Government outlines €1bn road plan

THE Government yesterday outlined details of the €1 billion road plan which will see 292 kilometres of new road completed this year.

The allocation of €1.115bn for the National Roads Programme is being used to fund projects under Transport 21 and the National Development Plan. Among the projects pencilled in for completion this year include the final section of the M7/M8 motorway from Portlaoise to Cullahill/Castletown, meaning motorway all the way from Dublin to Cork.

Other roads to be completed include the N7 Nenagh to Limerick Road and the N7 Limerick Tunnel, plus another stretch of the N7 from Castletown to Nenagh. The M50 around Dublin will undergo upgrade scheme phase two, while the N52 Kells bypass and the N3 Kells to Carnaross (M3) should ease traffic for commuters around parts of Dublin.