Varadkar turns sod on two new road projects

Work on getting rid of the last bottleneck between Dublin and Cork is getting underway.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has turned the first sod on the new N7 interchange which will see traffic flowing through the junction once it is completed in early 2015.

It is part of a €282m public-private partnership, the first of its kind in five years, which will also see the start of the N11 Arklow to Rathnew dual carriageway.

The Tansport Minister said the projects are extremely important.

He said: "There's going to be huge benefits, both at Newlands where we will eliminate the last set of traffic lights between Cork and the outskirts of Belfast, and then also at the N11 at Rathnew where we are taking out a very dangerous narrow stretch of road.

"This will improve access to Wexford and to Rosslare Port."