Twelve options unveiled for Mullingar Longford route

The long awaited second public consultation phase on the new N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) route upgrade project has got underway.

First unveiled back in July 2010, the National Roads Authority (NRA) at that time advised that due to funding restrictions, further work on the project was to be suspended.

Now, 12 different route corridors have been unveiled by Westmeath County Council in conjunction with Longford County Council and supported by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Residents, the general public and interested are invited to have their say during the public consultation phase which ends on March 19.

Aimed at improving safety and connectivity between Mullingar and Longford (Roosky), the N4 serves a vast geographical area and provides a strategic function in terms of connecting the West and Northwest regions of Ireland to the Midlands and East of the country.

This 52km section of the N4 is a single carriageway road that passes through or close to several towns and villages, including Ballinalack, Rathowen, Edgeworthstown, Longford and Newtownforbes.

It services up to 17,500 vehicles a day and features over 500 junctions and direct accesses.

There have been 159 collisions in twelve years from 2008 to 2019 resulting in the loss of 17 lives.

The proposed project aims will improve safety and connectivity between Mullingar and Longford (Roosky) and enhance overall accessibility in the region and to the West/Northwest by resolving the network deficiencies along this section of the N4.

Many businesses in these areas depend on the N4 corridor for access to both national and international markets.

As well as acting as an enabler for strengthening tourism through improved connectivity between Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands, and the Wild Atlantic Way, it aims to alleviate congestion in the settlements along the route, improve journey times and allow for safer and more reliable journeys for road users, including vulnerable users and users of road-based public transport.

It also provides access to peripheral areas of the country including Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Donegal; Cavan via the N55 and Mayo via the N5 at Longford.

The project will provide for improved opportunities for active travel through provision of dedicated walkways and cycling routes, and support sustainable mobility through provision of electric charging infrastructure to encourage the use of electric vehicles and reduce carbon emissions.

Project Ireland 2040 is the government’s long-term overarching strategy to make Ireland a better country for all of its people. The development of the project will deliver on a number of policy documents at European, national and regional Levels

This second public consultation phase is now underway, and is running until March 19.

Online consultation

An information pack is being distributed to households and businesses throughout the study area.

In compliance with current COVID-19 measures, an online public consultation experience has been developed on the project website www.n4mullingartolongford.ie.

A virtual consultation room has been created where stakeholders and the general public can view interactive maps, project information and submit feedback in a safe and accessible environment.

Should anyone not have access to the internet, further public consultation material can be requested by post by contacting the project team.

The N4 project team is available to answer any questions and provide information to assist you with your submission.

To arrange a telephone call or online consultation with a member of the project team, please contact us by phone, email, or via the online meeting booking facility on the project website.

If you would like to make a submission, please do so by Friday March 19 via the online questionnaire at www.n4mullingartolongford.ie, by email to info@n4mullingartolongford.ie, or by post to ROD-AECOM, Unit 23C Lough Sheever Corporate Park, Robinstown, Mullingar.

The N4 Project Team can be contacted directly by email at the above address or by telephone at 086 059 9895 (Weekdays 9am-5pm).

Project background

Previously a Preferred Route Corridor and Route Selection report were published in July 2010 but at that time, the National Roads Authority (NRA) advised that due to funding restrictions further work on the project was to be suspended.

Due to changes in environmental legislation, design standards and in order to comply with the requirements of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Public Spending Code, it became necessary to fully re-appraise the proposed project through the TII Project Management Process.

What’s happening now

The project is currently in Phase 2: Options Selection, which is a three-stage process.

During Stage 1: Preliminary Options Assessment identified 12 feasible Route Corridor Options within the study area, while taking account of the constraints and the feedback received from the first non-statutory public consultation which was held in summer 2020.

These Route Corridor Options were subjected to a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) under the assessment criteria of: engineering, environment, economy.