Expectations that a bypass for Claregalway would be funded this year were dashed when the traffic bottleneck was not included in a €633 million allocation for new national roads announced this week.
The N6 Galway City Ringroad was the only new roads project in County Galway to receive a funding allocation, with €2.4m secured to fund professional reports and consultancy services necessary for the next stage of the planning process.
Galway East TD and Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sean Canney, told the Advertiser he was hopeful funding for the N83 Claregalway bypass would be included in the amended National Development Plan, to be completed by the summer.
“I know Galway County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII ) are engaging on the project, but it hasn’t got to a stage where it’s ready for funding. There are assessments and appraisals that still have to be done, and then the first step is to get it into the National Development Plan (NDP ),” he said.
Asked what he can do to expedite the process, Canney, as minister with responsibility for International & Road Transport, Logistics, Rail & Ports, said he “can put the pressure on” once the local authority and TII ensure Claregalway is properly assessed and approved to get into the Government’s €165 billion NDP, due to be published in July.
Canney met with Galway West TD, and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Noel Grealish, outside Cabinet this week to discuss the Claregalway bypasses which he said "is a top priority for us as it affects a lot of people in my constituency, and in his".
Deputy Grealish could not be reached for comment on the latest national roads allocation, but has previously said that the Claregalway Bypass, Galway City Ringroad and N84 Headford Road upgrades were priorities for him in government formation talks held after the 2024 general election last November.
Across the country, funding toward 21 new national roads was allocated, with €502m of exchequer funding added to €98m of private financing, and a separate €33m boost for local authorities to maintain national routes.
The majority of new roads projects are in Munster – 10 overall, with two in Leinster, four in Ulster and five in Connacht. These are the N6 Galway City Ring Road, N17 Knock to Collooney, the N58 Foxford Bypass, N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge, and N4 Carrick-on-Shannon to Dromod.
In February, the Government allocated €43m to Galway County Council for local and regional roads, including €1.2m specifically for the Athenry Relief Road.
For new roads, Galway City Council is to receive €3.2m from TII: €2.4m for the ring road, and €800,000 toward its contribution to the Moycullen bypass. For existing road upgrades, €250,000 is ringfenced for cycling and pedestrian improvements at the Browne Roundabout behind UHG, and €100,000 toward the N6 at Bóthar na dTreabh.
Deputy Canney said he particularly welcomed €800,000 for works on the N17 between Gortnagunnet and Milltown, where four young women on a Christmas shopping trip were killed in 2009 - Marie Conneely, Teresa Molloy, and Sarah Byrne from Co Galway, and Sorcha Rose McLaughlin from Co Wexford. A fifth Galwegian, Michelle O’Donnell, was severely injured.
Precise figures are not readily available, but there have been at least 20 road traffic deaths on the N17 over the past 16 years.
