Green Limerick: Over €20m allocated for Council's Active Travel projects

OVER €20 million has been allocated to improve Limerick’s sustainable transport facilities. 

The National Transport Authority (NTA) awarded €20.5m to Limerick City and County Council’s Active Travel team for the design, planning and construction of walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure in 2025.

The funding will be used for the development of segregated cycle lanes, new and improved footpaths, new pedestrian crossings, public transport infrastructure and significant landscaping upgrades.

The investment will allow the Active Travel team in Limerick City and County Council to continue to progress its work on a number of key projects, including pedestrian infrastructure improvements across Limerick’s towns and villages. 

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Notable projects include the Mill Road, Corbally Active Travel Scheme and the  R510 Raheen to Quinn’s Cross Active Travel Scheme, which are both currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2025.

As well as this, the Active Travel team will continue to work on new projects such as the TUS to City Centre Active Travel Scheme and the South Circular Road Active Travel Scheme which are hoped to be completed in the first three months of this year.

Senior engineer with the Active Travel department at the Council, Sean McGlynn, branded 2025 as “an important chapter in the story of Active Travel in Limerick”. 

“We expect to complete significant projects on the Mill Road in Corbally and the R510 in Raheen, which will allow people living and working in those areas to make more sustainable transport choices where possible,” he said. 

“We also anticipate beginning work on-site on significant projects connecting TUS Moylish to the city centre, along with the South Circular Road Active Travel Scheme, which will provide far greater connectivity for two of the city’s third-level institutions. 

“Further progress will also be made in rural areas in county Limerick, with another significant allocation provided to us to continue rolling out new and enhanced pedestrian infrastructure in towns and villages.”

€18m has been awarded directly to Limerick City and County Council projects while a further €2.5m has been allocated through other NTA funding streams, those being Milford Plassy Park Junction project and the Bus Stop Enhancement Programme.

Director of transportation and mobility with Limerick City and County Council, Brian Kennedy, said: “Our successful partnership with the NTA continues to grow and develop and this announcement is another sign of that progress. 

“Limerick City & County Council’s 2025 funding allocation is a substantial investment that will allow us to continue to focus on delivering a safe, accessible and connected network of walking, wheeling and cycling routes in our city and in our rural towns and villages.”  

Mayor of Limerick, John Moran, said he welcomes this funding allocation “to continue to upgrade our Active Travel infrastructure in Limerick city and county”. 

“A key pillar of the Mayoral Programme is to ensure we either achieve or are well on the way to achieving the status of Ireland’s first city with a fully integrated, safe Active Travel network,” he said. 

“This allocation, and the projects it will advance, will put us well on track to achieving that aim, along with other important projects in the county.”