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LAST UPDATE | 28 Mar
THE GOVERNMENT HAS pledged €633 million towards improvement works on existing national roads.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien announced today that his department is allocating the funds to road renewal works, as well as to progression works on outstanding road infrastructure projects.
The figure represents an increase of €92 million on the funding package provided last year.
Some of the roads set to benefit from the latest announcement include the Adare Bypass, the Galway City Ring Road, N/M20 Cork to Limerick, N4 Mullingar to Longford and N17 Knock to Collooney.
Speaking about the cash injection, Minister O’Brien said: “The allocations I’m announcing today will enable multiple new road projects on the national road network to progress, including those that are at or close to construction.
“This will improve regional connectivity, support economic development, and remove traffic from towns and communities across the country – making the roads safer for all users.”
The Department of Transport says that the national road funding under the current National Development Plan is set to increase throughout the remainder of the decade.
Of the €633 million sum pledged, €502 million will come from Exchequer funds through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) this year.
An additional €98 million for national roads works will be sourced from public-private partnerships – contracts between Government and private companies to contribute significant funding for infrastructure projects.
Another €33 million will be provided by local authorities for the purpose of national road maintenance.
The money from TII funds will go towards renewing the existing national road network, completing new or near-complete road construction and progressing road construction waiting in the pipeline.
Among the major new national road projects funded are the Adare Bypass, the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge, and the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy.
Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer, said:
“I appreciate the important role played by the national road network in ensuring that all parts of Ireland are connected to each other.
He continued: “The funding announced today will serve to safeguard and improve this vital national asset for all our citizens.”
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, the Minister also provided the latest update on the Metrolink North project. He said work at the sites of the tracks has begun in the form of initial investigations and site surveys.
A recent ministerial briefing detailed that the total cost of the project could reach up to €23 billion.
Asked to justify the cost, O’Brien said the metro will be “critical” for job creation, economic growth and result in a high-standard and modern transport system. He said planning is at “a very advanced stage” and there is a need for the underground metro.
“I would expect the railway procurement order to be granted this year, hopefully in October. After that, we’ll move to a competitive tendering situation,” he said.
“There’s a lot of interest internationally in this project, and we have got to, as a state, look at the mechanisms of how we can fund this project. This will fund economic development, further growth for our country as well.”
He could not provide a detailed timeline for when construction will get underway, claiming that he will have no control over the length of the competitive tendering processes. He said, however, that the project will need investment.
“It will pay for itself over a sustained period of time.”
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