Wicklow County Council asked to engage with transport chiefs over N81 upgrade
The Wicklow PeopleA junior minister at the Department of Transport has called on Wicklow County Council to engage directly with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) regarding the progression of proposed upgrades to the N81 in west Wicklow.
The national road, which runs from Tallaght in west Dublin, through west Wicklow, into parts of Kildare and Carlow, remains the only national road out of the capital that has never been upgraded.
The comment from Jerry Buttimer comes following a query from Wicklow TD Edward Timmins who had called for the upgrade to be included as part of the review of the National Development Plan (NDP) which was published over the summer, but the future of the scheme remains unclear.
Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien previously told Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady that the N81 Tallaght to Hollywood upgrade was not included among the projects identified in the updated NDP that was published in 2021.
As such, until a full review takes place, the advancement of the proposed scheme cannot be accommodated in the National Roads Programme.”
The scheme was not included in projects identified in 2019 for development during the 2018-2027 period of the NDP, meaning it will face delays until at least 2027.
Despite failing to commit to a timeline for the works, Minister Buttimer outlined the projects that have been funded on the N81 in recent years, including pavement resurfacing works in several locations and a road realignment scheme at Knockroe Bends south of Blessington.
Road safety interventions on the N81 have also received funding allocations this year. This includes an allocation of €400,000 for a realignment of the section of the N81 at Hangman’s Bend, near Stratford-on-Slaney. Technical advisors have been appointed to develop this scheme through a planning application.
Funding has also been allocated to provide traffic calming measures on the N81 adjacent to Hollywood village with the construction contract awarded on July 1, 2025, as well as for smaller safety interventions at Blessington and Baltinglass.
Works at Hollywood are under way and will include a new bus stop, improving safety for public transport users.
In addition, Wicklow County Council is procuring contractors to undertake localised resurfacing of sections of the N81 to address poor road surfaces or areas of substandard skidding resistance.
The funding provided to Wicklow County Council for regional and local roads in 2025 also included an allocation for the northern section of the Blessington Inner Relief Road which would assist with traffic flow in the Blessington area, including on the N81.