It was essential to have good co-operation and working relations between the North and South in the development of transport links, the Minister for the Environment said at the opening of the Cavan bypass yesterday. It is expected to reduce journey times between Dublin and the north-west by up to 30 minutes and also alleviate congestion in Cavan town.
Mr Dempsey said the £20 million development will also have the potential to increase cross-Border trade. He said for the Border areas and Ireland as a whole to reach full development potential, it was essential that road infrastructure was brought up to standard. To this end, £312 million was being invested in national roads this year and £242 million was being provided for non-national roads.
"Rising road traffic volumes are placing an increasing strain on our road infrastructure and this presents new challenges for us all," he added.