Carrigy hints at imminent N4 extension upgrade for Longford

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the national agency responsible for national road and public transport infrastructure released details last week of its plans to provide over €5m towards Longford County Council’s Road Improvement and Maintenance Programme for 2018.

The figure represents an increase on the €2.5m allocated under the same programme last year.

Over half of the county’s 2018 distribution is to be spent on pavement and surface strengthening on both the N55 and N63.

A separate €600,000 allocation has been set aside for minor works on the N63 at Majors Well with €400,000 going towards traffic studies in Ballymahon along its N55 route.

In giving his backing to the announcement this week, Fine Gael Cllr Micheal Carrigy claimed the increased funding came on foot of recent talks he and his fellow council colleagues held with the State agency.

“This follows a meeting with TII in November which I attended myself along with a number of my colleagues,” he said in a statement.

“Some of the projects include 600,000 for lighting improvements on the N4 in Newtownforbes; €600,000 for works on the Ballinalee Road Longford; €436,000 for street pavements in Ballymahon; €400,000 for traffic studies on the N55 in Ballymahon; €1.1 million for works on the N55 at Ardagullion; resurfacing works around the Market Square in Longford Town plus €520,000 for National Secondary pavement renewals.”

Fine Gael’s Longford general election candidate was also quick to insist moves to include the proposed N4 extension in the Government’s 10 year national capital plan were ongoing.

“Cllr Carrigy is also continuing to lobby for the inclusion of the N4 motorway extension from Mullingar-Rooskey to be included on the 10 year Capital Plan which is due to announced shortly,” the statement added.