Minister set to re-route Waterford bypass

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche is set to order the re-routing of the Waterford bypass to protect a major Viking town discovered along the proposed route of the road.

Reports this morning said Mr Roche was expected to issue a preservation order for the Woodstown site on the banks of the River Suir in the coming weeks, which would require the bypass to be re-routed.

Woodstown was discovered by archaeologists working on the road and is believed to be one of the most important Viking sites uncovered in Europe in the past 100 years.

The National Roads Authority has reportedly told the minister that a re-routing of the road would be cheaper than conducting a major excavation of the Woodstown site.