Gaffney says changed needed to 'major project' thresholds for national roads

A call has been made for the government to revise the criteria used to classify major national road projects amid concerns that rising construction costs are preventing important schemes from progressing.

The issue was raised by Cllr Niall Gaffney at the May meeting of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, where he sought clarification from council officials on what qualifies as a major road development project and the practical limitations involved.

In a detailed response, the Transportation Office said Transport Infrastructure Ireland guidelines generally classify national road schemes valued at €30 million or more as major improvement projects because of their scale, complexity and strategic importance.

Officials said such projects typically require progression through the full TII project lifecycle, including environmental impact assessments and compulsory purchase order processes.

The meeting heard that funding for national road schemes is allocated annually by TII, with priority generally given to projects already identified in the National Development Plan.

Council officials noted that inclusion in the National Development Plan is ultimately a matter for government, based on national policy objectives and submissions made by local authorities.

Responding to the explanation, Cllr Gaffney said the current €30 million threshold is outdated and should be reviewed in light of rising inflation and increased construction costs.

“I think a letter should be written to the Dept of Transport asking that these limits be revised,” he said. The councillor argued that the threshold has effectively remained unchanged since the economic crash, despite substantial increases in costs in recent years.

He referenced an earlier revelation by district engineer Pat Kavanagh that recent rises in fuel prices linked to the conflict involving Iran, are adding as much as 10 to 14 per cent to the cost of some projects.

Cllr Gaffney also pointed to delays along the N52 route, arguing that the current system means only isolated sections of road are being upgraded rather than larger strategic schemes progressing together.

“From the Delvin to the Mullingar side didn’t constitute a major development, and yet we’re only doing Cavestown now,” he said. “A major development is anything more than an S-bend.”

N51 works

In a further query to officials, Cllr Gaffney called for urgent resurfacing works on a deteriorating stretch of the N51 between South Hill and Delvin village. In response, the district office said it will seek funding from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for resurfacing works at the location, along with other sections of the N51.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Gaffney warned that part of the road is beginning to collapse and said urgent intervention is needed. “It’s actually collapsing in, or the road has sunk in, and it’s right beside the footpath on the bend,” he said.

He noted that the damaged section is located along a series of bends and expressed hope that repairs could be carried out quickly in the interest of safety.

Supporting the motion, Cllr David Jones argued that national roads have suffered from underinvestment in recent years. While welcoming active travel projects planned for Delvin and Clonmellon, he said continued pressure needs to be applied to TII to secure resurfacing funding for the N51.

“There is a dip in that road, the intersection of the road is falling apart,” he said.

Cllr Jones also suggested traffic volumes could increase in the future due to proposed developments associated with the South Hill area, which he said could become a tourism or educational destination depending on future plans for the site.

Coolcahan

Cllr Gaffney also requested that the district resurface the L5009 at Coolcahan, to which the district responded that it would carry out normal road repairs as part of normal local road maintenance along the L5009.