Mayo County Council has appointed a contractor to take forward a €241 million road scheme.

The N5 Westport to Turlough Road project will see 20.3km of dual carriageway built from Westport to Turlough as well as a 2.5km single carriageway link to the N59 Westport to Mulranny national secondary road.

Wills Bam secured the contract for the scheme, with preparatory site works to begin on the route in the coming weeks. Work is expected to take up to two years.

Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Brendan Mulroy said: "I am delighted as Cathaoirleach to witness the contracts signing on this project, a substantial investment in Mayo's road infrastructure. The N5 upgrade project will see a major improvement for road users and ensure traffic flows safely and freely. The projects will improve Mayo's accessibility for business and enhance the visitor experience."

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Speaking at the contract signing, Chief Executive at Mayo County Council, Peter Hynes added: "It is heartening to see the project move to contract signing stage after many years of work by multiple Stakeholders. This is the biggest single infrastructural investment ever undertaken in Mayo and will completely transform the landscape of this County. When completed the road will link Castlebar and Westport into a single cluster which will be on a par with growth centers identified in the current National Planning Framework. This Cluster will encourage investment into the County and bring Economic Development benefits for all of Mayo. Today's signing is a step towards the Westport Castlebar cluster becoming a reality."

This project will deliver numerous benefits for the West region, including improved road safety by reducing the frequency and severity of collisions and casualties on the existing stretch of N5.

(CM/JG)