M18 - Gort to Crusheen

More than €85 million for Galway’s national roads

by Una Sinnott

Galway is to receive more than €85 million in funding for work on national roads in the city and county this year, including substantial allocations for the new N6, N17, N18, and the Galway City Outer Bypass. The funding was announced this week under the 2007 National Roads Programme.

Funding totalling €35 million has been allocated for the N6 from Galway to Ballinasloe, including bypasses of Oranmore and Ballinasloe. Work on the new 56 kilometre stretch of road is due to begin this year and is expected to be completed in 2010. Work on the section of the N6 between Ballinasloe and Athlone will begin next year.

Funding has also been made available for the planning phase of Galway’s other proposed new national roads, with a €1.5 million allocation for the planning process for the Galway City Outer Bypass. A total of €5 million has been put aside for land acquisition for the N17 Tuam bypass, and €1.5 million has been provided for the compulsory purchase order process for the N17 between Galway and Tuam. Funding to the tune of €2 million has been provided for land acquisition on the new N18 from Oranmore to Gort, along with €4 million for land acquisition and archaeological works on the N18 from Gort to Crusheen.

The Galway County Council will receive a total of €84,516,224 under the programme, of which €3.25 million will go towards maintenance works. The Galway City Council has been allocated €1,368,000, with €518,000 going towards maintenance.

Significant allocations in Connemara include €1 million for a new bridge over the river in Oughterard, and €780,000 for planning the Moycullen bypass and eastern approach overlay. A total of €800,000 has also been allocated for the design phase of the realignment work on the road between Clifden and Rosleague.

Minister of State for Equality Frank Fahey welcomed the funding, which he said was the largest single annual investment in the country’s roads infrastructure in the history of the State. The Minister said he hoped that work on the Ennis to Galway Road and the Galway City Outer Bypass would be proceeded with together as one project and he pointed out that yesterday’s allocations were a step in the right direction.

“Significant moneys have now been allocated for land and site investigations, including archaeological investigations,” he said. “This is the critical expenditure required prior to a project going to tender and it indicates that the Atlantic corridor is a high priority for the Government in terms of getting projects started.”

Meanwhile Cllr Seamus Walsh has welcomed the allocation of €400,000 for the reconstruction of the eastern approach road to Oughterard from the graveyard to Ardvarna. He said this road was the worst section of the N59, and he thanked Minister Fahey who, along with other Fianna Fáil councillors in Connemara, met with the NRA to seek funding for roads in the area.

“Furthermore €1 million has also been granted for the building of a new bridge alongside the existing bridge near the catholic church,” he said. “This will add greatly to traffic and pedestrian safety

The contract involves the supply and erection of approximately 23 kilometres of temporary boundary fencing, the felling of all of the trees on the site and clearance of all hedgerows along the proposed

route of the N18 Gort to Crusheen Dual Carriageway.

Hedgerows and tree removal are necessary to prevent nesting of birds along the proposed route, in advance of road construction, which is scheduled to commence Summer 2008. The felling of trees and clearance of hedgerows is restricted to the time period between the 24th of September 2007 and the 14th of December 2007 to take into account nesting birds. This may also restrict the installation of fencing in areas where hedgerow clearance is required prior to erecting of fences. The Tender is to take into account these restrictions when pricing this contract.

The Tender Drawings identify the extent of the site and required fencing. Additional fencing may be required or changes to the type of fencing may be required where instructed by the Engineer.

The full scope of the Works and the obligations of the Contractor are to be ascertained by reference to the Contract as a whole.

The estimated cost of the works excluding v.a.t is € 700,000.

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I have just been informed that this road is not now proceeding this year or next or any other year UNLESS the NRA can organise a tolled PPP scheme . I know it was announced in January that it would be but that is not the case today .

Same with Gort -Athenry until the Gort - Crusheen scheme status is finalised.

Athenry - Tuam cancelled although this may now mean a Claregalway bypass actually has a chance of being built as a cheap alternative.

Galway Outer Bypass will be tolled if it ever gets the go ahead from Bord Pleanala.

What's totally amazing is that Frank Fahey has a really important job in Transport and of course he knew all this but he never bothered telling his constituents that this was happening at all or why ?????

You may also notice that Frank has pulled his Bypass Website seeing as it looks somewhat unlikely to be built now . Frank does not want any comments about his complete failure in the transport sphere.

Not that I heard anything but I will give the rail corridor two chances of being built with Frank on the case