The Minister for Transport today set in train the building of a 42 kilometre stretch of the Dublin to Cork motorway.
The Portlaoise-to-Cullahill section of the road will link up with the Portlaoise bypass. Mr Brennan today launched the Motorway Order and the Environment Impact Statement for the motorway scheme.
The public-private partnership project will require an investment of more than €300 million.
"It is now Government policy to immediately accelerate the completion of motorways to the South (Cork) and the West (Galway) while at the same time maintaining the momentum in finishing the other inter-urban routes," the Minister said.
"The Portlaoise-Cullahill project will make a major contribution to achieving the goal of having continuous motorway to the South within three to four years," he added.
Mr Brennan said he hoped motorways to the Cork and Galway from Dublin would be finished by 2007.
The motorway to the South will be about 267 kilometres in length and of that, 67 kilometres is complete, 25 kilometres is under construction and due for completion late 2004 or early 2005. Some 175 kilometres is going through the planning process.
