Kerry councillors call for funding for shelved bypass to alleviate traffic gridlock in Killarney

Project to alleviate Killarney traffic is 'more than 20 years overdue', council meeting told

The N22 Killarney to Farranfore bypass has again been stalled due to funding,  Killarney Municipal District Council heard. Picture: Don MacMonagle

The N22 Killarney to Farranfore road project can be constructed in phases — but political pressure will need to be applied on central Government to secure funding for the stalled project.

That is what a senior engineer told a special meeting of Killarney Municipal District Council convened by mayor Maura Healy-Rae amid public outcry about worsening traffic gridlock in Killarney.

Stalled during the last economic downturn, and estimated in 2021 at more than €200m, the project to alleviate Killarney traffic is "more than 20 years overdue", the meeting heard.

The 27km project has stalled once more after being revitalised in 2019, also because of funding, the meeting was told.

Independent councillor Martin Grady said Listowel had recently got a €62m bypass.

“Who has prioritised Listowel over Killarney? Shame on them,” he said.

The shelved road could be constructed in phases and the first phase, most immediate to Killarney, from Lawlor’s Cross, about five miles north of Killarney to Lissivigeen to the south could be done "no problem", but there has to be the political will, Kerry County Council director of services for roads and transport Frank Hartnett said.

“It’s not Transport Infrastructure Ireland that is cutting the money, it’s the Department [of Transport],” Mr Hartnett said.

Funding allocations are decided each October/November for major road projects and it is “very important” to put as much political pressure on as possible, he told councillors after a meeting which heard how the town is being avoided and locals are suffering.

Councillors put forward a variety of proposals from mobility hubs to ending on-demand stops at pelican crossings so traffic could flow at key roundabouts as well as internal link roads which have approval but have not progressed.

There were also calls on gardaí to go on point duty at key times at roundabouts as motorists are clogging up the roundabouts.