Road funding hampers Cork's bid to counterbalance Dublin

Some Cork county councillors believe that at the current level of funding to improve road infrastructure, the county will not become an economic counterbalance to Dublin.

Cork cannot become an economic counterbalance to Dublin with the current funding it gets for new and improved road infrastructure, county councillors have warned.

Several also maintained too much money is being spent on the development of greenways, at the expense in particular of carrying out safety improvements on dangerous roads.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has allocated €94.5m to roads projects in the region this year. However, the majority of that money is being eaten up by priority projects such as the Macroom bypass, Dunkettle Interchange upgrade and progressing the planned Cork-Ringaskiddy motorway.

Padraig Barrett, the council's director of roads and transportation, outlined to councillors where the money would be spent. He expressed disappointment that some important projects were getting no funding and said the grant for maintaining primary and secondary roads wasn't enough.

Councillors expressed anger that the Carrigtwohill-Midleton (N25) road upgrade isn't getting funding and there's little or no funding to progress the bypass at Castlemartyr, or to complete the Bandon bypass.

In addition, they criticised the lack of adequate funding to make safe a dangerous section of the N73 (Mallow-Mitchelstown road) between Clogher Cross and Waterdyke.

“I find it incredible to think that having Cork as a counterbalance economically to Dublin isn't being taken seriously by the Government. 

"It [the N25 omission] is putting at risk thousands of houses planned for the area and the future development of the Ballyadam site. We have three heavy hitters in Cork in the Cabinet and they have to start fighting for Cork,” Mr Barry said.

Mr Barrett said he was very disappointed about the lack of funding as €1.3m had been spent on the project to date.

“There are significant safety concerns which need to be addressed. We need tens of millions to rectify that and there's not an effective interchange on the east side of Carrigtwohill,” Mr Barrett said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O'Flynn pointed out that they'd only got €800,000 towards upgrading the dangerous stretch on the N73, when they were previously promised €1.5m.

Roads more important

Mr Barrett said the project would cost €9m. Independent councillor Frank Roche said he was furious about this and Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O'Brien said it is not just an urgent safety matter, but it is also stifling economic development in that area.

She said funding for greenways was welcome, but roads are more important.

“We're gone half daft on greenways. They're welcome but we have gone right over the top with them,” Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy said.

Both he and Mayor of County Cork, Fianna Fail councillor Gillian Coughlan, criticised the news that just €50,000 had been allocated to progress the Bandon bypass project.

“At that rate, it will be a long time before it's built. The infrastructure isn't there to take the cars we have there at the moment.” 

Meanwhile, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has announced the National Transport Authority (NTA) has allocated €289m to local authorities for walking and cycling infrastructure.

Projects to be delivered this year include the Clontarf to city centre route in Dublin, MacCurtain Street in Cork, O’Connell Street in Limerick, the Salmon Weir Bridge in Galway, as well as connection of the Waterford Greenway from Bilberry into the city centre.