Plan for major link road in Monksland moves forward
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Plans for a major new link road to help ease traffic congestion and support further development in the Monksland area of Athlone are set to move forward after the allocation of €50,000 in funding to help kickstart the project.
The proposed 2.5km single-carriageway urban relief road would link the N61 Roscommon Road at Bogganfin with the roundabout near River Village at the Bealnamulla Road/Old Tuam Rd junction in Monksland. It would also include cycle tracks, footpaths and public transport facilities.
Roscommon County Council says the project is intended to ease congestion in the Bogganfin and Monksland areas, where the roundabouts at Ganly's and near Novo Nordisk, and at Smith's Supervalu on the Old Tum Rd, experience heavy traffic at peak times, while also supporting future development in the area.
Seed funding of €50,000 was allocated for the project under the Department of Transport’s 2026 Strategic Regional and Local Road Grants Programme, but the ultimate cost of the road project has been estimated at between €20 million and €30 million.
Roscommon County Council has prepared tender documentation for the appointment of consultants to progress the project. The tender was published in early July, with the process closing in mid-August.
A tender assessment is now underway, with consultants expected to be appointed by the end of this month.
Once appointed, the consultants will begin work on a 'project execution plan', and a 'feasibility and options study' for the proposed road project. This phase is expected to be completed by the end of March 2027.
The documentation prepared by the consultants will be submitted to the Department of Transport for formal review and approval before the project can proceed to the next stages.
At a meeting of the Athlone Municipal District in Roscommon today (Tuesday), Cllr Tony Ward said he hopes the planned Bogganfin/Tuam Road Link Road, also known as the Monksland Strategic Road, can progress "as soon as possible".
"People are currently using the new Tuam Road as a shortcut, and it can lead to congestion in the evenings around 4.30pm or 5pm," said Cllr Ward.
In response to a query by Cllr Valerie Duffy, council management said a planning application for the project could get underway by the first half of 2028.
According to the project brief, the selected route would "support and facilitate the integration of land use with transportation infrastructure" in an area with significant development potential and limited connections to the existing road network.
The council said the proposed link road would also provide active travel and public transport facilities between Monksland and Bogganfin, while improving connectivity across the area.
The scheme has been identified in the Roscommon County Development Plan 2022–2028 as a planned non-national road improvement project, with the project brief estimating the overall cost at between €20 million and €30 million.