Funding for Kerry roads could be sidetracked

MAJOR road projects in Kerry could be delayed indefinitely because of the emphasis on providing new routes in the east coast and the western corridor linking Donegal, Galway and Limerick.

Kerry county engineer Tom Curran has warned of delays arising in Kerry for financial reasons, as roads in the county were among over 30 nationally in “limbo” at present.

Biggest project in the pipeline for Kerry is the proposed 27km road between Killarney and Farranfore, which is still at the early planning stage.

This road - a key part of an ongoing plan to improve the Cork/Tralee route - is estimated to cost up to €150m.

But Mr Curran said construction of theKillarney/Farranfore road was unlikely to start before 2010.

However, a spokesman for Transport Minister Martin Cullen said they were ready to move once the planning process was complete.

Another important road for Kerry is the long-awaited Tralee bypass.

Mr Curran said the council was providing money this year to continue planning of the above-named roads and the Castleisland bypass, so that schemes would be ready to proceed should funding be received.

“Our only chance is that if major schemes get held up through legalities, or otherwise, the money may then become available.

“Otherwise, the rate of progress achieved up to now will slow down considerably,”’ he stated.

Local politicians have expressed concern that land along the proposed Killarney/Farranfore route has been effectively sterilised from a planning point of until a decision is made about the road.

However, Tourism Minister John O’Donoghue, yesterday said he was satisfied from his ongoing representations to Transport Minister Martin Cullen that roads investment would continue.

“This unprecedented investment in Co Kerry roads will be maintained going forward,” he said.

He said €55m was spent on Kerry roads last year and some major works completed in recent years including the Killarney bypass, the Lissivigeen/Cork county bounds road and the Glenbeigh/Caherciveen road, while work on the Castleisland/Limerick county bounds road was scheduled for completion this year.