Multi-billion euro road project ‘will save lives’

THE first sod was turned yesterday on the longest road project ever to be undertaken in the State.

Lives will be saved when the multi-billion euro M8/N8 Cullahill to Cashel Road Project is completed in three years, according to Transport Minister Martin Cullen, who turned the sod to launch the project.

It will feature 10.5km of motorway between Cullahill in Co Laois and Urlingford in Co Kilkenny and 29km of dual carriageway between Urlingford and Cashel in South Tipperary.

The new road will include the construction of overbridges and underbridges and will bypass the villages of Johnstown, Urlingford, Turnpike, Twomileborris, Littleton, Horse and Jockey and Moycarkey.

Around 13,000 vehicles a day will be removed from these villages, reducing travel times and improving traffic flow and access to the south and southwest.

“The N8 has its share, regretfully, of serious and fatal accidents,” said Mr Cullen.

“This new road will improve on the current situation by removing most of the traffic from the existing single carriageway road — with its numerous accessesand junctions — to a new, high quality dual carriageway/motorway standard road, which will have grade separated junctions at four locations. The existing minor junctions — where many of the most serious high speed collisions occur — will be removed.”