No Major Road Projects until 2016/2017 - Varadkar

marmurr1916

Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, has stated that there it is very unlikely that there will be enough money for major new road projects until either 2016 or 2017:

Speaking as he officially turned the sod on two road schemes in Co Westmeath, Mr Varadkar said: “The ability to invest in new road projects is going to be very constrained for the next number of years, probably until about 2016 or 2017.”

Instead the Government will prioritise the maintenance of existing roads through the investment of “a couple of hundred million every year” and improving existing infrastructure. About 30 of these small projects are to take place this year.

As he turned the sod on the N52 Carrick Bridge to Clonfad improvement scheme, Mr Varadkar said similar projects could go ahead. He cited the Ballaghaderreen bypass on the N5, a Newlands Cross upgrade and planned works on the N11 at Rathnew as projects he would like to see this year.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0209/1224311518857.html

so just in time for the election campaign then

the more things change, the more they stay the same

antoobrien

Nothing that hasn't already been announced.

Indo stirring the sh*t again.

mydiscworld

Deleted User wrote: »

so just in time for the election campaign then

the more things change, the more they stay the same

I'm expecting Metro North to rear it's head come election promises time.

road_high

Is Varadkar not directly contridicting himself here...no money for major roads yet the N11 and Newlands are going ahead
And not to forget Enda's N5

Sponge Bob

Small National Secondary schemes such as the 5 or 6 projects under way/starting/just complete on the N52 itself can have a valuable effect on all of Government Backbenchers, Road Safety and Road Utility. That will be a fine road from south of Tullamore to North of Mullingar once the Carrick Bridge to Clonfad scheme is complete. There are other schemes to do north of Mullingar and South of Tullamore.

I drove the length of that road ( Nenagh - Dundalk) around 1999 before they bypassed Mullingar Tullamore and Kells and it was a shocker of a National road. You nearly wouldn't recognise half of it in 2 years time....except for Borrisokane Delvin and Birr

lucernarian

Most of the Meath stretch of the N52 is fairly deplorable whenever I used it in the last few years. I don't know the N52 south of Tullamore however.

Sponge Bob

One of the few national roads where they gave up pretending and reduced the speed limit to 80kph.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054968695

Birr to Borrisokane is sh1te but a lot of the land needed to widen it was purchased YEARS ago and sightlines are quite good...considering.

2 of the most important National Secondary Roads are the N52 and N80, they cross connect our motorways as well as providing an Outer Leinster Orbital. A wee jobbie should be done on each of them ever year until they are up to an acceptable safe standard.

medoc

South of Tullamore the N52 is of a good standard. The section from Kilcormac to Birr is probably one of the best national secondary routes in the country. From Kilcormac to the Tullamore Bypass it is also of a good enough national secondry standard. Kilbeggan to Tullamore bypass while good and acceptable could do with some work, although well after the meath and tipperary sections are improved.

I used to think that the N52 should be downgraded from Birr to Neenagh but I have changed my mind. The route from Birr to Borrisokane has some fairly straight long sections, and doesn't have many houses along side. It wouldnt be a big job to widen these very narrow bits and add a hard shoulder. Borrisokane to Neenagh bypass is mostly ok. Long term a Birr bypass would take you out past Riverstown.