Road Transportation and Safety

Major Schemes at Pre-Planning Stage

Consultants were appointed to progress the N17 Collooney/Charlestown project to EIS and CPO stage.

During 2001 the N4 Cloonamahon/Castlebaldwin project was advanced to route selection stage.

N4 Inner Relief Road - County Extension

Archaeological investigation continued and contract documents were prepared by consultants with a view to going to contract in 2002.

The pre-planning/design contracts are managed ‘in-house’ by Sligo County Council in conjunction with the National Roads Authority.

National Primary Improvement Works

This programme continued with over €2million spent in 2001 on improvement and upgrading works on National Primary Routes. Work included re-alignment and quality overlay of the N15 North of Grange, traffic calming in Cliffoney, and strengthening of other sections of the Primary Routes.

Improvements were also carried out on the National Secondary routes, with approx. €500,000 being spent on an overlay project west of Dromore West. 

Non National Roads

Sligo County Council spent in the region of e9 million in 2001 on the maintenance and improvement of the non-national road network. Approximately €25 million has been invested in county Sligo’s non-national road network since the commencement of the Restoration programme in 1995. To date approximately 65% of the non-national road network has been restored.

Discretionary Improvement Grants

This scheme provides for the removal of bad bends, improvement of sight lines, footpath and public lighting improvement and bridge repairs.

Footpaths were upgraded on the entrance to Ballymote under this scheme, and new footpaths on the R284 near Carraroe Church. Work has also being completed at the junction of R286 and Shaw’s Avenue in Hazelwood.

Special Improvement Grants (Eu-Co Financed Grants)

This scheme allows for the upgrading of the non-national road network; Works carried out in 2001 included…

• Continued improvements at Tully, Strandhill
• Upgrading/traffic calming on R291 Ballincar

Pre-planning and design are at an advanced stage for the following schemes, and it is expected that they will progress to CPO stage in 2002..

• R 292 Adjacent to Borough Boundary on Strandhill Road
• Re-alignment of R 294 west of Gurteen at Mullaghroe
• Re-alignment of R284 on Ballyfarnon road at Glenagoolagh.

Low Cost Accident Reductions Scheme

The ‘Government’s strategy on Road Safety 1998 – 2002’ aims to reduce the rate of road fatalities by 20% over the 5 year period. The scheme was initially targeted on the national road network, but the Department of Environment and Local Government has allocated funding to Local Authorities for works on the non-national roads.

Under the scheme specific accident locations are identified and improved, particularly junctions of major and minor roads. In 2001 work was carried out at Scurmore Enniscrone at the junction of the R297 and Quay Road.

A) Non- National Road Restoration Programme Progress Report

Total Improved and Surfaced Dressed = 1636/2494 = 65.59%
Total Improved = 1057/2494 = 42.38%
Total Surface Dressed = 579/2494 = 23.21%
Total Length of non-national roads in Co. Sligo =2,494 Km.

(B) Class 3 Supplementary Roads Grant Programme Sligo Co. Council 1997-2001 Progress Report

Total length of Class 3 in County Sligo = 682 Km
Total improved to date = 100 km = 14.40% of total Class 3 or 4.0% of non- national total.

Summary

National Routes

National Primary

National Secondary

Non National Routes

Regional Routes

Local Routes