CONTRACTS ARE being signed today in Co Kerry for the finalisation of the Tralee bypass, a €60 million project connecting the N21, N22, N69 and N70 in Tralee.
The 13.5km construction work will see about 200 people employed over the next 20 months in the town.
The completion of the Tralee bypass was one of two demands of the former TD Jackie Healy-Rae – along with the completion of the Kenmare community hospital in his own constituency of Kerry South – in return for his support for the the beleaguered Fianna Fáil and Green government in November 2010.
The former TD’s son, councillor Danny Healy-Rae, yesterday paid tribute to the work of the county manager Tom Curran over the past 12 months for sticking with the project and said the Fine Gael Ministers could only be thanked “for not stopping” it.
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan said he was delighted his Government colleague Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar had sanctioned the signing of the contract for the bypass.
Kerry Mayor Pat Leahy will sign the contract with Bam Civil Engineering an Irish company which recently completed the Castleisland bypass.
The new road comprises an 8.0km dual carriageway eastern bypass of Tralee town and a 5.5km single carriageway link road from the proposed bypass to the N22 Killarney Road at Bealagrellagh.
It is estimated the bypass will reduce traffic in Tralee town centre by 25 per cent.