Cullen turns sod on Carlow Bypass

Date: 11 May 2006

Delivery in 24 months will remove 9000 vehicles from Carlow's streets

N9 Waterford to Dublin Motorway to take 56-minutes off journey

The new 19km Carlow Bypass project started today (11th May, 2006) and will see over 9,000 vehicles a day removed from Carlow's streets. The project, which will be completed in just 24-months, is also another major step in the N9 Waterford to Dublin Motorway. The N9 will open in 2010 and take 56-minutes off the Waterford to Dublin journey.

Speaking in Carlow where he turned the sod on the Bypass, Transport Minister, Martin Cullen said: "Inside the next three and a half years, we will build 110km of new road from Waterford to Dublin and in doing so, transform the lives of people who have been taking this journey for many years.

"The Carlow Bypass becomes the second leg of the N9 to have started, with the Waterford City Bypass now also in construction. The Carlow to Waterford section is next, with work to start on the first stage of this section later this year. The final leg, Carlow to Kilcullen and Carlow to Knocktopher which are well advanced and through statutory procedure stage, will follow. These projects and the newly improved Naas Road only weeks away from completion, mean that by 2010, 56-minutes will be knocked off the journey from Waterford to Dublin. That's real improvement."

Minister Cullen said many people would gain from the Carlow Bypass. He said: "It will mean time savings of 30 minutes to people in peak time journeys. 9,000 vehicles a day, many of them large trucks, will be removed from Carlow town, freeing up streets like Barrack Street, Tullow Street and Dublin Street. This is particularly significant, given the expansion of Carlow as a shopping destination in recent times. It is also important to emphasise again that better roads have a huge road safety dividend."

Minister Cullen also announced an update on the Government's road investment programme. "With the Carlow Bypass now starting, it means work is underway on 25 road projects totalling 234kms. Work will start on 15 new projects this year, trebling the average number of starts in the past three years. 13 other key projects will also be completed this year. And crucially, we are delivering projects, on budget and ahead of schedule.

"Projects like this are not just about tarmac, diggers or concrete. We are not building roads to admire them - we are building them because they make it possible to protect and grow job opportunities and to protect and grow community life in all parts of our country", he said.

Attending the sod turning, NRA Chairman, Peter Malone said: "Work kicks off today on the billion euro road linking Dublin and Waterford which, when completed, will radically transform the road network serving the southeast of the country.

"It is one of 5 major Inter-Urban motorways to be delivered by the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Governments Transport 21 Plan.

The Carlow bypass is the one of a four- phase 110km road project to commence on the N9, a route of both national and regional importance. When completed in 24 months the benefits will be immediate, not only to the people of Carlow and Kildare but for everyone travelling between the Capital and the Viking City of Waterford. It will provide for much safer travel for motorists while at the same time facilitating economic and tourism growth in the region. The evidence of this can be seen across the country with the roll out of the biggest ever roads programme in the history of the state", he said.

ENDS

Further info:

Dan Pender 01 6041090 / 087 2313415

Carlow Bypass highlights

19km of new high quality dual carriageway
Three grade separated junctions at Powerstown (N9), Rathcrogue (N80) and Prumplestown (N9)
13 road bridges, one river crossing, one rail crossing, one farm accommodation bridge and two farm accommodation underpasses as well as a pedestrian cyclist underpass at Rathcrogue