Minister Dempsey opens new Charlestown Bypass

Date: 02 November 2007

The Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey T.D., today (Friday 2nd November 2007) officially opened the new N5 Charlestown bypass.

The new bypass to be know as the "John Healy* Road" is part of the N5 national primary route between Westport and Longford which is being upgraded under the Government’s Transport 21 investment programme. It will bypass both the town of Charlestown and the village of Carracastle following a route to the south of the existing N5. This new bypass will remove up to 7,000 vehicles each day from Charlestown and Carracastle.

Speaking at the bypass opening in Charlestown today, Minister Dempsey said: “This new bypass is a further demonstration of the Government’s commitment to transforming our national road network. The John Healy Road will make a big difference to the people of Charlestown and Carracastle. It will remove up to 7,000 cars a day from their roads and it will deliver a major reduction in both noise and air pollution levels. Locals will now enjoy reduced journey times and all round safer journeys and that is very welcome news.”

Minister Dempsey added; “This is the third major project to be completed in the BMW region this year and it will make a significant contribution to the Atlantic Road Corridor. It demonstrates the importance that Government places on balanced regional development with continued investment in the BMW region. With Knock International Airport just a few miles down the road Charlestown will now more than ever be a better place in which to live and work. I am sure that if John Healy were alive today he would be very of Charlestown and what it has become.”

Speaking at the opening in Charlestown today Mr Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority, said: “Competitiveness is central to our continued economic well-being and we need to shape an environment from which we can compete effectively. Dealing with infrastructure deficiencies in the national road network has a significant role to play in this regard not just nationally but also at regional level.

The opening of the Charlestown Bypass is a practical demonstration of the National Road Authority’s commitment to regional development, particularly the BMW region, in line with Government policy.

The N5 is an important strategic route in the west running from Westport to Longford traversing the Atlantic Corridor on the Mayo/Sligo Border. The Atlantic Corridor running from Donegal through the west, down to Cork and on to Waterford is a key route targeted for development under the Transport 21 Plan. It will open up the BMW region to commercial and tourism opportunities.

Road schemes such as the Charlestown Bypass are about more than building roads to a better economic future they are also about creating a better quality of life. Communities in bypassed towns and villages enjoy a safer and cleaner environment which is much more pleasant to live in.”

* The John Healy Road in named in memory of the acclaimed journalist who came from Charlestown. He was a proud Mayo man and a great champion and advocate for the west of Ireland. Healy is probably best remembered for his book No One Shouted Stop (Death of an Irish Village) in which he chronicled life in Charlestown.

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