An Bord Pleanála has approved the southern section of the N9/N10 dual carriageway, one of the longest stretches of highway in the National Roads programme.
The 64km (40-mile) route from Powerstown, Co Carlow, to the Waterford bypass is part of the larger N9 that links Kilcullen, Co Kildare, and Waterford city.
Earlier this year the board approved the northern section of the route from Powerstown to Kilcullen. The N10 section is a spur from the N9, providing access to Kilkenny city.
The proposed new road is one of the major inter-urban routes identified in the National Development Plan and features in the €34.4 billion strategic transport plan recently announced by Minister for Transport Martin Cullen.
The next phase of the project will involve an archaeological dig on the route and tendering for the construction of the road.
When complete in 2010 the N9/N10 will link Dublin, Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford with high-quality dual carriageway.
The southern section approved yesterday will have six new junctions and 87 bridges. The decision by An Bord Pleanála to approve the road followed an eight-day oral hearing last June.
It is to be built to a high-quality dual carriageway standard and will carry much of the long-distance traffic and heavy goods vehicles using the existing Dublin-Waterford route.
