Fears northern bypass for Mallow could be delayed

Fears have been expressed that a northern bypass of Mallow will be put on the long finger, as was the mothballed motorway link between Cork and Limerick.

County councillors have criticised the need for another feasibility study for the bypass, which has been ordered by the Department of Environment and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Only a year ago, a feasibility study was funded by the county council, which showed that, if it was not built, Mallow could grind to a halt.

The study was carried out in conjunction with the local chamber of commerce and demonstrated that the bypass was essential to ensure economic growth into the future, especially as Dairygold is ploughing millions of euro into expanding its plants in Mallow and Mitchelstown.

Councillors have been told that it is hoped to appoint consultants shortly to carry out a new feasibility study, but it is unlikely the study will be completed before Christmas.

Tom Stritch, council director of roads, said the Government would normally announce capital grants for TII in the last week of December for the following year and it was therefore unlikely that the bypass project would be included in this list.

However, he said it was not impossible that the road could be added by TII later in 2017.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn said he could not understand why yet another feasibility study was needed and that it was a waste of taxpayers’ money because everybody knew the bypass was critical.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s northern division in Mallow yesterday, he said the town “had been let down by the Government”, and it was particularly bad news for Dairygold.

The company’s major expansions will lead to a far larger number of HGVs using the main road between Mallow and Mitchelstown (N73) and Mr O’Flynn said without the bypass the trucks would choke Mallow with traffic.

Independent councillor John Paul O’Shea also criticised the move, but pointed out delays weren’t the county council’s fault.

Meanwhile, on a more positive note, Mr Stritch said he was confident that a proposed realignment of the N73 from Annakidha and Clogher Cross to Waterdyke would get the green light shortly. The council has been asked to submit revised costs for the project to TII.

Mr Stritch said these would include compulsory land purchases and once resubmitted to TII he expects them to be rubber-stamped quite quickly. Another realignment project was also needed on the main Mallow- Fermoy road (N72) at Ballygriffin, near Killavullen.