Cork allocated over €83m for road projects

Figure includes the €39m spent on the Macroom bypass, which opened in December

The Ballyvourney to Macroom bypass opened in December. Picture: Brian Lougheed

Cork has been allocated more than €83m for a variety of road projects.

These include €39m for the Ballyvourney to Macroom bypass and €19m for the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy upgrade.

Some €1.5m has been allocated for minor works on the N71 Cork Road (Skibbereen) drainage upgrade, with €150,000 going towards the N8 Dunkettle waterfront cycleway from Tivoli to Little Island.

Funding of €1.8m is also going to be spent on the Ballymaquirke Junction, near Kanturk, north Cork.

Some €800,000 has also been allocated towards the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypasses.

The latter allocation will see money spent on a design constancy hired to draw up the various options for the bypass.

This would be the final stage before the project is opened to public consultation and is in itself a major boost to a badly needed bypass.

More than 20,000 cars go through the east Cork village and tailbacks in and out of the place can sometimes reach a few kilometres.

Fianna Fáil transport spokesman, Cork East TD James O’Connor, said €800,000 funding for the N25 Midleton to Youghal scheme will allow “significant” progress to be made on the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypasses.

Mr O’Connor said: “I’m delighted to see the Government prioritising the Castlemartyr and Killeagh bypasses.

"Castlemartyr and Killeagh are the last two villages on the N25 route from Cork to Rosslare — the daily constant congestion needs to end.

This matter is of huge importance to the people of East Cork and West Waterford who use the N25 on a daily basis. 

The M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy Project is the upgrade of approximately 12.5km of the N28 National Primary Route from the N40 South Ring Road, at Bloomfield Interchange, to Ringaskiddy.

The planning application for the project was submitted to An Bord Pleanála in May 2017.

An Bord Pleanála approved the planning application with modifications in June 2018.

The decision was cleared of all legal challenges in March 2021 and the project has now proceeded to the Advanced Works Stage.

These works include land acquisition, site clearance, fencing, utility diversions, and archaeology.

The announcement of funds for roads projects in Cork is part of a national announcement on roads plans under the 2023 grant allocations to local authorities for national roads, active travel and greenways.

They are made by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and mostly in line with priorities set out in the National Development Plan 2021-2030.