Works on Carrigaline relief road to begin within weeks

WORKS are expected to begin on the Inner Western Relief Road in Carrigaline shortly.

Over €6m funding has been secured for the project and a contractor has also been selected for the works.

The road will be funded by the Urban Regeneration & Development Fund which is a Government Scheme administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Speaking to The Echo, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central Minister Michael McGrath welcomed confirmation of funding.

“This is very welcome news for the Carrigaline area. As a local representative, I have worked with the Cork County Council for the past number of years to ensure this project continued to progress.

“The project had progressed through all the various stages and the final hurdle – the awarding of the construction contract – has now been cleared. Construction work on the ground is expected to start as soon as the contractor can mobilise, possibly before year-end, but certainly by early new year,” he said.

Minister McGrath said that in parallel with the construction of the relief road, a new Public Realm and Waterfront design scheme is being prepared for the existing town centre.

A Transportation Strategy is also being prepared for Carrigaline, he said, which will set out significant proposals for the future of the town.

“I look forward to seeing these developments enhance Carrigaline in the months and years ahead,” he added.

Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Seamus McGrath said that while the inner relief road would not solve all the traffic problems in Carrigaline, it was very positive and would allow town enhancement projects to get underway to make the town centre a better place to visit.

“It is a very significant project that will alleviate traffic on the main street and allow us to reimagine the main street and make it an attractive place to spend time.”

Councillor McGrath said it was a critical route that would have a lot of benefits, but said it was not going to resolve all problems and highlighted the fact that the detailed transportation study, incorporating all forms of transport including walking and cycling which is underway in tandem to this project, would bring forward new solutions to the traffic issue in the commuter town.

The Inner Relief Road will have a 15-18 month construction period.