Macroom bypass must be a priority for new minister

It is hoped that the newly appointed minister for transport will speed up stalled work on a much-needed bypass of one of the lastremaining bottlenecked towns in Co Cork.

Members of the Blarney/Macroom municipal district have sought a meeting with Pascal Donoghue in an effort to get the bypass back on track.

Fianna Fáil councillor Aindrias Moynihan, chairman of the municipal district, said it was vital that the minister ensures that the Macroom bypass gets a top-priority billing.

“Late last year, many felt the bypass was moving quickly as the legal questions ended in July, the Compulsory Purchase Orders issued in August and discussions with landowners got under way” Mr Moynihan said. “Then there was an allocation at the start of this year of €4m to get the project started.

“However, since then there appears to be little visible progress and locals tell me they feel the momentum of last year is not being kept up. We should not lose the momentum, and it’s hugely important that the Macroom bypass is a priority for the new minister.”

The narrow main street is congested on a regular basis, but, during the recent hot weather, tailbacks were even more pronounced as holidaymakers travelled to and from Kerry.

Mr Moynihan said it was vital to make a case to Mr Donoghue before he prepares his budget in the autumn.

“This is the ideal time to meet the new minister and ensure he recognises the situation and prioritises the Macroom bypass,” he said.

The bypass has been mooted for several years, but the recession and the need to complete similar projects in other towns meant that Macroom was not high up in the pecking order.

Charleville and Buttevant have found themselves in a similar position. Their chances of getting bypassed were dealt a major blow when it was announced that the proposed Cork-Limerick motorway had been put on the long finger.