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EAST-WEST LINK
05/06/2008
“Blayney-Ballybay-Clones route still feasible”
The feasibility of Monaghan Co Council's preferred route for the major East-West Link road development - involving Castleblayney, Ballybay and Clones - becoming the chosen option appeared strengthened by a response on the issue elicited by Mid-Monaghan public representative Seamus Coyle at the May meeting of Monaghan Co Council.
Coir Coyle was informed by Director of Services Michael Fitzpatrick that Cavan Co Council had been appointed as the lead authority to progress the East-West Link, and they had recently advertised for consultants to review the 2001 report on the project and to recommend and confirm the most feasible route for the east-west corridor.
Coir Coyle had a question on the agenda asking for details of recent correspondence and contact-between the Co Council and the National Roads Authority on the link, and the efforts the Council had taken to progress the route adopted by its members as their preferred one.
"What is the understanding of Monaghan Co Council of the NRA position on the progressing of the route?" Coir Coyle also wanted to know.
.As well as furnishing the information on the new feasibility study r-mg sought by Cavan Co Council, Mr Fitzpatrick in responding to colt Coyle outlined the recent background of the proposal and the different regional and national strategies which addressed the issue.
The Director of Services in his reply stated:
'The Draft Regional Planning Guidelines published in February 2004 set as an objective "to promote the phased development of an East-West link from Sligo to Dundalk via Cavan and Monaghan as a medium term priority".
"The Regional Planning Guidelines, as adopted, referred to the route identified in the National Spatial Strategy i.e. Dundalk, Carrickmacross, Shercock, Cootehill, Cavan, Enniskillen and Sligo. _"In May 2004 the Border Regional Authority adopted the Dundalk, Carrickmacross, Shercock, Cootehill, Cavan, Enniskillen route as the preferred route of the East-West link.
"The Co Manager, Mr Declan Nelson, wrote to the NRA on May 15, 2005 informing them that the members of Monaghan Co Council had adopted a resolution that their preferred route for an East-West link road was Dundalk, Castleblayney, Ballybay, Clones.
"The NRA replied on November 20, 2005 stating that the study that was carried out in 2001 by Kirk McClure & Morton recommended a preferred route from Dundalk through Carrickmacross, Cootehill and Cavan.
"At a meeting with the Minister for Transport, Mr Noel Dempsey, in Trim on Friday, December 7, 2007 the elected members of Monaghan Co Council outlined their preferred route for the East-West link route."
MINISTER RECOMMENDS CAVAN-MONAGHAN MEETING
Transport Minister Noel Dempsey recommended a meeting between Monaghan and Cavan Co Councils to discuss the East-West Link project when he met a Monaghan Council delegation recently.
Minutes circulated at the May Council meeting noted that the Minister said he would discuss the project with the National Roads Authority.
Members of the Council delegation pointed out to the Minister that €200,000 given to Cavan Co Council to progress the scheme was being used to design a route between Dundalk, Carrickmacross and Cavan, which was not the route chosen by Monaghan Co Council. The delegation said that, although the improvement of this route was welcomed, they saw it as separate from the East-West route.
Minister Dempsey advised that the advancement of the project could not be piecemeal and a route would have to be agreed. He said that all affected local authorities and the NRA would have to be involved.
Principal Officer at the Dept of Transport, Kevin Ring noted that the scheme was complicated as there was so many different local authorities involved and different funding sources applied.
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