Donohoe lobbied for much-needed Macroom bypass

Recently appointed Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe is being lobbied to get work started on building the long-awaited Macroom town bypass.

The minister said he was keen to see the bypass on the main Cork-Kerry N22 road “progressed” but emphasised it will have to be considered along with other national road proposals and depends on money being available.

The proposed 43km bypass, which will run from Ovens to Ballyvourney, was approved by An Bord Pleanala and was described by Mr Donohoe’s department as a “shovel-ready” project.

Kerry TD Brendan Griffin, who made representations to the minister, said there was a robust economic argument for the road and that it would make his home county far more attractive for foreign direct investment and tourism by cutting journey times to and from Cork.

Replying to a Dáil question from Mr Griffin, Mr Donohoe said that his general approach was to keep projects under review and to have a pipeline of suitable “shovel-ready” projects ready to avail of any funding opportunities that may arise. He also said the Macroom bypass could be advanced as a private public partnership (PPP), adding it will only prove possible in the medium term to advance such projects through PPPs rather than Exchequer funding.

Meanwhile, the Killarney Municipal Authority is to seek funding to carry out safety works at a dangerous junction on the N22 bypass. Several accidents have occurred at the Lewis Road junction close to Fitzgerald Stadium, but the junction is not on the list of National Roads Authority-approved projects.