Cullen officially opens N6 Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan & N52 Mullingar to Belvedere national road project

Date: 16 May 2007

Today, (Wednesday, 16 May 2007) sees the completion of two more national road projects under the Government’s investment programme Transport 21. Transport Minister, Martin Cullen officially opened the N6 Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan and the N52 Mullingar to Belvedere schemes, both of which have been completed ahead of schedule and within budget.

The N6 Tyrellspass to Kilbeggan scheme completes Phase I of the Kinnegad to Kilbeggan 28 kms project on the main Dublin to Galway road and bypasses the towns of Miltownpass, Rochfortbridge and Tyrrellspass, while removing over 10,000 vehicles from these towns daily. The Kinnegad to Tyrrellspass section and the N52 realignment section was officially opened in December 2006, one year ahead of schedule. The contractor in charge of the N6 Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan project was Ascon Ltd. The engineering company responsible was Roughan & O’Donovan /WSP Joint Venture.

The N52 Mullingar to Belvedere project comprises just over 4 kms running from the Mullingar Bypass at Tullanisky and connects to the N52 at Carrick, improving the link with the town of Tullamore and improving the connections between Mullingar and Athlone. The contractor responsible for the project was P.T. McWilliams Ltd and Halcrow Barry Ltd were the engineers involved.

Speaking in Westmeath, Minister Cullen said: “I am delighted to be in Westmeath today to officially open the N6 Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan project that is 6 months ahead of schedule. This project which is part of the East/West Strategic Road Corridor is another major step in the improvement of road infrastructure serving the west of Ireland. Coupled with the ongoing major road improvements on the N4, this project will greatly improve access to and will have a very positive impact economically and socially on the BMW region. It will also provide better access to and from airports and ports.”

Minister Cullen spoke on the progress being made on the Galway to Dublin route. People can now travel a distance of 83 kms on continuous motorway and high quality dual carriageway from Dublin to Kilbeggan. Work is well advanced on Phase II of the Kinnegad/Athlone project with contract due for completion next year. Earlier this month the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe - a scheme of 56kms - began construction. In addition, the tender process for the Design and Build contract for the Athlone/Ballinasloe scheme has commenced with a view to starting construction next year. Overall the National Roads Authority are targeting full completion of the N6 route by 2010.

On the N52 Mullingar to Belvedere project, Minister Cullen said: “This project will have many benefits, including the development of the Midlands region as outlined under the Government’s National Spatial Strategy. In the Midlands Region, Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar are the selected linked Gateways, where two or more strong towns work in partnership to promote economic and social development in their region. The Gateways will offer the opportunity for developing national and regional scale activities and provide alternatives to Dublin. It is essential that the transport infrastructure between the linked Gateway towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar is of a high standard in order to meet the requirements of the National Spatial Strategy. The N52 Mullingar/Belvedere will improve the link with the town of Tullamore (also on the N52) and will similarly benefit connections between Mullingar and Athlone via the N52 and N6. A key feature of Transport 21, and one which deserves to be highlighted, is the fact that it has been specifically developed to promote more balanced regional development.

Minister Cullen continued: “The opening of this project and the N6 Tyrrellspass to Kilbeggan today together with the many others which are ongoing in every region of the country are the clearest possible evidence of this Government’s commitment, under the ambitious framework of the National Development Plan and Transport 21 to the continuing transformation of Ireland’s transport infrastructure.

“Many factors contribute to the capacity of an area or region to grow and develop. A well educated workforce, a strong research and development base, a good well functioning physical infrastructure, an entrepreneurial culture, good public services are essential elements. A good transport infrastructure is a necessity. This Government has, accordingly, prioritised investment in road infrastructure in recent years.”

The Minister congratulated all involved in the management, design and construction of the two projects.

Mr Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority said: “The completion of this scheme on the N6 is another step forward in bringing the West closer to Dublin. The opening of the Tyrellspass to Kilbeggan section completes phase one of the N6 Kinnegad to Athlone scheme and construction is well underway on phase two -Kilbeggan to Athlone. There is more good news for drivers in the west as work has now started on the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe project- the second largest road contract in the history of the state. This will improve access between the east and west boosting industry along with traditional and business tourism. As we face intense foreign competition in these areas it is now more critical than ever that the country has a high quality national infrastructure in order to maintain the high competitive economic levels that we have achieved in building our strong economy.”

On the Mullingar/Belvedere project, Mr Malone said: “The capital of the Lakelands is now beginning to enjoy the fruits of significant investment from the National Roads Authority towards developing its road network in line with the Government’s policy of promoting regional development. A high quality network of national roads linking regional towns will help breath new life into rural communities ensuring that country life remains a viable option. Today’s opening forms an important extension of the N52 Mullingar Bypass, which provides an eastern bypass of the town while also providing a link to the booming gateway towns of Tullamore and Athlone. The N4 bypass meanwhile eliminates Dublin/Sligo and Dublin/Westport traffic from the town. The N52 has been identified under Transport 21 as an important link from Dundalk on the east coast to Nenagh in Limerick in the southwest. The development of this route will open up commercial opportunities for the Midlands town while improved accessibility will keep it firmly on the tourist map.