EU wonder why West infrastructure is being ignored

yer man! · 30-08-2013 1:08pm #1

Just read in the galway tribune that the EU sent a letter to the Dept of transport enquiring about why they haven't applied for funding for infrastructure projects in the west. They think the west never got a fair share of regional development funding in recent years and are urging them to apply for funds for the Atlantic corridor, rail corridor and more. Why the hell hasn't local govt pushed for this in the past....?

http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/1193-eu-has-to-beg-government-to-seek-funds-for-the-west

30-08-2013 1:18pm

Will they also pay the many many millions a reopened western rail corridor would lose every year?

I'm going to take this with a pinch of salt.

yer man! · 30-08-2013 1:20pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Will they also pay the many many millions a reopened western rail corridor would lose every year?

I'm going to take this with a pinch of salt.

Granted I don't agree with the railway funding but some more money going into roads would be nice.

ScumLord · 30-08-2013 1:52pm

yer man! wrote: »

Granted I don't agree with the railway funding but some more money going into roads would be nice.

Yeah, especially since all the plans have been drawn up for the roads. All they need to do is fund them.

I'm turned off going anywhere near Galway these days and usually only go in if I have to for work. Personally I avoid the place because the traffics always so bad.

nuac · 30-08-2013 2:31pm

1. Unless some major changes take place in the economics of road/rail transport, I cannot see much point in opening services from Tuam to Sligo.

2. A better use might be a Cycle Greenway as from Westport to Achill - which is a great success.

3. Much investment is still need for roads - surprised if it has not been sought.

E.g. the N5 from Castlebar to Westport has been waiting for years

Wompa1 · 30-08-2013 2:51pm

A Luas type deal would be pretty cool. Out to where B&Q is by Knocknacarra into Eyre Square and out to Salthill. Another one going from Eyre Square out to the East of the city would be great too. The invest in affordable parking around the city. But that probably only made sense when the economy was good. Even then we didn't really have the volume. But still, pipe dreams

Iwannahurl · 30-08-2013 4:19pm

Curious that the EU should be trying to throw money at us. Still, perhaps we could avail of some new EU funds to undo the damage caused by the way EU funds were used in the past, such as this hideous blot on the landscape (and no, I don't just mean the sign).

30-08-2013 4:38pm

I think this is the petition:

Petition 836/2012 by Martin Cunniffe (Irish), on behalf of West On Track, on the
lack of transparency and fairness in transport policy in Ireland
Speakers: the Chair, Martin Cunniffee (petitioner), Helen Rochford-Brennan
(petitioner), Paul O'Connor (petitioner), Peter Declan Bowen-Walsh (petitioner),
Stephen Langley (Commission), Martina Anderson, Marian Harkin, and Jim Higgins.
Decision: keep open; consider in light of the forthcoming fact-finding visit to Ireland in the
second half of 2013; request a written opinion from the Committee on Transport and Tourism
(TRAN); ask the Commission to provide figures on the breakdown of funds disbursed; send a
letter to the Irish Minister of Transport.

Eeden · 30-08-2013 5:59pm

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Curious that the EU should be trying to throw money at us. Still, perhaps we could avail of some new EU funds to undo the damage caused by the way EU funds were used in the past, such as this hideous blot on the landscape (and no, I don't just mean the sign).

(Slightly OT but) I'd also love to know why after all these years it is still called the Western Distributor Road. Can't anyone think of a name for it?

snubbleste · 30-08-2013 6:07pm

Pádraig Conneely Boulevard

Eeden · 30-08-2013 6:14pm

snubbleste wrote: »

Pádraig Conneely Boulevard

:eek:

IS_a_Class · 30-08-2013 8:03pm

galway needs a running track on the east side of the city. bloody disgraceful state of affairs for athletes to have to struggle through traffic out to dangan

Mrs OBumble · 30-08-2013 8:06pm

Eeden wrote: »

(Slightly OT but) I'd also love to know why after all these years it is still called the Western Distributor Road. Can't anyone think of a name for it?

Cos us foriegners can pronounce that. I also call bothar na dreath (however its spelt) the Eastern Distributor Road.

emptybladder · 30-08-2013 8:09pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Cos us foriegners can pronounce that. I also call bothar na dreath (however its spelt) the Eastern Distributor Road.

Referred to by many as the Eastern Approach Road. Or the 'Ibis' dual carriageway (although not a dualler)

gordongekko · 30-08-2013 8:21pm

IS_a_Class wrote: »

galway needs a running track on the east side of the city. bloody disgraceful state of affairs for athletes to have to struggle through traffic out to dangan

they could always run to it. There were plans to build one in athenry but the bust put pay to that

Iwannahurl · 30-08-2013 9:21pm

gordongekko wrote: »

they could always run to it.

