Dual carriageway to replace perilous stretch of Sligo road

A Co Sligo stretch of the main Dublin-Sligo road which is often described as the most dangerous section of roadway in the country on account of 30 deaths on it in recent years is set to be replaced by almost 15kms of dual carriageway.

Campaigners who have erected 30 white crosses on the verges of the existing 12km stretch of road, each one marking the scene of a fatality, have welcomed the “major breakthrough”.

Sligo County Council yesterday confirmed that it had submitted the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin proposed road development to An Bord Pleanála for planning approval.

Local pressure group
This follows a marathon campaign by the N4 Action Group which has drawn national attention to the stretch of road, dubbed "the most dangerous in the country" by Sligo coroner Dr Desmond Moran.

Bernard Mulhern, a spokesman for the group, predicted that the new dual carriageway would become a reality within five or six years.

Anthony Skeffington, senior engineer with the council, said the development was “one of the biggest and most complex infrastructural projects ever proposed for the county”.

Earlier this month the National Roads Authority gave the local authority approval to publish the compulsory purchase order and environmental impact statement documentation and to submit the project to An Bord Pleanála for planning approval.

It has been estimated the project could cost €60 million.