Motorway to drive two cities’ trade links

BUSINESS links between Dublin and Cork will be vastly improved with the opening of the final section of the Dublin/Cork motorway later this month.

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.