POSTED 23.11.2023
I wish I wasn’t on the N17!
StoryLab recently worked with Sligo Chamber of Commerce and Ireland West Airport Knock on their call to upgrade the N17 road between Collooney and Ireland West Airport.
In a hard-hitting message, the Chamber and the Airport jointly called on the Government to fund the crumbling route which, they say, is failing to meet the needs of people today.
Neglecting to do so, they say, would represent a significant failure to honour repeated promises to advance economic development and make Sligo a compact growth centre.
StoryLab created a video showing the current, often treacherous conditions of the N17 and highlighted references to upgrading the route in the National Development Plan, published in 2021.
That document identified 55km of new high-standard, dual-carriageway between Collooney and Ireland West.
The road is essential for the economic development of counties including Sligo and Mayo and all along the Western and North Western Atlantic seaboard.
As well as a targeted social media campaign to highlight the video and encourage people to share it, we worked with the Chamber on a press release for national and regional media.
Sligo Chamber CEO Aidan Doyle, whose organisation represents more than 300 businesses including multinational companies, said the N17 was the main artery and regional link connecting Galway to Ireland West Airport and Sligo.
He added: “We have a simple message for the Government – fund the N17 upgrade now. The people of this region are not looking for a new road but one that is wider, smarter, safer, and designed to meet today’s needs – not yesterday’s.”
Commenting, Ireland West Airport Managing Director Joe Gilmore, said the upgrade of the road was a ‘critical enabler’ to support future growth at the airport and in the North West.