Government announces more than €83m in funding for roads in Limerick

GOVERNMENT has announced more than €83m in funding for works on Limerick roads - the vast majority of it on the Adare bypass.

Work on the Limerick to Foynes road which is hoped will lighten the traffic through Adare is well under way.

And government has announced that €69m has been set aside for the link.

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On top of this, some €4.5m has been allocated for the Limerick to Cork motorway, and €750,000 each for relief roads in Abbeyfeale and Newcastle West.

The funding was welcomed by local TD Niall Collins, a Minister of State at the Department of Justice, who is pictured below with Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien.

"The announcement is enormously positive. I want to welcome the allocation of over €83m for Limericks national roads, particularly the €69 million for the Adare bypass, for which contracts have been signed just recently. I want to acknowledge the priority this government has placed on funding new roads and advancing the national road projects in the current National Development Plan. This funding will improve our national roads in Limerick and improve road safety for all road users," the Fianna Fail TD said.

Other notable funding allocations for Limerick include €3.2m on pavement renewals and €2.6m on improvements to local roads.

Kilteery Pier is to get €63,000 for improvements, while a pilot of safety cameras is to take place, with €62,000 in place this this.

Government has allocated €641,467 in funding for day-to-day maintenance of roads, including works which are needed during extreme winter weather periods, and the lighting of routes.

Verge works at Barnagh, Abbeyfeale, Adare, Murphy's Cross in Adare, Pallasgreen, Grange Cross in Grange and Ward’s Cross  near Abbeyfeale will be funded through this revenue.

Fellow Limerick County TD Patrick O'Donovan, the Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport said: "The allocation for protection and renewal of the existing national road network will fund a range of activities including road safety improvements, pavement renewal, maintenance of bridges and structures, and measures to ensure the network can withstand the increased number of severe weather events."

Nationally, the Department of Transport is to provide €633m in funding for roads.