boost to the people and businesses of Sligo and its environs,” said Sligo/Leitrim Deputy Tony McLoughlin.

“We all know that extensive development works have been ongoing on this road since Fine Gael came to power in 2011, and I want to thank Leo Varadkar, who was Minister for Transport at the time, for starting funding for this road in 2012.

“I also want to acknowledge the contribution of Bernhard Mulhern and the N4 action group, because without their advocacy down through the years, this project may not have developed to the stage it is at today,” said Deputy McLoughlin.

“The €100 Million N4 upgrade will be the biggest infrastructure development in Sligo’s history and it is no more than what we deserve in this region and I am delighted to have ensured that under my Fine Gael Government this new road will be delivered,” he added.