It could take up to three years before funding for construction is allocated to the East-West Link that takes in Co Cavan.
The proposal to deliver an upgraded East-West route from Dundalk to Sligo will involve linking elements of the national road network with regional roads along as direct a route as possible.
At a recent Cavan County Council meeting, Senior Engineer John McKernan informed councillors that the best that could be hoped for in terms of funding for the project this year would be money for consultants "to start the process".
Should funding for consultants come on stream this year, councillors were told it would be "two or three years down the line before we get money for construction".
Councillors were also told that the work will not be done from "A to B", but will be done on a "section-by-section basis" according to which sections "have the highest collision risks".
