An ‘Emerging Preferred Route Corridor’ has been published and the project has launched the next stage of public consultation.

The Project Team has undertaken an appraisal of the Route Corridor Options published in November 2019 and has considered feedback received through the second non-statutory public consultation while identifying an ‘Emerging Preferred Route Corridor’. This is Stage 2 of the Phase 2 planning and design process defined in TII’s ‘Project Management Guidelines’.

Six route Corridor Options were published for the scheme in November 2019. The Project Team has undertaken an appraisal of the Route Corridor Options, which has identified Option A (Yellow Route) as the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor.

An Emerging Preferred Route Corridor is the Route Corridor Option that has been assessed as providing the optimum combination of benefits and impacts based on the six criteria to be considered for road transport projects;

• Economy
• Safety
• Environment
• Accessibility and Social Inclusion
• Integration
• Physical Activity

The Emerging Preferred Route Corridor is typically 400m wide. The 400m corridor does not represent the actual width of the road scheme or the lands to be acquired – the corridor indicates the lands within which the N2 road scheme could be developed. The exact details of the landtake, earthworks, junction, sideroad design and property impacts will be developed during the next Phase of the design process.

The project has now launched the third stage of non-statutory public consultation. During this public consultation we are inviting feedback on the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor. Please see the ‘Public Consultation’ page for information and drawings and for details of how to make a submission.

Feedback and submissions received through the third non-statutory public consultation will be considered by the Project Team before a Preferred Route Corridor (‘Preferred Option’) is finalised. The Phase 2 Option Selection process will then be complete and the ‘Option Selection Report’ and ‘Preferred Route Corridor’ will be published. As indicated on the Public Consultation Roadmap on the next page, this is expected to take place in 2021. Updates, news and details will be published on www.N2MonaghanLouth.ie and through local press and media.

After a Preferred Route Corridor is finalised the next Phase of the planning and design process can commence (subject to relevant approvals), which will include identifying the landtake required, junction and access designs and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report. During this phase further engagement with landowners and interested parties will be undertaken as part of the ongoing design process as indicated in the Public Consultation Roadmap shown below: