SERVICES
N2 Ardee to Castleblayney Road Scheme – Initial design to be made available on Project Website
Monaghan County Council, in association with Louth County Council, and in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are currently developing a road scheme to upgrade the existing N2 between Ardee and Castleblayney. Monaghan County Council appointed Jacobs Consulting Engineers (Jacobs) in 2018 to advance the project through the planning and design process. This is an important project to enhance key North/South and regional connectivity and to improve road safety, and the project is being developed in accordance with TII’s Project Management Guidelines.
Following three public consultations on the proposed scheme, a 400m wide Preferred Route Corridor was published in February 2021. The project then entered the next phase of TII’s planning and design process (Phase 3: Design and Environmental Evaluation) and Jacobs are in the process of designing the road (including junctions and accesses), identifying the landtake required, and undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment.
The N2 Project Team has substantially completed the necessary surveys/investigations to prepare an initial design of the proposed road. In September, the project team contacted approximately 300 directly affected landowners, inviting them to meet with members of the project team to discuss the potential impact of the scheme on their lands. The project team wishes to sincerely thank all landowners who have attended meetings for their engagement – in many cases landowners are receiving the information that they will be significantly impacted by the proposed scheme, and it is a difficult time for many people.
After 5 weeks of landowner meetings, details of the initial road design will now be made available to the wider community and stakeholders along the route of the proposed road. The design will be available on an online map based system on the project website www.N2MonaghanLouth.ie and is expected to be available by Tuesday, 25th October. The design shown will be based on a preliminary, initial design, and will be subject to change following feedback from stakeholders.
The map-based system will show the route of the proposed N2, the locations of the proposed interchanges and junctions onto the N2, and the route of proposed sideroads and access roads along the N2. This will provide the wider community the opportunity to view the impacts of the project on the local road network and to view the alternative routes they will be required to travel to access local facilities and to join the improved N2. The answers to Frequently Asked Questions can also be seen on the project website.
Over the coming months the N2 Project Team will consider feedback received from landowners and other stakeholders before a design is finalised. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report and CPO documentation will then be prepared. Subject to approval, would then be submitted to An Bord Pleanála as part of the planning approval process.
Feedback can be submitted to the N2 Project Team by email ArdeeCastleblayney@N2MonaghanLouth.ie or via the N2 Project Phoneline 087 340 3786.