Residents of Cashel, Co Tipperary, are to consider a High Court challenge against the National Roads Authority (NRA)because of the deletion of an access road to the town from the proposed Cashel bypass. Tim O'Brien reports.
Local members of the Cashel Chamber of Trade and Tourism, and some in the town and county councils, claim the townspeople have been "duped" by the authority into accepting a new design for the bypass without realising the "vital" access route had been deleted.
Initial plans put forward by the National Roads Authority indicated roundabouts at the northern and southern end of the 7km eastern bypass of the town.
It also indicated a midway interchange, giving direct access to the north and southbound carriageways of the bypass from the Clonmel/Fethard road.
This would facilitate traffic between Cashel and the Dublin direction, as well as Cashel and the Cork direction.
But in a subsequent review of its plans, the NRA decided access between Cashel and the Cork direction was not necessary at this point, and deleted two key "on" and "off" ramps for the bypass. The roundabouts at either end of the bypass have also been deleted to allow for rapid connection to the Cashel to Cullahill and Cashel to Mitchelstown sections of the M8, which are now being fast-tracked at the behest of the Department of Transport.
The result is that the Clonmel road interchange is limited to journeys between Cashel and the Dublin direction only.
According to Mr Cian O'Carroll, the difficulty for the local chamber of trade and tourism is not only that tourists may find it very difficult to travel between Cashel and Cork, but that development land around the town is severely limited by the presence of the Rock of Cashel and its surrounding areas to the west and north-west of the town.
A key area of designated commercial development in the county development plan is in the area of the Clonmel Road interchange, on the Cashel side of the bypass.
However, traffic from this commercial area will not be able to access the Cork or southbound carriageway of the bypass and will instead have to go back into Cashel and find the old N8 through the town.
Concern has also been expressed by local Senators Martin Mansergh and Labhrás Ó Murchú, who have written a joint letter to the NRA asking it to review its decision.
In addition, local GP and former minister Dr Sean McCarthy said many councillors "felt duped" by the whole process and had only supported the project because of the access provided at the Clonmel road interchange.
Now members of the town council will debate taking High Court action amid claims that the NRA process in which the changes were made might be invalid.
A spokeswoman for the NRA said, however, that the authority was satisfied that the regulations were properly applied.