Work on the new Monaghan town bypass, designed to end a major traffic bottleneck on the main Dublin/Derry route at the Border town, is to start within a month.
The National Roads Authority (NRA) has said the tendering process has been finalised and the successful contractor for the project is being notified.
NRA chief executive Mr Michael Tobin said the contractor will be "on site" within the next four weeks.
It is estimated that work on the new bypass will take between a year and 15 months to complete.
Meanwhile the chairman of the Border Regional Authority, Cllr Pádraig McNally, said yesterday that despite earlier fears another new bypass on the Dublin/Derry route at Castleblayney might not commence until 2007, there are fresh hopes it could be advanced for commencement in 2005.
Town councillors in Castleblayney are seeking a meeting with the NRA to ensure the project is speeded up, and Monaghan County Council is to present an update on its arrangements with the authority in relation to the position of all bypass schemes in the area, at a meeting today.