Construction on road network to begin

Construction work will start later today on a massive road network in the south west.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen will mark Phase II of the Limerick Southern Ring Road by turning the first sod at Clonmacken Roundabout on the N18.

The new dual carriageway will bypass the city from east to west, improving journey times for those travelling to Ennis and Shannon Airport.

It will carry the significant volumes of traffic now using the N18 Ennis Road coming from or going to areas east and south of Limerick City.

Vehicles on the current route primarily use Shannon and Sarsfield Bridges in Limerick City to cross the Shannon, leading to significant congestion in the centre of Limerick.

Planning for the Limerick Southern Ring Road began in the mid 1980s with Phase I of the major road scheme opening in May 2004.

It is planned that Phase II, which will extend the Phase I section to join the N20 to the N18, will be open to traffic in just over three years linking all the national roads coming into Limerick.