The Watergrasshill bypass in Co Cork is to open today, four months ahead of schedule - the latest in a series of new schemes which the National Roads Authority has heralded as, if not under budget, at least ahead of target dates.
The 10km stretch of dual-carriageway, completed at a cost of €108 million, is expected to remove at least 13,000 vehicles a day from Watergrasshill.
The new road is part of the M7/M8 motorway from Dublin to Cork and links in, at its southern end, with the existing Glanmire dual-carriageway and, at its northern end, with the existing Cork road at Condonstown.
The northern end is designed to link in to the proposed 18km bypass of Fermoy, currently out to tender.
As well as improving travel times and removing congestion from Watergrasshill, the new bypass is expected to improve road safety and accommodate future traffic growth along the strategic corridor between the Republic's capital and second-largest city.
The entire 257km Dublin-to-Cork route, known as the M7/M8, was identified by the National Development Plan 2000-2007 as one of five key motorways to regional cities and to the Border.
It was also identified by the European Union as part of the Trans-European Euroroute E280. The need for the bypass was also identified in the 1998 Road Needs Study.
Work on the Dublin-to-Cork route could still meet its target date, the end of 2006.
Later this year the M7 Kildare bypass will also open to traffic - some four months ahead of schedule.
In addition, work began earlier this year on the M7 Monasterevin bypass, the final section of motorway between Dublin and Portlaoise.
Closer to Dublin, the authority has plans to incorporate a third lane on to the N7 Naas dual-carriageway, including grade separated interchanges at the critical traffic bottlenecks of Kill and Johnstown. The move would see continuous, high-grade roads from Dublin to south of Portlaoise.
Construction work is also under way on the N8 Cashel bypass. The motorway order and environmental impact statement for the M8 Portlaoise/Cullahill section is to be published this autumn.
The Compulsory Purchase Order for a western bypass of Mitchelstown is due to be published shortly. This will be the first stage of the larger Fermoy/Mitcheslstown project, which will involve a further 22km of dual-carriageway.
Commenting on the Watergrasshill project yesterday, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said:
"High-quality infrastructure like this acts as a growth pole for industry and will contribute to the competitiveness of the region."
