Motorway to drive two cities’ trade links
Cork’s industry chiefs last night warmly welcomed the early opening of the motorway between Cullahill and Portlaoise, which will bypass notorious traffic blackspot Abbeyleix and cut travel time from the capital to Cork to under two and a half hours.
Opening on May 28, it means the much-vaunted motorway – announced over a decade ago by then taoiseach Bertie Ahern – will be ready six months ahead of schedule.
Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy said the final section of the motorway – 41km in length – would be of real significance for road users and allow for greater links between the two cities and the greater Munster region.
Mr Healy, who strongly welcomed the announcement by the National Roads Authority, said even in its current form the road meant a much improved journey time between Dublin and Cork.
With the final section opening, he said he hoped it would mean even further co-operation between the cities.
“Depending on what your requirements are, you now have the choice of three very strong travel options to Cork,” he said.
With the improved time on the road it makes it a real option.”
Mr Healy said it was hoped that Dublin businesses would now take advantage of improvements links between the city and that it would be seen as a great benefit to Cork and Dublin.
The new section of motorway will be tolled and is expected to cost cars €1.80 and lorries €5.70. Mr Healy said people would balance this against the ease of travel on the road.
Developed for almost €2.6 billion, the 250km route from Dublin’s M50 to Cork’s Dunkettle interchange works out at about €10.4 million a kilometre.
The Portlaoise/Cullahill/ Castletown section of the M8 was developed for €405m, bringing the cost of upgrading the route between Portlaoise and Cork to just over €2bn.
The Y-shaped section of the motorway will also encompass the division of the M7 Limerick and M8 Cork roads south-west of Portlaoise.
The bypass of Glanmire in 1992 was opened at a cost of €60m while Watergrasshill cost €144m, Cashel €48m and Fermoy €300m.
The motorway which stretches from Cashel to Mitchelstown opened last year at a cost of €445m.
Cashel to Cullahill, meanwhile, cost €434m while Mitchelstown to Fermoy cost €174m.
