Compulsory purchase orders for the Gorey bypass in Co Wexford were signed by the Wexford county manager yesterday.
The Gorey to Arklow link in the N11 forms part of Euroroute E01, and will bring a dual carriageway into Co Wexford for the first time.
At a cost of €200 million the project - one of €500 million worth of national road improvements to be carried out in Co Wexford - is expected to begin construction in 2005, with a completion date of 2008.
The 23 km dual carriageway will run from the end of the current Arklow bypass in Co Wicklow, to Clogh in Co Wexford and will ease a serious traffic bottleneck in Gorey town, as well as shortening journey times on the important Dublin to Wexford/Rosslare Harbour Euroroute.
The scheme pre-dates the National Development Plan 2000 -2006 and was identified as a necessity in the National Roads Needs Study 1998. There are 15 road bridges, two railway bridges and about 130 hectares of land acquisition involved in the project.
Over the coming weeks farmers and other land-owners along the route will be issued with the compulsory purchase documentation but the route of the dual carriageway has been known for some time and meetings organised by the National Roads Authority have been held for a number of years.
The process will culminate with a determination of the manager's order by An Bord Pleanála, expected next spring. All going well, tenders will be invited in 2004.
The Gorey bypass is one element of a road building programme prepared by Wexford County Council and which also includes bypasses for Enniscorthy and New Ross as well as a new access road to Rosslare Harbour.
The county manager, Mr Séamus Dooley, said yesterday it was one of the largest road schemes in the State and one of the most important in Co Wexford. "It is indicative of the council's commitment to providing the best possible infrastructure throughout the county to encourage industrial and tourism development," he said. Yesterday's signing was one of his last acts before he retires on Friday next.
Mr Harvey Jones of the Irish Farmers' Association, said they would be ensuring the acquisition of land was carried out in accordance with the agreements reached between the IFA and the last Government.
The signing was also welcomed by the Minister of State for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr John Browne.