Or not. I know someone working in NUIG who drives to Dangan to go for a run.

Amirani · 30-08-2013 9:23pm

IS_a_Class wrote: »

galway needs a running track on the east side of the city. bloody disgraceful state of affairs for athletes to have to struggle through traffic out to dangan

I laughed. :P

Mrs OBumble · 31-08-2013 10:40am

IS_a_Class wrote: »

galway needs a running track on the east side of the city. bloody disgraceful state of affairs for athletes to have to struggle through traffic out to dangan

Kinda like a racecourse for humans?

gordongekko · 31-08-2013 10:40am

We will probably be looking for a new airport now.

antoobrien · 04-09-2013 1:48pm

They can do us a favour and just say "build that bypass ye were asking us about".:D

Iwannahurl · 05-09-2013 12:28pm

antoobrien wrote: »

They can do us a favour and just say "build that bypass ye were asking us about".:D

antoobrien wrote: »

They can do us a favour and just say "build that bypass ye were asking us about.":D

So good you said it twice.

CowboyTed · 07-09-2013 12:26pm

Bridge across the Corrib at Knockferry...

Cost about 6 million.
Would relieve traffic to the city
Could connect communities of Ougtharard with Headford...
Would making going from West City Galway to North Galway/South Mayo 20 min less during bad traffic...

Castlebar12 · 08-11-2013 7:18pm

nuac wrote: »

1. Unless some major changes take place in the economics of road/rail transport, I cannot see much point in opening services from Tuam to Sligo.

2. A better use might be a Cycle Greenway as from Westport to Achill - which is a great success.

3. Much investment is still need for roads - surprised if it has not been sought.

E.g. the N5 from Castlebar to Westport has been waiting for years

N5 Castlebar would be great. Funding has already been approved for the Greenway to extend to the National Museum in Castlebar.

L1011 · 08-11-2013 10:27pm

They need to sort Ballaghadereen to Strokestown (or totally reroute) before any further west makes sense

Paddico · 13-11-2013 1:59pm

CowboyTed wrote: »

Bridge across the Corrib at Knockferry...

Cost about 6 million.
Would relieve traffic to the city
Could connect communities of Ougtharard with Headford...
Would making going from West City Galway to North Galway/South Mayo 20 min less during bad traffic...

Does anyone know the situation with the Galway by pass and if it will ever go ahead.
Roads improvements, rail and cycle lanes aside this is something that is a must for the city

Eeden · 13-11-2013 2:28pm

Responsibility has been passed from the City to the County Council, I've heard, and I think they pretty much have to start from scratch. It should be a while...

antoobrien · 13-11-2013 2:42pm

Paddico wrote: »

Does anyone know the situation with the Galway by pass and if it will ever go ahead.

They intend in having an application under IORPI to ABP by end of 2015. There are artciles in the two local city based papers published this week (and probably the other ones by the weekend).

http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/1738-council-renews-aim-to-have-bypass-open-by-2019

http://galwayindependent.com/20131113/news/bypass-by-2019-S27586.html

Eeden wrote: »

Responsibility has been passed from the City to the County Council, I've heard, and I think they pretty much have to start from scratch. It should be a while...

Not really - there may be some changes, might not be the exact same route (e.g. might have to change if they want to add a junction for the Tuam Rd as mentioned in one of the articles).

“It may be on the same route, it may not,” he said, adding that the council had identified a number of areas where the original design my be improved, including providing a junction onto the Tuam Road.

13-11-2013 5:36pm

I never understood why they didn't include a junction with the N17 originally

antoobrien · 14-11-2013 9:52am

Deleted User wrote: »

I never understood why they didn't include a junction with the N17 originally

They did route selection in 2001, at the time it seems that there was no need for an N17 junction.

I hope what they do is to move the route enough so that they can put in a combined N17 & N84 junction with link roads between to the roads, rather than two junctions off the project.

L1011 · 14-11-2013 3:50pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I never understood why they didn't include a junction with the N17 originally

Expection was (and it looks like it will be the case) that the N17 would be an R-road by the time the bypass opened, due to the M17. Probably still needs a junction anyway.

robd · 15-11-2013 12:14pm

The article is mis-leading. It says West of Ireland when really it means only Connaught. There is no case for rail in Connaught, it doesn't have the population density nor will it.

With regard to the Atlantic Corridor (a dual carriageway/motorway), the section that is most important is Cork to Limerick. I don't think EU funding covers this region as it's not part of BMW, but I could be wrong. This section is at least a decade off being built. The section North of Galway is irrelevant until this section is built. It's about priority.

EU wonder why West infrastructure is being ignored

Comments