Roads across County Louth are set to benefit from a total allocation of €23,386,073 this year to support road safety, maintenance and repair works.
The funding includes €13,345,442 for national roads and €10,040,631 for regional and local roads. The investment will support works across the county during 2026.
Deputy Butterly welcomed the announcement that €1.5 billion is being provided to local authorities nationwide for the regular maintenance of national, regional and local roads. This represents a 13 per cent increase in road funding compared to 2025.
Of the overall allocation, €800 million will be spent on national roads, including:
• €659 million in exchequer capital funding through Transport Infrastructure Ireland
• €104 million for national roads delivered under public private partnerships
• approximately €33 million for regular maintenance of national roads, provided to local authorities
A further €718 million allocation for regional and local roads will allow approximately 2,800 kilometres of roads to be maintained and 2,330 kilometres to be improved. This funding includes:
• €50 million for strategic road improvement projects, including projects identified for development under the National Development Plan
• €16.5 million for 294 projects under the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Programme
• €14 million for 280 low cost road safety projects, targeting remedial measures to improve road safety for vulnerable road users and vehicular traffic
Deputy Butterly said: “I am delighted to see that €23,386,073 funding has been allocated to Louth County Council for essential national road repair works across Louth. The continued safety for all road users is a key priority for Fine Gael in government and key to that is the protection and regeneration of our existing national road network.”
Mid Louth is set to receive a significant boost this year, with several long awaited schemes now receiving funding, including:
• €1.7 million for the N02 Ardee to Cookstown Cross upgrade, delivering major improvements on a heavily used regional corridor
• €350,000 for the Cavan to Dundalk R178 realignment at Sections D6 and D7, including 1.35 kilometres of realigned regional road and safety improvements over a 1.7 kilometre stretch
• safety works at Cookstown on the L1209, including hedge removal, fencing and visibility improvements
• safety upgrades on the R132 Dunleer, R168 Drumgooles Cross at Collon, R170 Grangebellew, and Reaghstown on the L1201 corridors
A major scheme for the Ardee Bypass on the N52 has also received an allocation of €75,000 for 2026. Deputy Butterly said this represents “a clear commitment to ensuring the Ardee Bypass project remains active and progressing.” She noted that while the project has been delayed due to legal proceedings, the continued allocation of funding “demonstrates the Government’s determination to keep the project live, supported and moving forward so that it can be delivered for the people of Ardee and the wider Mid Louth area.”
A wider programme of safety measures will also support Mid Louth communities, including:
• R132 Dunleer town centre pedestrian crossings
• R168 Drumgooles Cross at Collon signage and line upgrades
• R170 Walshestown at Grangebellew bend signage and vegetation clearance
• L1209 Cookstown and L1201 Reaghstown safety and speed management works
• R166 Termonfeckin pedestrian crossing and slow signs on bend
• L6281 Termonfeckin Orchard Villas crossing and ramps
• L1201 Reaghstown possible speed cushions near Westerns GAA
Deputy Butterly also welcomed the allocation of €350,000 for Phase 3 of the Port Access Northern Cross Route under the Strategic Regional and Local Road Grant. She said this funding “marks real and tangible progress for a project I have been consistently raising since last year. I am delighted to see Phase 3 moving forward with dedicated funding in 2026. This allocation shows a clear commitment to advancing the PANCR, ensuring momentum is maintained and that the project continues to move through its development stages.”
The allocation for protection and renewal of the existing national road network will fund a range of activities including road safety improvements, pavement renewal, maintenance of bridges and structures, and measures to ensure the network can withstand the increased number of severe weather events, Deputy Butterly added.
