Minister for Transport Martin Cullen yesterday said the opening of the €295 million Fermoy and Watergrasshill bypass in Co Cork was a major development in the country's infrastructure, cutting up to 58 minutes off travel times from Cork to Dublin at peak times.
"This is a huge addition on the Cork-Dublin motorway route, all of which we will have completed by 2010," said Mr Cullen as he officially opened the 17.5km stretch of two-lane motorway which stretches from just south of Watergrasshill to north of Fermoy.
The new motorway was developed for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under a public-private partnership by DirectRoute (Fermoy) Ltd, which will be responsible for the financing, construction and operation and maintenance of the facilities for 30 years.
Motorists on the new section of roadway will be subject to a toll. Cars will be charged €1.60 to use the facility while heavy goods vehicles will pay up to €5.30 depending on the weight and size of the vehicle.
Mr Cullen paid tribute to the developers of the M8 motorway for coming in on budget and some eight months ahead of schedule, while he also praised the NRA, Cork County Council and the landowners in the area for the assisting with the speedy delivery of the roadway.
NRA chairman Peter Malone said that the project will result in the removal of around 17,000 heavy goods vehicles and cars from Fermoy and Rathcormac daily, which would be of huge benefit to both the business and residential communities of both towns.
The new motorway, which includes three interchanges as well as a 450-metre long viaduct over the River Blackwater, took some 27 months to complete and at peak times involved up to 400 construction staff and personnel.
However, about 80 residents of Watergrasshill staged a protest at yesterday's official opening ceremony over concerns that the new road layout will force all non-toll traffic through the tiny village, thereby posing a safety hazard for local people.
Watergrasshill Community Council Bypass Committee chairman Denis Dineen said that the new road layout effectively confiscated the Watergrasshill bypass which was opened just three years ago and forced several thousand vehicles a day back through the village.
However, an NRA spokesman said that motorists would still have the option of bypassing Watergrasshill by using an alternative non-toll bypass route of the village.