COUNTY ROSCOMMON WILL finally see a major roadworks project undertaken to replace “one of the most treacherous” stretches of primary road in the country, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has announced. 

The N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge Road Project was approved by Cabinet today and will now progress to the construction phase. 

The new single carriageway road will cover roughly 34km that will extend from the western end of the existing N5 Ballaghaderreen Bypass to the townland of Scramoge in County Roscommon, bypassing the towns and villages of Frenchpark, Bellanagare, Tulsk and Strokestown.

Originally approved in 2021 at a cost of €200 million, the project has been held back as a result of the last contractor going into liquidation. 

Now the price of the project has more than doubled to €450 million. Ryan blamed the increase on “inflationary pressures alongside rising costs of construction materials and elevated levels of shipping and logistic costs”.

Ryan cited safety concerns about the stretch of existing road as the primary reason for its replacement while also saying it would improve access to the west and north-west of the country. 

“The Ballaghadereen to Scramoge project will replace one of the most treacherous sections of primary road in the country. By completing the missing links in the N5 corridor it will improve access to the west and northwest. 

“The new route will also make the towns and villages it serves more attractive places to live, work and shop by diverting heavy traffic, trucks and other heavy goods vehicles out of their centres,” he said.

The minister also said that building bypasses is a priority for his department amid rising costs. 

Minister of State for Transport Jack Chambers said: “This scheme, which was approved at Government today, will eliminate sections of the N5 that have had collision rates nearly twice above the national road average.”

He added that the new route would reduce travel times and therefore costs.

CEO of Transport Infrastructure Ireland Peter Walsh said: “We very much welcome Government approval for the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge project today.”