The N52 is a key National Secondary Route, providing a vital north to south linkage through the Midlands, connecting the towns of Dundalk, Kells, Mullingar, Tullamore, Birr and Nenagh, and more locally the communities between Mullingar and Clonmellon. The proposed N52 Cavestown to Kilrush Scheme is situated north of Mullingar between the towns of Delvin and Clonmellon. This project seeks to address network deficiencies of approximately 3km of a sub-standard section along the N52 transportation corridor.

Need for the Scheme

The N52 between Mullingar and Delvin has undergone a series of improvement projects in recent years, aimed at enhancing safety and connectivity along this important route, including most recently the N52 Cloghan to Billistown Scheme which was completed in 2020. Further northwards of Delvin, the section between Cavestown and Kilrush has been identified as being below standard.

This section is currently a narrow single carriageway road with poor sightlines, sharp curves, and a special speed limit of 80 km/h due to safety concerns. The alignment does not meet current design standards, particularly for the volume and type of traffic that uses the road daily, especially heavy goods vehicles.

Safety is a significant issue along this route. Between 2020 and 2024, eleven collisions were recorded, which is more than double the national average for similar roads, with particular concern around the S-bend near Ballinlough Castle.

The proposed N52 Cavestown to Kilrush Scheme will enhance road safety, and support accessibility, economic development and long-term growth in the region.

Announcement of the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor

Westmeath County Council has appointed engineering consultants AtkinsRéalis to progress Phases 2 to 4 of the Scheme under Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) Project Management Guidelines (PMG) for national roads. The project is currently in Phase 2 which is the Options Selection process for the enhancement of the N52 Cavestown to Kilrush Scheme.

Having identified three possible route options for the Scheme in the Summer of 2025, AtkinsRéalis undertook a more detailed assessment of each option to determine the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor. This assessment included a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) based on a comprehensive set of criteria including engineering, environmental, and economic factors. Consideration was also given to feedback received during Public Consultation on the Route Options, which was held in July 2025.

The outcome of the MCA shows that Option 5 Blue offers a balanced set of benefits across transport, safety, environmental, and social criteria. It meets the Scheme objectives to enhance road safety, reduce the risk of collisions, improve journey times, and improve air quality and noise levels for nearby residents.

A map of the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor is provided below.

Policy Context

The proposed improvement of the N52 is strongly supported by national, regional, and local policy frameworks that prioritise safer, more sustainable, and better-connected transport infrastructure.

National Policy Context

At a national level, the National Development Plan (2021 – 2030) supports enhanced regional accessibility and continued investment in the national road network, including upgrades to improve safety, connectivity, and sustainability.

This is further backed up by the National Planning framework (NPF) which identifies the N52 as a key strategic route. The scheme aligns with National Strategic Outcome 2 by improving journey times and maintaining the safety, connectivity, and sustainability.

In addition, Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s National Roads 2040 is a long-term strategy that supports the enhancement of the N52 under priorities such as decarbonisation, regional connectivity, and asset renewal.

Regional Policy Context

At a regional level, the Eastern and Midland Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019 – 2031 supports improvements to national secondary routes like the N52 to enhance intra-regional connectivity and maintain the strategic function of national roads. The scheme aligns with regional goals for enabling infrastructure and economic cohesion across the Midlands.

Local Policy Context

At a local level,the Westmeath County Development Plan 2021 – 2027 recognises the N52 as a vital national secondary route linking key towns and providing access to rail and greenway networks. In addition, the N52 links to the N/M4 Dublin to Sligo corridor which is part of the EU TEN-T comprehensive network. The plan supports preserving corridors for future road improvements and highlights this section of the N52 between Delvin and Clonmellon within the priority list of roads to be improved.

Have your say

Westmeath County Council are planning to host a public consultation on the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor for the N52 Cavestown to Kilrush Scheme, and we invite you to attend our public consultation event which will take place in Clonmellon Community Centre on Wednesday 3^rd  December 2025 from 3pm to 8pm. Please note that the public consultation period remains open until 14th January 2026.

Your views are important to us and play a key role in shaping the development of the Scheme. We invite you to review the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor and share your feedback through one of the methods outlined below.

How to provide your feedback
Email	info@wccprojectoffice.ie
Post	National Roads Office Culleen Beg Mullingar Co.Westmeath N91 T2PE
Online	CLICK HERE - Online Feedback Form

Hardcopy feedback forms will also available at the public consultation event.

Please ensure all feedback is submitted in hardcopy or digitally no later than 14^th January 2026.

What happens next?

After this public consultation we will carefully review all feedback received, alongside information from the technical and environmental assessments which have been undertaken at this phase to identify the Preferred Route.

Having identified a Preferred Route, the project will enter Phase 3, which is the Preliminary Design of the Scheme.

Subject to the approval of TII and the availability of funding, this phase will involve more detailed environmental surveys and site investigations to refine the design and determine the extent of land that may be required for the Scheme.

For Further Information

If you have any further queries or feedback regarding the project, please do not hesitate to get in touch via phone or email below, to arrange an in-person meeting, telephone call or virtual meeting.

We welcome the opportunity to engage with you on the development of this project and look forward to continuing to work with you as the project progresses.

Enquiries to the NRO:

Phone: 044 9334250

Email: info@wccprojectoffice.ie

Post: National Roads Office, Culleen Beg, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, N91 T2PE

 

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Updated December 2025