Double Road Opening for Mid-West
31st May, 2004
Double Road Opening for Mid-West
The driving experience in the Mid-West will never be the same again according to the National Roads Authority (NRA), which is good news for motorists in Limerick City and those using the national road network to travel to the South and South West. Today heralds a new phase in the improvement of the roads network in the region with the official opening of the first phase of the Limerick Southern Ring Road by the Minister for Transport, Mr. Seamus Brennan T.D. Minister Brennan also opened the N7 Parkway Scheme.
The €106m Limerick Southern Ring Road project is an integral element of the overall strategy that will form a bypass of Limerick City extending from the N7 Dublin road. The opening of the first phase will significantly advance this strategy by linking 4 of the 6 national roads converging on Limerick – N20 road to Cork, N21 serving Killarney and Tralee, the N24 to Waterford and the N7 Dublin road according to Mr. Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority.
At today’s official opening Mr. Malone said,
“The opening of these two schemes in the transport infrastructure of the Mid-West will mean major time savings for long distance commuters, up to 30 minutes at peak times, while providing an effective bypass to the south and east of Limerick City, thereby providing efficient, uninterrupted travel past what was a major bottleneck on the network reducing journey times. At a local level the City will benefit socially, commercially and environmentally from the elimination of through traffic (10,000 vehicles daily). Further improvements are in the pipeline for Limerick. The commencement of Phase 2 of the Limerick Southern Ring Road will provide a tunnel crossing under the Shannon and onward connection to link to the N18 Ennis Galway Road. The completion of this scheme forms part of the strategic plan to provide over 190 km of motorway/high quality dual carriageway from Dublin to Limerick. In 2004 the Authority has allocated over €150 million to the N7 in order to advance schemes on this important national primary corridor. This substantial investment will see the completion of the Monasterevin Bypass motorway before Christmas, thus providing continuous motorway/high quality dual carriageway from Dundalk on the M1 to south of Portlaoise on the M7, a distance of 159 km. Work will also commence on the construction of interchanges and the provision of an extra lane in each direction on the N7 from Rathcoole to the Naas Bypass motorway.”
Phase 1 of the Limerick Southern Ring Road from Rosbrien to Annacotty includes 9.5 km of dual carriageway, 3.5 km of national primary single carriageway as well as 4.8 km of side roads, 3 junctions and 13 bridges.
Mr. Michael Tobin, Chief Executive of the NRA, said,
“The N7 route, which forms part of the Trans European Road Network, is one of the key 5 inter-urban routes to be developed to motorway/high quality dual carriageway standard as set out in the Government’s National Development Plan 2000-2006. The Authority is committed to delivering on this policy objective recognising the importance of the N7 in tourism terms and commercially. The N7 is one of the busiest National Primary Routes in the country carrying up to 60,000 vehicles per day, one fifth of which are commercial further highlighting the routes strategic importance to the economy of the Mid- West.”
In relation to the N7 Parkway Scheme Mr. Tobin said,
“The opening today of a 1 km section of the N7 in Limerick City between the Parkway Roundabout and Plassey Road Junction will substantially improve traffic movement in the area. This €6m re-aligned section of the N7 carries 35,000 vehicles per day and consists of 1 km of 4-lane undivided dual carriageway. The simultaneous opening of both of these schemes will have a significant impact on local and regional development enhancing the growth and competitiveness of Limerick and the Mid-West region as a whole.”
Mr. Tobin added,
“The major overhaul of Limerick’s infrastructure does not stop here. The second phase of the Limerick Southern Ring Road, which is being advanced as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project, will complete a new high quality national roads network in the environs of Limerick City. Phase 2 will link the Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase 1 and the N20 Cork/Tralee Road with the N18 Ennis Road. The scheme will involve a 900 m tunnel crossing under the River Shannon and 10 km of dual carriageway. A decision by An Bord Pleanála for this scheme is awaited and tendering for the PPP contract will be advanced shortly and it is expected that the contract will be awarded towards the latter part of 2005.”
Both schemes were funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, with part funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
Please click here for a map of N7 Limerick Southern Ring Road (Phase 1)
For further information please contact
Michael Egan, Head of Corporate Affairs
01 660 25 11 ext. 210
087 285 4033
or
Caroline O’Brien, Communications Officer
01 6602511 Ext. 254
086 6049430