Upgrade plans for Cork's Black Ash bus interchange set to go to tender

Plans for a major bus interchange at the Black Ash Park and Ride, announced more than a year ago, are set to go to tender “later this year”, Cork City Council has said.

Last February, the Cork City Council and the National Transport Authority announced that they were seeking planning permission to develop a major new bus interchange at the Black Ash Park and Ride.

The interchange will “create significant new connectivity between the city, county and key locations such as Cork University Hospital, UCC, Cork Airport and Kent Railway Station”, they stated at the time.

The plans include four new bus bays, new entrance and exit points onto Mick Barry Road, new bus shelters, seating and sheltered bike parking, as well as safe walkways for pedestrians moving around the site.

A total of 14 submissions were received following a public consultation process, and in general, all were supportive of the scheme. They were unanimously approved by Cork City councillors.

At Monday night’s meeting of Cork City Council, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, who announced the plans when he was Lord Mayor last year, asked for an update on the plans, noting that they were approved by councillors at a meeting on June 9, 2025.

The council’s director of local area development and operations, John Stapleton, told Mr Boyle: “The NTA’s BusConnects Network Redesign team is advancing the detailed design of the Black Ash Bus Interchange, with the aim of completing the construction tender process later this year.

“Construction would then follow, subject to funding and other required consents.”