THE GOVERNMENT HAS announced that €241 million will be spent on improving the road network in Co Mayo.

The N5 Westport to Turlough Road Project will include the construction of 20.3km of dual carriageway from Westport to Turlough and a 2.5km single carriageway link to the N59 Westport to Mulranny national secondary road.

The development is part of the government’s Project Ireland 2040 plans and represents the largest investment of public money in Co Mayo in the history of the State.

In a statement, the government said the project will provide a “major boost” for Co Mayo and will improve road safety and decrease collisions, shorten journey times, and reduce congestion in Westport and Castlebar.

Speaking about the project, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the government is “bringing Ireland closer together by investing in roads and broadband, thereby reducing disparities between east and west, rural and urban areas, Dublin and the rest of the country”. 

Transport Minister Shane Ross added that rural transport has been “an important focus for me and my department in an effort to open the country up”.

“Ireland does not just consist of cities – it also consists of very vibrant towns and villages which need to be connected to maximise its full potential,” Ross stated.

Michael Ring, Minister for Rural & Community Development, who is based in Mayo, said the new road “will result in safer and less time-consuming journeys, as well as cleaner air and significantly less traffic in the towns of Westport and Castlebar”.

“On a strategic level, it will encourage investment, support employment and greatly enhance connectivity in the region,” Ring added.

The project also includes the following:

• A 2.3km upgrade of a section of the N59 at Barleyhill to a Type-3 single carriageway
• Two compact grade separated junctions including overbridges
• Six roundabouts
• Two rail bridges over the Westport to Dublin railway line
• 11 overbridges, two underbridges and seven farm underpasses
• Associated earthworks, diversion of services and realignment of existing roads
• Drainage works, landscaping and ancillary works