Business chiefs welcome Cork-Limerick road plan, but communities split
Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD, Thomas Gould, said serious concerns remain for those living within the proposed 'green route' area in parts of Blarney.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a three-lane motorway or a dual carriageway, according to a group opposed to the Cork-Limerick highway upgrade, as its members maintain the construction cost isn’t value for money and it will do untold damage to the environment.
While others have welcomed the news, Cork-Limerick Alliance Group (GLAC), say with increasing financial demands coming down the tracks, the State can’t afford to build a totally new road.
While GLAC welcomed the news that towns and villages between Cork and Limerick will be bypassed, it said improved safety measures in certain sections should suffice and come in way cheaper than the €1.5bn which is being quoted for the project.
“There is no doubt a safer and better road could be delivered for a fraction of the cost, and in a fraction of the time, if the N/M20 planners actually did their homework and looked at this properly,” GLAC spokeswoman Lisa Geary said.
“Instead, they decided to dust off the old plans from over 10 years ago and push those out as an acceptable so-called decision.
"The world is a very different place from 10 years ago,” Ms Geary said.
GLAC members include environmental campaigners, doctors, teachers and even some businesspeople.
However, both Cork and Limerick chambers welcomed the announcement.
Limerick Chamber chief executive Dee Ryan it will better connect the two cities and improve journey times to Galway.
“Connectivity is a cornerstone for business development and economic growth, and both chambers have long advocated for improvements in journey times and accessibility between our two cities,” Ms Ryan said.
“In 2017, we jointly commissioned a study to examine the possible benefits of the investment. Analysis revealed those benefits to include a projected decrease in annual road accidents, time savings on journeys, increasing the labour force size within a 45-minute commute of large employer centres and the expansion of catchment area of Shannon and Cork airports as well as Foynes Port and Port of Cork,” she said.
“This mixed-modal solution is essential to decongesting and transforming towns along the route that typically see heavy and dangerous traffic conditions,” Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy said.
He said the new road will be “an indispensable element to improving the region’s economic attractiveness to investment.”
Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD, Thomas Gould, said serious concerns remain for those living within the proposed 'green route' area in parts of Blarney.
“They’ve waited 18 months to know if their homes are safe from CPO. We were given assurances that CPO of their homes wasn’t envisaged, but they need this in writing urgently,” Mr Gould said.
Pádraig O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, said it’s important work starts now starts on a new northern ring road to link the N20/M20 with the M8 at Glanmire and the main roads to Macroom and Bandon.
North Cork-based Fianna Fail councillor Gearóid Murphy said it should be a motorway as anything else would be shortsighted considering the massive growth predicted for the two cities in the next 20 years.
Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden, who lives in Mourneabbey, said his community is spilt by the current main road.
"It’s almost impossible for people to cross it safely because of the volume of traffic now using it. It’s imperative that some safety works will be carried out here while we wait for the new road to be built,” Mr Madden said.
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