News
Macroom bypass finally gets the green light
ABOUT TIME: Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin announced on Wednesday night that the long-awaited Macroom by-pass has been given the go-ahead.
By Sean Moriarty
The long-awaited €280m Macroom bypass – which will alleviate long travel times for Kerry motorists – has finally been given the go-ahead by Central Government.
On Wednesday night, news broke that the new 22km stretch of dual-carriageway from Ballyvourney village to Coolcower, east of Macroom, was confirmed.
It’s expected that construction will take around three-and-a-half years to complete.
The new road will reduce journey times between Cork city and County Kerry and will be welcomed by tourism and industry officials in both counties.
The proposed new road development will begin to the west of Ballyvourney, tying into the existing N22 on the main Cork/Killarney/Tralee route, bypassing the town of Macroom before crossing the River Laney and River Sullane and re-joining the existing N22 at Coolcower – relieving congestion and traffic jams at peak hours in Macroom.
Along the existing N22 there are many accesses and junctions which have inadequate sight distance.
Overtaking opportunities along the route are limited. In recent years, the high accident rates continued, with the N22 ranking as one of the highest fatal and serious collision routes in the country.
The section east of Ballyvourney is a mixture of single carriageway widths, with no hard shoulders or verges and prone to slow moving traffic.
“I am glad to have worked hard from within Government to help secure approval of this significant national road project for the South West region of the country,” Kerry TD, Minister of State for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin, said.
“The N22 project further opens up the National Road Network in the country, providing a better connection for traffic travelling between Cork and Kerry. I also welcome the benefits that this project will deliver, such as connecting rural communities and improved inter-urban accessibility for the South West region and my home county.”