Legal challenges loom for contentious Galway ring road

Supporters of the proposed Galway ring road said it would help alleviate widespread traffic congestion in the city and aid Galway City’s future development, while opponents said it would only increase emissions and called for more sustainable transport options.

It is likely that legal challenges will be brought seeking to block the building of the controversial Galway City ring road, which was finally green lit this week.

Three years after the application was lodged with An Bord Pleanála, the planning body said on Tuesday it was approving the plans for the 18km road.

Challenges to the decision can be made in the High Court through a judicial review, but the Galway councils have said plans for the road can progress alongside any forthcoming legal challenges.

About 500 landowners would be affected by the proposed ring road running from the west of the city near Barna to the existing M6 motorway.

The plan for the ring road involved the demolition of 44 houses, even though most are currently inhabited.

An Bord Pleanála, in its decision, said the proposed road development was “likely to result in a significant negative impact on carbon emissions and climate that will not be fully mitigated”.

It also admitted that the loss of properties would have a “profound permanent negative impact on homeowners” that could not be “avoided, mitigated, or otherwise addressed by means of condition”.

Supporters of the road said it would help alleviate widespread traffic congestion in the city and aid Galway City’s future development, while opponents said it would only increase emissions and called for more sustainable transport options.

Green Party Senator Pauline O'Reilly said greater investment in public transport would be a much more sustainable and viable solution than the ring road, and she would support any objectors who take legal action aiming to stop the road.

Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly had said in October that the new National Development Plan had introduced a “hefty new list of hoops to jump through” for the projects like the Galway City ring road.

In light of the decision, Ms O’Reilly said An Bord Pleanála didn’t take into account provisions of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill, Climate Action Plan, and the National Development Plan when making its decision.

“An Bord Pleanála have to take those things on board,” she said. “In my view, they didn’t.” 

Ms O’Reilly said the majority of traffic is located in the middle of Galway City and the proposed ring road wouldn’t provide the relief from congestion that its proponents say.

She said greater investment in public transport would be a much more sustainable and viable solution than the ring road, and she would support any objectors who take legal action aiming to stop the road.

On the other hand, Galway Chamber said the road would be a vital enabler of sustainable mobility as well as sustaining and growing the local and regional economy.

The business organisation said it was confident it would enable regional development of Co Galway “in providing more balanced development opportunities like those that have been delivered on the east coast of Ireland for years”.

In a joint statement, Galway County Council, Galway City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland said the project could now advance to the next stage following An Bord Pleanála approval.

This work could be progressed alongside any potential legal challenges to the plan. It is expected the main construction phase would take three years to complete.

The group also said the ring road would go some way towards relieving traffic congestion in the city.

Based on a projected population increase of 50%, it said the road would mean 7,300 fewer car trips in the city centre per day, an increase of 2,000 public transport trips per day and up to a 38% decrease in HGV traffic in the city centre during peak times.

It also said east-west journeys on the N6 would be 44% faster, and there would be a significant reduction in average journey times during peak times.