A four-lane dual-carriageway in Co Wicklow which has been unused for a year because an interchange to connect it to the N11 has not been built has been opened.
The dual-carriageway, which incorporates cycle lanes and walking routes, has been linked to the N11, another dual-carriageway, by a 500m single carriageway.
The link, described as an interim solution, will provide a bypass of the village of Delgany and connect large new housing estates south of Greystones with the N11, the main Dublin to Wexford route.
Access to the new road will be from the southbound lane of the N11 only, while traffic emerging from the new road will move on to the southbound lane pending the opening of a full interchange in 2008.
The road was officially opened yesterday by Minister for the Environment and Wicklow TD Dick Roche, who said it would provide a relief from traffic congestion for residents of surrounding villages.
He praised the efforts of his department in proposing the interim link-road solution when it became apparent that the dual-carriageway would be completed some years ahead of the interchange.
He said the next phase would be the building of the full interchange, and he said the National Road Authority (NRA) had yesterday issued a call for tenders for the work.
The NRA said it had initially hoped the interchange would be delivered earlier than 2008, but concerns about ground conditions had led to it being redesigned
As a non-national route the new dual-carriageway is the responsibility of the Department of the Environment and the local council, but €16 million for the new road was provided by local property developers.
