Cullen turns sod on Limerick bypass

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WWW.TRANSPORT21.IE

Another key Transport 21 project got underway today (Thursday, 26th October 2006) as Transport Minister, Martin Cullen, T.D. turned the sod on Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase 2. The project comprises 10 kms of dual carriageway and 900m of Shannon tunnel and is due to be completed in 2010.

It is the fifth PPP project to be undertaken and will be funded through private finance and the Irish Government under Transport 21. Located on the N7, it forms part of the Major Interurban Corridor - Limerick to Dublin - as well as part of the Atlantic Corridor. Direct Route Ltd have been awarded the contract - it was also involved in the construction of the M8 Rathcormac/Fermoy Bypass.

Speaking at the sod turning ceremony, Minister Cullen said: “Today’s scheme represents another important step in the upgrading of the major inter-urban road corridors under the Transport 21 Programme. The development of the Atlantic Road Corridor which runs from Letterkenny to Waterford has been a long standing concept in the national roads upgrade programme and is re-enforced under Transport 21. The new road will complete the Southern Ring Road in accordance with the objective of the development plans for Limerick County, Clare County and Limerick City Council. It will improve travel on the National Primary network and offer better access to the greater Limerick area.”

When complete, the Southern Ring Road Phase 2 is expected to remove up to 25,000 vehicles every day from Limerick city, reducing congestion and improving environmental standards. It will provide traffic relief in residential areas in the city and county of Limerick and will allow the city centre to develop in accordance with the Limerick Planning Land Use and Transportation Study, which defines the ‘Gateway Vision’ statement for the greater Limerick area. In addition, it will help improve road safety in Limerick city - building the new road will help reduce traffic fatalities and help reduce the number of minor and serious accidents and resulting injuries.

Minister Cullen added: “Furthermore, it will progress economic development and facilitate competitiveness in the transport of goods through the improvement in overall transit times, safety levels and level of service.”
There has been major investment in roads in the Limerick area in recent years including the completion of Phase 1 of the Southern Ring Road, Adare/Patrickswell/Limerick, the N20 Croom Bypass, the construction of the N18 Ennis Bypass due to be completed in 2007 and the N7 Nenagh to Limerick Scheme due to commence shortly.

The Minister also said: “Building on the work done in upgrading our transport infrastructure in recent years, Transport 21 represents an intensification and strengthening of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Ireland has a transport network to match and support its buoyant economy. Transport 21 is transforming Ireland’s transport network. This is vital from both an economic and a social perspective. A good transport system is necessary for competitiveness, more balanced regional development and job creation.

“The Limerick Southern Ring Road is one of 10 projects that make up the National Roads Public Private Partnership programme. Securing private finance accelerates the delivery of the National Roads Construction Programme without which regional development and continued economic growth would not be effectively addressed. The National Roads PPP programme is proving very successful in attracting private finance with almost €1 billion having been committed from the five PPP contracts awarded to date”, stated the Minister.

He wished everyone involved with the project every success in their work.

Mr Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority said: “The new Limerick Southern Ring Road will assist greatly in allowing for the continued economic growth for the entire Mid-West region. This project is a catalyst for Limerick city and county, Shannon Airport and County Clare to continue their collective regional growth in all areas of enterprise. I look forward to being invited back in four years at the opening of the new project.”

Finally, the Minister asked all who will be driving over the coming Bank Holiday weekend to do so with extra care. “The latest statistics published today show that driver fatigue could be a contributing factor to one fifth of driver deaths on our roads. The fact is that speeding kills; drink driving kills and not wearing a seatbelt kills. Add driver fatigue to any one of these and the risk of road fatality is still greater. Today, there are families and friends still coming to terms with the loss of their loved ones through road accidents who were with them this day last week. There are many more missing their loved ones also. I urge all drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to make this weekend be the marker from which they will drive with care and courtesy for others”, concluded the Minister.

ENDS

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Chris_533976

I thought this had already started??? Theres been a LOT of clearance and earthworks coming up to one of the roundabouts on the Shannon side recently, big enough for DC.

Though if Im right the scheme ends at a roundabout

Anyone got a scheme map floating around?

mike65

www.nra.ie should have something. It can't be completed quick enough.

Mike.

spacetweek

mike65 wrote:

www.nra.ie should have something. It can't be completed quick enough.

Mike.

This has a crap map. I've never seen anything better though.

Lo and behold, it does appear to end at a roundabout! If you read the list of structures, it says that the N18 junction is an "underbridge". I think what will happen is that N18 will pass through, but as you approach the junction from the N7, you'll come to a roundabout and have to do a spin to continue your journey.

Bleh!!

Mr E

Looks like its the roundabout beside the SouthHilton too (which is a f**king nightmare at peak times already!). Yay planners.... pat on the back.

mike65

Cheap! They are spending hundreds of millions and they still cut corners. If poeple are quick a campaign aimed at the NRA and local TDS might be worthwhile.

Mike.

Chris_533976

Good ole Zoney from Sabre is building a nice site

Seems they're replacing the median crossings at the Radisson & two mile inn with TWO ROUNDABOUTS.


MORONS

http://www.skynet.ie/~zoney/roads/projects/n7_srr2.html