Fine Gael TD Hildegarde Naughton has said that Galway City Council has formalised a tender notice for the proposed works at Parkmore last Friday, June 23, and interested parties have two weeks to submit tenders.
As a result, work on the extension of the traffic lane turning right towards Parkmore from the N6 could begin as early as next month. It is seen as a key step towards the alleviation of traffic congestion in the area.
However, Deputy Naughton said that the lane extension is just one of many short and medium-term measures being implemented pending more substantial changes to the road infrastructure.
“The situation that has been allowed to develop at Parkmore is affecting the lives of up to 6,000 workers, and it is damaging the potential for job creation and investment in Galway,” she said.
“The crisis was neglected by local authorities for far too long, but I am satisfied that a clear strategy is now in place following the intervention of Minister Coveney at my request last March. The situation is too pressing to be put on the long finger pending planning applications and Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs ) in respect of major remediation works,” explained Deputy Naughton.
“It is for that reason that we have put in place a suite of short and medium-term measures to be implemented in parallel to the longer-term improvements to the road infrastructure in the vicinity.”
The extension of the right-turn lane on the N6 is one of those short-term measures, designed to increase road capacity and facilitate those commuting to Parkmore from the direction of Oranmore and the M6.
The tender notice was published last Friday, seeking expressions of interest from construction firms to carry out the extension of the roadway, excavation works, modifications to road markings, and landscaping.
It follows a series of other works already introduced, including improvements to road capacity, improved signal-control management, and junction realignments.
“A strategy is now in place and progress is being made, but this will remain one of my foremost priorities until the traffic-congestion crisis at Parkmore has been comprehensively addressed once and for all,” added Deputy Naughton.
