Frequently Asked Questions

The A5 is a Key Transport Corridor as identified in the Regional Transportation Strategy and is also a significant link in the longer term plans to improve connections between Dublin and the North West.The upgrading of the route will bring significant benefits to road users with reduced journey times, improved levels of safety, and will generate much wider social and economic benefits to the community.

We are looking at all options to improve the route, and these include making parts of the existing road dual carriageway and building new sections of dual carriageway to bypass towns and villages. Nothing has been ruled out at this stage and the public will be consulted on all the options before the plans are finalised.

That has not yet been decided. First of all we must undertake environmental and engineering assessments to identify constraints and see what options are available.

A number of factors need to be considered and assessed and these include issues such as environment and built heritage, safety, economics, accessibility and integration. As well as the existing road corridor, other potential corridors must be defined and assessed. Once a preferred corridor has been chosen then route options within the corridor can be developed and consulted on.

A number of factors need to be considered and assessed and these include issues such as environment and built heritage, safety, economics, accessibility, integration and social and economic benefits to the community. One of the primary considerations is the existence of accesses on the existing route.

This will be reviewed as the assessment process runs its course and the details of the future proposals evolve. For example, the new improvements may involve “on-line” improvements to the existing A5. In the case of a new road constructed away from the existing A5, the existing A5 would become a quieter rural road compared to its existing character as the traffic on it will be much reduced.

It is proposed to announce a preferred route in mid 2009.

The selection of the road standard will be part of the assessment process. It will however be a dual carriageway.

Some constraints are easy to identify such as where the road passes through towns and villages or over a flood plain. There are also environmentally sensitive areas such as areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. But our team also considers other constraints such as built heritage, safety, economics, accessibility and integration.