Planning for eight major road schemes stalls over funds shortage

Planning works on eight major road schemes have been suspended by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) due to a shortage of funds.

The projects include a section of the strategically significant N11/M11 corridor between Dublin and Rosslare Harbour, Co Wexford, and part of a regionally important transport corridor between Limerick and Waterford.

TII chief executive Peter Walsh said in November that the National Development Plan’s (NDP) budget for roads – some €1.1 billion for the period 2021-2025 – would provide “limited scope” to advance schemes.

An analysis showed more than €800 million of the total had already been committed to schemes in the late planning or development stage, leaving other less-advanced plans without the necessary funds to progress.

Additional €4bn

The authority confirmed that works on eight major schemes have been postponed. They are: N2 Clontibret to the Border; N4 Mullingar to Longford; N11/M11 Junction 4 to Junction 14; N24 Waterford to Cahir; N25 Carraigtwohill to Middleton; N25 Waterford to Glenmore; N52 Tullamore to Kilbeggan; and N59 Clifden to Maam Cross.

TII is due to receive an additional €4 billion during the second half of the NDP between 2026 and 2030 but, given changes in Government assessment priorities, many of these schemes are effectively in doubt.

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan last month announced a National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland (Nifti). He said this reflected “the need to rapidly decarbonise” to meet national carbon emissions reduction targets by considering public transport and active travel (cycling and walking) options before roads.

Suspended projects

He said the four Nifti priorities for future land transport investment would be decarbonisation; protection and renewal; mobility of people and goods in urban areas; and enhanced regional and rural connectivity.

It is understood the priorities would be applied to the suspended projects post-2025, potentially resulting in measures to reduce private car use and promote public transport journeys and active travel rather than road building.

TII said it “delivers on Government policy relating to national roads as set out in the NDP, National Planning Framework, Nifti and the Climate Action Plan”.

It added: “Funding available within the first half of the NDP is not sufficient to progress all the schemes as outlined in the NDP through the planning and design phase. As a result, the progression of projects must be phased in line with available funding.”