Sligo Chamber of Commerce and Ireland West Airport Knock are jointly calling on the Government to fund the upgrade of the N17 between Collooney and Ireland West Airport.
Failure to do so, they say, would represent a significant failure to honour repeated promises to advance economic development and make Sligo a compact growth centre.
In 2021, the National Development Plan was published and identified 55km of new high-standard dual-carriageway between Collooney and Ireland West Airport Knock.
The road is essential for the economic development of counties including Sligo and Mayo and all along the Western and North Western Atlantic seaboard.
However, it has been deemed unsafe, unsuitable for the traffic using it and in dire need of State intervention to support a long-planned transformation.
In a statement Sligo Chamber CEO Aidan Doyle, whose organisation represents more than 300 businesses including multi-national companies, said the N17 was the main artery and regional link connecting Galway to Ireland West Airport and Sligo.
He believes that the improvements are needed to improve regional accessibility, facilitate economic development, introduce active travel facilities, improve public transport, and provide a safe and efficient network constructed to modern standards.
