Over €620m to be invested in regional and local roads this year, Ryan confirms

Over €620 million will be invested in regional and local roads across Ireland in 2023. 

That's according to the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, and Minister of State Jack Chambers TD who today (February 14) announced details of €626 million in funding, allowing approximately 3,100kms of regional and local roads to be maintained and 2,550kms to be strengthened. 

Highlights of the investment programme include €298 million for road pavement strengthening works, €84million for maintenance and strengthening works, and €75 million for preventative surface dressing works. 

The smallest allocation of €11 million has each gone towards safety improvement works and miscellaneous grants including salt purchase, training and velocity patching machines, with €20 million for drainage works and €16million for bridge rehabilitation works. 

Speaking about the news, Minister Ryan said, "Our main priority in 2023 continues to be the protection and renewal of the existing regional and local road network because that is the one thing you don’t curtail. It makes more sense to protect and repair our roads quickly rather than letting them fall into more expensive disrepair. 

"We are providing funding for a range of schemes from larger strategic road improvements to smaller scale road improvements and critical bridge rehabilitation works. An important part of this allocation is the climate change adaptation grant which was introduced for works on roads at risk due to the impact of climate change and severe weather events.

"This funding will continue in 2023 with €16 million being allocated for 329 climate change adaptation projects. We have seen great progress because of this grant already. Some of the projects which will be completed in 2023 seawall repairs in Kinsale, Co. Cork, to embankment restructuring in Ballybunion, Co. Kerry.”

Minister of State Jack Chambers also commented and said, "This funding is allocated to a broad variety of road maintenance and improvement aspects. €11 million is being allocated to road safety schemes that target remedial measures to improve road safety for vulnerable road users and vehicular traffic. 

"This funding will allow in excess of 300 safety projects to be carried out. This also includes provision to continue on a signage programme which includes signage to support lower speed limits in housing areas, rural speed limit signage and a “safe passing” cycle sign.”