N2 Road (Ireland) - Discussion

Discussion

There have been calls (by both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland political parties) to upgrade the whole Dublin–Derry route to dual carriageway, including the A5 in Northern Ireland. In October 2006, the Irish government announced it was funding infrastructure costing €1 billion in Northern Ireland, and one possible project to be funded is the upgrading of the A5 Derry–Omagh–Aughnacloy road to motorway standard for a distance of 88 km (55 mi). However, there was no mention of the N2 road being upgraded to motorway standard in the Republic. The Irish Department of Finance website confirmed on 22 March 2007 that £400 million had been set aside for Northern investment to include a dual carriageway to Derry and Donegal. It was unclear if any of this would be built in the Republic.

The 2007 Fianna Fáil election policy document on transport includes a dual carriageway from Dublin to Letterkenny/Derry as one of Fianna Fáil's promises if re-elected. Although the N2 is not included in Transport 21 and the recently opened Monaghan and Carrickmacross by-passes are single lane national primary roads, a recent feasibility report completed on the N2 Ashbourne to Ardee section recommends a dual carriageway cross section (this includes the Slane By-pass). Also in order to tie in with the A5 Western Transport Corridor north of the border work on the feasibility study for the N2 Clontibret to NI Border Scheme has commenced.

Currently the National Roads Authority (NRA) encourages hauliers heading north to Derry to use the M1 as far as the N33 road to Ardee, avoiding the dangerous sections of the parallel N2 in the environs of Slane, Collon and Ardee.