N17 Knock to Collooney [Atlantic Economic Corridor] Transportation Project - Update July 2025

  • 31 July 2025
N17 Knock to Collooney [Atlantic Economic Corridor] Transportation Project - Update July 2025

Sligo County Council is pleased to provide an update on the progress of the N17 Knock to Collooney [Atlantic Economic Corridor] Project, which is currently advancing through Phase 3: Design and Environmental Evaluation in accordance with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) Project Management Guidelines.

The objective of Phase 3 is to develop the design of the Preferred Option to a stage where sufficient levels of detail exist to establish land requirements, identify and mitigate project impacts, and to progress the project through the statutory processes.

In 2024, a Ministerial condition attached to grant funding limited Phase 3 activities to the Tobercurry and Charlestown Bypass elements of the scheme. During that period, works included topographic and hydrographic surveys, as well as LiDAR assessments for those sections.

The 2025 TII grant allocations, issued on 25 March 2025, contained no such conditions. As a result, Sligo County Council is now progressing Phase 3 for the entire preferred corridor, extending from Ireland West Airport Knock to Collooney. The project corridor can be viewed at: https://n17knockcollooney.ie/mapping-eptc/

In 2025, the Council will undertake topographic and hydrographic surveys, along with LiDAR assessments, for the remaining sections of the route—specifically from Ireland West Airport Knock to Charlestown, and from north of Tobercurry to Collooney. These works are expected to commence in Q4 2025.

To support the delivery of Phases 3 (Design and Environmental Evaluation) and Phase 4 (Statutory Consent), Sligo County Council intends to engage a multi-disciplinary consultancy firm. This process is expected to be ongoing throughout Q3/Q4 2025 with the intention to award the contract in Q1 2026 subject to TII approvals and funding.

Sligo County Council remains committed to keeping the public informed as the project progresses. We would like to thank the community for their ongoing cooperation and patience and look forward to working together to deliver this vital infrastructure for the northwest region.