The Galway City Outer Bypass will form part of the new National Development Plan, the contents of which are due to be revealed in October, it was confirmed last night.
Several major roads projects are expected to be omitted from the new capital expenditure programme as the department seeks to scale back its plans in line with the present economic circumstances. However, Galway West TD Brian Walsh received confirmation from the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar last night that he is prepared to include the Galway City Outer Bypass as a priority in the new programme.
It is understood that the proposed outer bypass was one of the highest-ranking roads project in the State in terms of cost-benefit analysis conducted by the Department of Transport in relation to every proposed roads currently under consideration by the Government.
Welcoming the commitment from Minister Varadkar, Dep Walsh said the inclusion of the bypass in the new National Development Plan would “pave the way” for the project to be expedited pending a decision from the European Court of Justice, following a referral from the Supreme Court for a preliminary ruling on matters concerning EU Law.
“I recently wrote to the Minister seeking reaffirmation that the bypass was still a priority for the Government in spite of the fiscal constraints and I am delighted with his response,” he said.
“The chaotic traffic congestion of recent weeks has served to highlight that the need for an outer bypass has never been greater and the inclusion of the project in the new plan signals that the Government remains committed to making it a reality.”
Dep Walsh said the reason the bypass has been in the pipeline for more than 14 years is due to a lack of “political will to bring it to fruition”.
“The bypass is not only critical from the point of view of alleviating traffic congestion but it is also integral to facilitating the redevelopment of Galway Harbour,” he said, “because access is going to be a major consideration in deciding whether planning is granted in respect of that project
