The Western Rail Corridor can be reopened in its entirety if local authorities plan future residential and commercial developments along a defined route, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has said. Lorna Siggins, Western Correspondent, reports.
Speaking after the opening of the Loughrea bypass in Co Galway yesterday, the Minister said the Government would fulfil its promise to reopen the Claremorris-Ennis section, as outlined in the new 10-year transport plan. However, a "business case" had to be made in relation to the entire route, he said.
Although there has been criticism because the first phase may take 10 years, the Minister said work would begin next year, and its completion would be a confidence boost in relation to further development. The Government was also intent on improving commuter services between Athenry and Galway, he said.
The new 3.75km Loughrea bypass was finished two months ahead of schedule at a cost of €18 million, and was open in time for the normal Friday rush on the N6 route between Galway and Dublin yesterday.
Dubbed "the most talked about road in the country", the bypass was the subject of controversy last year when it emerged that Fianna Fáil councillors, supported by one Independent, passed a rezoning decision which increased the project's costs.
The National Roads Authority suspended the development following the rezoning vote, and councillors were then forced to rescind their decision at a subsequent meeting.
The vote to rezone an eight-acre strip of land on the bypass route from agricultural to industrial was estimated to have raised the overall cost of the project by €5 million.
"This project is yet further testimony to the Government's commitment to upgrading the national transport networks. Loughrea will now join a list of towns, including Kildare, Monasterevin and Cashel, that are no longer famous for their bottlenecks," Mr Cullen said yesterday.
The bypass "forms an intrinsic part of the proposed 56km Ballinasloe east to Galway scheme", he said, and would remove 10,000 vehicles a day from Loughrea town.
When the new N4 Kilcock-Kinnegad scheme was completed next month, it would bring to 10 the number of road openings in 2005.