The controversial Galway City Ring Road will be progressed under the new Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael-Green administration as the Programme for Government commits to existing projects in the National Development Plan.
This is the view of Fine Gael Senator, Sean Kyne, who said he has "received assurances" that the Programme for Government will "not halt progress on the delivery" of the bypass.
“The Programme for Government states clearly that the review of the National Development Plan will not ‘frustrate or delay existing projects’," says Sen Kyne. "The Programme commits to investment in ‘new road infrastructure to ensure all parts of Ireland are connected to each other’. The Galway City Ring Road is essential for connecting the west of the city and Connemara to the national road network."
'Public transport services depend on a well-maintained and developed road network'
The commitment has also been welcomed by Fianna Fáil Senator, Ollie Crowe, who called the ring road, "an essential component" in resolving Galway’s "traffic crisis".
"As we make our economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis," said Sen Crowe, "Galway must be in a position to put its best foot forward, in terms of attracting new companies to the city and solving the traffic crisis is a necessity in that regard.”
'We can both build the bypass and make cycling and walking more attractive and safer'
Sen Kyne also pointed out that the Programme "overtly commits" to the implementation of the Galway Transport Strategy which contains Galway Bus Connects and "an array of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure" developments.
A frequent criticism of the ring road is that it will encourage more cars onto the roads, and come at the expense of public transport services. However, Sen Kyne contends that services like Bus Connects, Local Link, etc, "depend on a well-maintained and developed road network".
Sen Crowe acknowledged that "the bypass alone will not solve the traffic crisis", but he argues that it is "an essential part" of an overall strategy. "We can both build the bypass," he said, "and make cycling and walking more attractive and safer."
