Monaghan County Council, in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), has been progressing the N2 Clontibret to Border Road Scheme, a significant project aimed at upgrading a 28km section of the N2/A5 Dublin-Derry Road in County Monaghan. With funding from the EU’s ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ and match funding from the Department of Transport, Jacobs Consulting Engineers have led the planning and design stages of the scheme.
By March 2025, Jacobs had prepared an ‘initial design’ for the proposed new road, and during April 2025 meetings were held with directly affected landowners to discuss how the proposed design may impact their lands. The initial design was then made publicly available on the project website www.N2MonaghanLouth.ie, enabling the wider public to view the plans and provide input.
To ensure the community had an opportunity to engage directly with the project team, a series of Public Information Days were held in July 2025. These events took place at Clontibret Community Centre on July 16th, Emyvale Recreation Centre on July 21st and Tyholland Community Centre on July 22nd. Each event was very well attended, with over 100 individual meetings taking place on each of the three days. Monaghan County Council would like to thank the community facilities in each area for providing high quality facilities for each event, and for promoting the events within their own communities. The project team was grateful for the opportunity to meet with members of the public, answer questions, and collect valuable feedback.
These drop-in sessions featured an interactive map to help attendees understand how the proposed road aligns with their property or land, and to explore access arrangements and possible local road diversions. The events showcased the ‘initial design’—previously shared with landowners in April—and allowed attendees to provide direct feedback before the design progresses further.
The scheme is designed to bypass Monaghan Town, Emyvale Village, and Corracrin, aiming to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, and enhance the quality of life for road users and local communities. It proposes a Type 2 dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction, improved junctions, and provisions for Active Travel, including new and upgraded cycleways and footpaths, mostly along the current N2 route.
Robert Burns, Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council noted “These events were organised in response to feedback from Elected Representatives and communities. The strong turnout on all three days shows how important the events were in giving the community an opportunity to have their voice heard”. Cllr PJ O’Hanlon, Cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, thanked all who participated “I want to thank everyone who came along, asked questions, and gave honest feedback. Your input is helping to shape a road scheme that will better meet the needs of everyone.”
Monaghan County Council and TII would like to sincerely thank all members of the public, landowners, stakeholders, and elected representatives who engaged with the project. For those who were unable to attend, feedback can still be provided by contacting the project team via the N2 Project Phoneline at 087 340 3786 or by email at ClontibretBorder@N2MonaghanLouth.ie.
