A €34 million national road project linking Co Kerry with Co Limerick was officially opened yesterday having been completed within budget and three months ahead of schedule, writes Anne Lucey
Mayor of Kerry Ted Fitzgerald said the 7km Castleisland/Abbeyfeale section of the N21 was another "vital piece of the jigsaw" to provide a better link between the peripheral county of Kerry and the rest of the country.
Minister of State for Transport Pat the Cope Gallagher officially opened the design and build project, and appealed for increased driver vigilance on the roads.
While road developments such as this would deliver safety gains in engineering terms, the State's improved roads had to be used safely too, he said. "In remembering to slow down, fasten safety belts and never ever drink and drive, we should bear in mind that when we get behind the wheel, our lives and those of other road users depend on our behaviour."
Referring to recent legislation banning mobile phones while driving and mandatory breath testing by the Garda in traffic enforcement, Mr Gallagher said: "It's no longer a case of whether you'll be caught drink-driving, speeding or driving dangerously or carelessly such as when using a mobile phone while driving, but rather when you'll be caught."
So far 64 national road schemes had been completed since 2000, eight of which had been completed in 2006. "The national roads upgrade programme is about more than major upgrade projects," Mr Gallagher added. "It is also about upgrading the national secondary network."
In Kerry, national secondary roads provided important links and included some of the county's mainly tourist routes such as the Ring of Kerry.
Chairman of the National Roads Authority Peter Malone said the Castleisland-Abbeyfeale scheme would bring tourists from all over the world to the heart of the kingdom, "reducing journey times and most importantly of all, improving safety".