Work on Carrigaline relief road to start by end of year

Construction of the Carrigaline Western Relief Road is to begin by the end of the year, it has been confirmed by Cork County Council.

A detailed design for the road is almost completed and the two-stage tender process is to begin in the coming weeks.

Municipal District Officer, Kevin O’Regan confirmed that the tender and the prequalification process will be completed this summer with the works contract subsequently being tendered this winter and construction expected to start before the end of 2019.

The project is estimated to take 18 months.

Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Seamus McGrath said this news was “exceptionally positive.” 

“This is the first time we have gotten an indication of the start date," he said. "It is only in the past few months that we actually got confirmation that funding is now actually secure for the project.

“The inner relief road for Carrigaline is a hugely significant development and it has been a long time in the pipeline.

“Thankfully, in response to a motion I had this week, we now have confirmation from senior engineers in the council that it is to proceed to construction towards the end of this year.” Mr McGrath said that this was a huge step forward for the project.

“This a project that is key to Carrigaline, to developing Carrigaline and the future of Carrigaline in a sustainable way.

“It will alleviate some traffic from the main street of Carrigaline and I think it will allow the council to look at things like the public realm and improving the town centre of Carrigaline trying to give it the heart that a town of its size deserves to make it an attractive public place for people.” 

The Carrigaline councillor said that this project is a particularly important project to him as he was County Mayor when the project was first sent to design in 2017.

“When I was county Mayor two years ago I did sign the design contract with Atkins Consultants so that was in May 2017, just under two years ago.

“That design work is virtually complete and they will be going to tender in the coming weeks to have someone in place by the end of the year.” Mr McGrath said that this project is one the people of Carrigaline are invested in.

“It is a project that the people of Carrigaline have heard about for so long and when I am on the doors in Carrigaline every day it is a project that people are interested in.

“It is great now to be able to say to people we have a start date and it is due to kick off at the end of the year.”