Call for major Offaly road to be reclassified as a national route

FIANNA FAIL General Election candidate for Offaly, Cllr Claire Murray, has called for the R402 to be made a national route in a bid to improve road safety.

Cllr Murray said the regional route, running between Enfield and Tullamore, needs to be reclassified as a national road.

The Offaly native, who is a practice nurse at a local GP surgery, said it has been years since there has been substantial improvements works on the road.

"The R402 is in the dire need of being upgraded to a national route," the Offaly Fianna Fáil candidate said. "Traffic congestion on the road, which runs through Edenderry, is very bad. It is an important route through the county and used by commuters every day.

"There is heavy traffic on the road, which runs through Edenderry. It is hugely important route connecting Enfield with Tullamore.

"Offaly needs better infrastructure.

"The R402 Enfield to Edenderry Road was improved in 2024. But that was ten years ago. Earlier this year about €100,000 was allocated by the government for the upgrade of the Edenderry - R402-1 Junction. That is a miniscule sum and only serves to improve one small section of the road.

"The entire route from Enfield to Tullamore needs to be upgraded. A motion on this matter has already been lodged by Cllr Robert McDermott in Offaly County Council. We now need action.

"I'm calling on the Minister for Transport to reclassify the road and allocate substantial funding to make the road safer for all road users. If re-classified as a national route it would also free up more funding for local regional roads."