The €37 million Waterford Outer Ring road has been opened to traffic by the Minister for Transport.
The Outer Ring road connects the Williamstown Road to the main Waterford-Cork Road at Butlerstown and means that traffic can now flow from Waterford Regional Hospital and the nearby residential area to major employment centres on the Cork Road.
Built in less than two years for Waterford City Council, the 6.8-kilometre dual carriageway will provide access to the planned Waterford City Bypass, ultimately allowing traffic to complete a circuit from Grannagh, Co Kilkenny to Waterford Regional Hospital without entering Waterford city centre.
Martin Cullen said the road would "prove the artery" for development in the city.
"Coupled with wider infrastructural improvements, it means day-to-day access has vastly improved and that the necessary road capacity is there to cater for current and future growth," Mr Cullen said.
"Its immediate and long-term benefits to daily lives and jobs here in Waterford are incalculable. Quality access to and from the services and amenities that are crucial to all our lives is vital," he said.