The Galway City Outer Bypass has been included in a shortlist of five roads projects to be progressed under a new economic stimulus package currently being negotiated by the Government.
The inclusion of the project in the new capital investment plan will put funding in place for the construction of the road pending the outcome of a legal challenge currently before the European Court of Justice.
The news has been welcomed by Fine Gael Galway West TD Brian Walsh. He said the inclusion of the bypass in the new plan represented “a major breakthrough for the project” that puts Galway “within touching distance of making the long-awaited infrastructure a reality”.
“For the first time I think we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Six weeks ago, Dep Walsh secured a commitment from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny that the bypass would be assigned priority status in the context of any new capital investment programme by the Government.
“The bypass represents the only viable and comprehensive solution to Galway’s traffic congestion problem,” said Dep Walsh. “I have made the importance of this project clear to those at the highest level of government.”
On Monday Dep Walsh was notified that the project is included in the new stimulus plan which is likely to be financed through funding from the European Investment Bank, the sale of State assets, and the Pensions Reserve Fund.
A formal statement and further details in relation to the economic stimulus package are expected to be issued by Ministers Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin in the coming weeks.
