A vital €30 million road project which the IDA chipped in to finance has opened to traffic.
Behind schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic, construction on the Sligo Western Distributor Road Phase II was substantially completed just before Christmas and opened to traffic on Monday at 2pm.
A formal official opening will take place when public health restrictions allow. The 1.9km road will link the N4 National Primary Road at the Caltragh interchange with the Roger Eames road Ballydoogan and to the R292 Strandhill Road and includes a new bridge over the Sligo-Dublin railway line.
There s also two new roundabout junctions at Oakfield, one of which provides access to the new IDA Business Park. The IDA backed the project with €5m. The Western Distributor Road is seen as major strategic importance to the region as it will provide quality access to the proposed new IDA Business Park at Oakfield and the existing IDA Finisklin Business Park.
The Western Distributor Road is not likely to open to traffic until January, The Sligo Champion understands.
The route has been substantially completed but it is believed that for safety reasons it won t open until early to mid January.
It has been expected to be ready last October but Covid-19 restrictions delayed the project back in march whilst there were also other delays.
Contractor SIAC has some snag works to be completed when they return after the Christmas break.
The route was first included in the Development Plan as far back as 1971 and links the N4 dual carriageway at the Caltragh Interchange to the R292 Strandhill Road at Ballydoogan, west of Sligo City.
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