Transport Minister Leo Varadkar turned the first sod on the project on 2 November 2012, and the road opened on 2 September 2014. Longford bypass This is a standard single carriageway link between the N4 and the existing N5. It provides a bypass to the northwest of Longford town so that traffic between Dublin and Mayo no longer has to pass through Longford town centre. The scheme includes rail and river bridge crossings and access is restricted to the roundabouts at either end of the scheme. Construction commenced in April 2011 and the road opened to traffic on 3 August 2012. Charlestown bypass An long single carriageway bypass of Charlestown, from east of Carracastle to the end of the Swinford bypass at Cloonlara, began construction in March 2006 and opened on 2 November 2007. It cost €81 million to build. It is named the John Healy Road in honour of the late Irish Times journalist who wrote about the economic decline of Charlestown in the 1960s. Scramoge – Cloonmore An stretch of standard single carriageway between Strokestown and Longford commenced construction in September 2001 and was officially opened on 10 May 2004 at a cost of €21 million. The project includes two river bridges, one rail bridge, 500 metres of culverts and 600,000 cubic metres of earthworks - including excavation of 350,000 cubic metres of peat. Swinford bypass A single carriageway bypass of Swinford was completed in 1993. It incorporates a major junction with the N26 road to Ballina. Castlebar – Turlough This single carriageway includes a bypass of Turlough village and a relief road around Castlebar. It opened in 1990. Schemes in planning or construction Westport – Turlough (under construction) This project will comprise a new 20km dual carriageway from Westport to the existing N5 near Turlough, bypassing Castlebar, as well as a single carriageway relief road around Westport and the realignment of 2.5km of the N59 road north of the town. An Bórd Pleanala approved the route in May 2014. Contracts were signed in October 2019 for the construction of the project. It is due to be completed in late 2022. Scramoge – Ballaghaderreen The project involves the upgrade of the N5 in Co Roscommon between Rathkeery at the eastern end of the Ballaghaderreen bypass and Scramoge, east of Strokestown. It will bypass Frenchpark, Bellanagare, Tulsk and Strokestown. The planned route, a stretch of single carriageway, was approved