Last weekend, at the opening of the Blackpool bypass, the final piece of a complex jigsaw was slotted into place. The Cork Land Use and Transportation Study (LUTS) presented a vision of how Cork could have the type of infrastructure that goes with a modern city.
Conceived in the 1970s, the study was to be the blueprint for the development of the greater Cork area up to the new millennium, laying the groundwork for all that would come after it.
At the time, it seemed the various strands were so far-reaching, and even far-fetched, that they would never come together, but the plan held good and it is now in place.
It has transformed the urban landscape to the extent that someone who has not been to Cork in the past three decades would not recognise the city today.
Three new bridges now span the Lee, a tunnel takes traffic under it, thereby relieving city centre congestion, and there are ring roads to the north and south.
Glanmire, which used to be the first bottleneck on the Cork-Dublin route, has been bypassed, and now the long-suffering people of Blackpool have been given relief.
Blackpool is old Cork, the keeper of many traditions, a place where the old decencies prevail.
But it had lost its village rhythm. Its centre had been all but devoured by the traffic monster.
Quality of life for the elderly trying to cross the main street and for children going to and from the shops had become unacceptable. At all hours of the day and night, traffic roared by in increasing volumes.
Last weekend, a hush descended and normality was restored. One elderly lady was amazed to find she could actually hear a neighbour calling to her from across the street.
Cork city manager Mr Joe Gavin recounted that anecdote with some relish - it was tangible proof the bypass was working.
With 70 per cent of the usual traffic now skirting the centre of Blackpool, the average number of vehicles passing through each day will fall to 12,000. The £25 million project, which was completed eight months ahead of schedule, holds out the prospect of imaginative urban renewal in Blackpool and a unified village structure once again.
"Cork Corporation will now press ahead with its programme for the revitalisation of an area that is full of character and tradition, bringing benefits to the local community and to the city as a whole," Mr Gavin said at the opening ceremony.
No doubt the people of Blackpool will hold him to that promise. The LUTS plan will now be consigned to the historical archive to be replaced by the Cork Area Strategic Plan (CASP), a joint venture between the corporation and Cork County Council.
While new roads infrastructure will continue to be high on the planners' agenda, this plan will concentrate on creating a public transportation system that is user-friendly, clean and on time.