Superhighway to open six months ahead of schedule
Meanwhile, another section of motorway — from Fermoy to Mitchelstown — is several months ahead of schedule and is expected to open by the end of 2009.
Finishing touches are being put to the Cullahill-Cashel road, which has cost the National Roads Authority (NRA) €435 million.
The road comprises sections of two-lane dual carriageway and motorway with associated grade separated junction and a number of bridges.
When opened, it will connect with the Cashel bypass and M7/M8 at Portlaoise.
The route is expected to take several more minutes off the journey time between Cork and Dublin.
Meanwhile the 16km-long Fermoy to Mitchelstown road is well ahead of schedule.
It was expected to be open in the late spring of 2010 but the contractors, Roadbridge, have been making significant progress.
Sources close to the project indicated that unless something unforeseen emerged — such as a particularly bad winter — the road should be open before the end of next year.
The €175m road commences at Moorepark, north of Fermoy, and will hook up with the Cashel-Mitchelstown road 8km north of Mitchelstown at Carrigane. Work commenced on the project in December 2007 and involves the building of three river bridges and seven road bridges.
The new road will swing around to the west of Mitchelstown.
The NRA built a relief road to the east of Mitchelstown, which opened almost two years ago. This will become largely defunct when the new road is opened, apart from funnelling traffic towards Limerick. The majority of traffic using the relief road is Dublin-bound and will switch to the west-side route.
The NRA was forced to build a relief road on the eastern side of Mitchelstown to avoid major gridlock when the Fermoy bypass opened a few years ago.
It was feared that without the relief road, northern-bound traffic would arrive in Mitchelstown much faster during peak hours, bringing the town to an almost complete standstill.
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