Land acquisition for ‘top priority’ scheme in Cork could take four years

At the current rate of allocations, it will take at least three years before enough money is made available to secure land needed to construct a badly needed bypass in mid-Cork.

It has been disclosed that just €5m has been allocated this year to buy land needed for the bypass project in gridlocked Macroom.

The total acquisition cost, alone, of the land required for the 22km stretch of road — which will run from Coolcower east of Macroom to Sliobh Riogh, west of Ballyvourney — has been estimated at €18.5m.