Preferred route for Cork to Limerick motorway chosen

The route for the motorway project connecting Cork and Limerick has been chosen.

The road will be developed within the broad N20 corridor via Charleville and Mallow, however specific plans have yet to be set in stone.

The route was chosen as it provides the best journey time saving between the two cities, while it also has the potential to save the greatest number of road-based collisions and accidents.

It’s thought it would improve public transport times and reliability, as well as having the highest level of traffic relief to towns and villages in the area, while also improving connectivity for the regional towns along the corridor.

The N/M20 project team has now almost a year of work completed based on the Public Spending Code requirements, which requires consideration of all potential options including bus and rail public transport alternatives.

Elected representatives from the relevant areas were informed of the route selection at a meeting in Charleville today.

€35m has been spent on the proposed Cork to Limerick road to date.

The money already spent on the project includes €20m from 2008 to 2012 but the road when then put on hold because of the recession.

Advisors were recently paid €15m to progress the development of the road.

Public consultation will take place in the latter part of this year, with the preferred option within the broad N20 corridor identified soon after.

Full details of the project objectives, the appraisal process, evaluation of scenarios to date and next steps are available on www.corklimerick.ie.