Cullen officially opens Kinsalebeg Realignment Road Project

Date: 08 December 2006

Transport Minister, Martin Cullen, T.D. today (Friday, 8th December 2006) officially opened the N25 Kinsalebeg Realignment road project scheme in County Waterford. Built at an estimated cost of €10 million, this new roadway which comprises of 2.6km of standard single carriageway with junctions and access roads has been completed within budget and two months ahead of schedule. The project comes under the Governments Investment Programme Transport 21.

Today’s road opening is one of 14 national road projects open to traffic so far this year around the country. Route by route the national road network is being transformed. The 20th December next sees the opening of the Dublin Port Tunnel and the day after that the N18 Ennis Bypass will open.

At the official opening, Minister Cullen said: “This week, we have had a number of road projects either opened or initiated - the first section of the N6 Kinnegad to Kilbeggan road project was opened on Tuesday and yesterday I was in North Tipperary for the sod-turning on the Nenagh - Limerick N7 road. All these projects are built to a different scale and are located in different parts of the country. What is common to all of these projects, however, including this opening today. Is that they make for safer roads. Road safety is of paramount importance and better quality roads make for easier, safer, road journeys in less time and in less built-up traffic. The fruits of this Government’s transport infrastructure development policies are there to be seen right across the country. Transport 21 is all about access - access gives people the freedom and choice to travel where and when they wish, to obtain the goods they want the services they need.”

There have been other improvements to the N25 in recent years such as the Rathsillagh to Harristown Little Realignment Scheme, the Kilmacthomas and Youghal Bypasses and the recent opening of the N25/ N27 Kinsale Road Interchange. The Minister said: “All these road developments coupled with the construction at present of the Waterford City Bypass will improve greatly the access from the port of Rosslare to Cork, Limerick and the tourist areas of the Southwest. These road improvements will have a very positive impact socially, economically and environmentally on the entire region. The port at Rosslare as you know, facilitates all the major passenger and freight services on the Irish Sea. This port is critically important for this region bringing valuable tourist revenue in to the local communities throughout Waterford and Cork.”

The N25 has been identified in Transport 21 as part of the Atlantic Corridor which runs from Waterford through Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo to Letterkenny. The development of the Atlantic Road Corridor from Letterkenny to Waterford which was a long standing concept in the national roads upgrade programme, is now being transferred into reality by Transport 21.

The Minister said that Transport 21 represents a strengthening of the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Ireland has a transport network to match and support its economy. He added: “We have a buoyant economy as evident and apparent in the Minister for Finance’s Budget for 2007. We have an economy that is working and a country that is at work - and as a result, many people on the move. There are now, for the first time ever, over two million people at work in this country. The objective of Transport 21 is nothing less that a transformation of Ireland’s transport network to match our position in the market place.

Fianna Fáil’s priority in Government is to deliver policies that tackle these challenges and in doing so, make life easier for commuters thereby enhancing the quality of life for people, the Minister added.

Mr. Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority said: “The Government’s visionary Transport 21 plan is an ambitious undertaking that will address Ire;and’s critical transport needs over the coming decade. A core element of his plan is the development of the Atlantic Road Corridor, which runs from Letterkenny through Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. This year alone, the NRA has invested over €136 million in the development of this strategic route, and along with today’s opening, substantial construction work is currently underway on ‘state of the art’ schemes such as the Ennis Bypass, the Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase 2, incorporating the provision of an immersed tube tunnel under the Shannon and the Waterford City Bypass. The NRA is now well positioned to deliver national road schemes on time and within budget and the ongoing development of this corridor will facilitate the expansion of business and tourism in the south west, west and north west of Ireland with the provision of high quality national roads.

The Minister also called for extra safety measures to be taken by road users as we approach Christmas. “I would like to remind road users that drink driving is not acceptable. If you want to have a drink this Christmas leave the car keys at home and make alternative arrangements. Have respect for your own life and the lives of others and do not drink and drive. I would also ask drivers not to speed and to always wear a seat belt.

“The latest drink driving statistics available from An Garda Siochána show that from 6 November - 12 November inclusive, a total of four hundred and forty one (441) drink driving incidents were recorded, compared to 420 the previous week. I would appeal to people not to drink and drive. We must play our part together in stopping the carnage on our roads”, he stated.

Issued by: Michelle Hoctor (01) 6041089 or 087 8563070
Veronica Scanlan (01) 6041087 or 087 6430622