Survey estimates cost of backlog in road improvements at £2 bn

A backlog of road improvement schemes has built up over the period of the last National Plan, valued at almost £2 billion. The schemes if included as detailed in the National Roads Authority's Roads Needs Survey would bring the total spending between 2000 and 2004 to more than £4 billion.

The high-volume national primary routes in this category include the following: N1 Dublin to Border Cost: £267.5 million

The N1 Dublin-Belfast road is earmarked for upgrading to motorway or dual carriageway standard from Dublin to the Border. Two sections, at Dunleer and Balbriggan, are already built to this standard while others are under construction. Sections shown as "backlog" in the NRA Needs Study include the Border to Dundalk (£42m), the Dundalk by-pass (£40m), the Drogheda bypass (£87.5m), Lissenhall/Balbriggan (£50m) and Cloghran to Lissenhall (£48m).

N2 Dublin to Monaghan Border Cost: £74.85 million

Backlog requirements include £25.85 million for a wide, twolane by-pass of Castleblayney.

N3 Dublin to Cavan Border Cost: £114 million

A total of £114.3 million is indicated as being required for this route, all improvements being at the Dublin end. They are classed as essential.

N4 Dublin to Sligo Cost: £201.1 million

According to the study the backlog here is all at the Dublin end. A dual carriageway from Mullingar to Kinnegad is proposed. The Kinnegad-Enfield section costing £160 million is shown as motorway standard.

N5 Westport to Longford Cost: £20.4 million

The only backlog on this route is improvement to the Castlebar/Westport road.

N6 Galway to Kinnegad Cost: £138.22 million

Of this total for backlog projects some £88.62 million relates to Loughrea to Ballinasloe and Rochfortbridge to Milltownpass.

N7 Limerick to Dublin Cost £198.2 million

Of this, three schemes costing £105.2 million are between Mountrath and Monasterevin.

N8 Cork to Portlaoise Cost: £110.1 million

Two sections of the Cork end of this route and the Abbeyleix to Portlaoise section are shown as backlog.

N9 Waterford to Dublin Cost: £41.64 million

A series of sections between Paulstown and the N9 junction at Kilcullen are shown as requiring wide tow-lanes, rated backlog or Phase One which is scheduled to begin in 2000.

N11 Wexford to Dublin Cost: £77.2 million

The Gorey-Arklow section is shown as dual carriageway and backlog, as is the Rathnew and Ashford by-pass. The Gorey/Arklow section costs £40 million.

N13 Stranorlar to Letterkenny Cost: £13.04 million One section is shown as backlog.

N14 Letterkenny to Border Cost: £19.63 million

One project, a standard two-lane, is shown as backlog.

N15 Lifford to Sligo Cost: £26.7 million

One project.

N17 Galway to Sligo Cost: unknown

The Claregalway sections would have saturation traffic justifying reduced dual carriageway only.

Small sections of the remaining routes N18 to N87 contain 52 projects which are shown as backlog. No costings.

In addition to the National Primary Network, almost 700 kilometres of the secondary network are due to be upgraded. This represents approximately just 30 per cent of the secondary road network.