Bypass to eradicate traffic congestion in town

ONE of the country’s worst traffic blackspots was eliminated yesterday with the opening of the €48.6 million Cashel bypass.

With a snip of a scissors at his first official function since being appointed Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen effectively removed 14,000 vehicles daily from Cashel town centre and eased the town’s gridlock problems.

The 10 kilometre bypass, including almost four kilometres of link roads, was completed seven months ahead of schedule and on budget. It cost almost €31m to construct, but with land acquisitions, the final bill was closer to €48.6m.

The bypass is the very first stretch of dual carriageway in county Tipperary. It will reduce the time journey between Cork and Dublin by up to 30 minutes and will, in the words of Minister Cullen, return the streets of Cashel to the local people and visitors.

First mooted more than 20 years ago, the bypass has not been without controversy. There were major differences of opinion about the route and more recently Cashel Chamber of Trade and Tourism took to the streets in protest against the elimination of two access roads into the town which formed an integral part of the original design.

Minister Cullen said the central objective of the bypass is to contribute to the continuity of the development of the Cork/Dublin route to a motorway quality dual carriageway standard.

“Step by step bottlenecks are being replaced by modern road infrastructure, and the completion of the Kildare and Watergrasshill bypasses last year, today’s Cashel bypass, and the Monasterevin one next month will truly transform the Cork/Dublin journey,” the Minister said.

Chairman of the National Roads Authority Peter Malone pledged that by the year 2009 commuters between Cork to Dublin will be able to complete the 250 kilometre journey without having to drive through a single town or village.

South Tipperary County Council’s director of services and manager to Cashel Town Council Billy McEvoy praised the construction of the bypass.

“The bypass will make Cashel an even more attractive place to do business and will bring visitors in even greater numbers to the famous Rock, secure in the knowledge that the streets of the town will no longer be gridlocked,” Mr McEvoy said.

Before the official opening, the route was blessed by the local parish priest Fr Christy O’Dwyer and Church of Ireland rector Dean Philip Knowles.