A €115 million bypass of a key route serving the Border and north west regions of the country was given the green light today.
The first sod was turned on the construction of the N2 national primary route connecting Dublin to Derry, Donegal and the north west.
On the Clontibret-Castleblayney bypass, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said: "In recent years, the volumes of commercial and other vehicles travelling through Castleblayney and Clontibret have caused severe congestion and delays.
"The bypass will provide increased through-traffic capacity to the west of Castleblayney, while returning the town to its people. It will enhance the quality of life in the town and will also allow the visitor and local person alike to enjoy even more of the wonderful recreational facilities of the Lough Muckno area which has been aptly called the `Killarney of the North'."
Mr Cullen said the Monaghan Bypass project, which is scheduled to open next year, the nearly-completed Ashbourne Bypass and the Carrickmacross project would ensure the N2 is a high quality route.
Peter Malone, chairman of the National Roads Authority (NRA), said a major transformation of the road network serving the north east and north west of the country was now taking place.
"The road design incorporates safe two-lane overtaking zones that alternate between carriageways at about two km intervals. Experience in other countries, notably Sweden, shows that this road type can reduce road accident fatalities by 50%," he said.
A safety barrier separates the traffic streams to prevent overtaking manoeuvres on the single-lane sections and right turns will only be permitted at specific junctions to enhance safety.
"The National Roads Authority is advancing a programme of similar roads here as part of its commitment to saving lives and reducing the incidence of road accidents. The North East and Co Monaghan, in particular, have benefited from the opening of the Carrickmacross bypass earlier this year," Mr Malone said.
"The Castleblayney scheme is a further welcome addition to the road infrastructure of the area, which also stands to gain from the scheduled completion next year of the Monaghan Bypass Phase One."
Mr Cullen said strategic roads to the north-west and the Atlantic Corridor running from Letterkenny to Waterford via Sligo, Galway, Limerick and Cork would be upgraded under the Government's €34.4 billion, Transport 21.
He said targeted improvement and renewal works would be undertaken over the period of Transport 21 on key national secondary routes such as the N52 from Dundalk to Nenagh.
Mr Cullen said rural areas within the border region would benefit from the upgrading of regional bus services and the placing of the Rural Transport Initiative on a permanent footing from 2007.
Gama-Tubin Construction Ltd is to commence work on the rural transport project immediately and it is due to be completed in Autumn 2007.
The minister said funding for the rural transport projects would be doubled by 2007.