A preferred route for a €500 million northern ring road around Cork city should be decided upon by the end of this year following further public consultation on four options now proposed by the National Roads Authority.
According to Cork county engineer Ned Flynn, the NRA should have decided by the end of the year which is the best route for the 20-kilometre ring road linking the N22 (Ballincollig Bypass) through the N20 (Mallow Road) to the N8 (Dublin Road).
Mr Flynn said that in a best-case scenario with funding being available, he would expect that the route, which it is estimated will take 35,000 to 40,000 vehicles a day, would be decided upon by mid- to end of 2006 .
Publication of compulsory purchase orders and environmental impact statements should follow in 2007, leading to an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanála in late 2007, with a decision possibly in early 2008 when tenders would be sought for the project.
In this scenario, construction work would begin in 2009 with the project likely to be scheduled for completion in 2012, though the actual duration of the construction phase would be determined by the route chosen and the amount of tunnelling required.
Three of the four routes now proposed by the NRA involve tunnelling, with the most westerly Yellow Route (A), starting at Ovens, requiring tunnelling at Moneyflugh, and the Green Route (C), starting at Ballinaspig More, requiring tunnelling at Ballysheehy.
Only the Blue Route (B), which starts at Poulavone and involves running the road halfway up the Shournagh Valley and then swinging east through Kerry Pike, obviates the need for a tunnel, which it is estimated will add around €100 million to the cost of the project.
According to Mr Flynn, most of the focus of debate regarding route choice is on the western end of the route and how it proceeds from Leemount up past Kerry Pike, with the eastern end of the routes from Monard on to Kilcully and Glanmire proving less contentious.
An initial public consultation process early in 2005 led to residents in Kerry Pike expressing strong opposition to the then proposed three routes.
Kerry Pike Community Association then commissioned its own engineers to look at finding an alternative route.
The result was a proposed alternative Red Route (D) starting at Poulavone (B) which sees the route veer away from the Shournagh Valley and Kerry Pike and instead tunnel under Morgan's Boreen on the Lee Road and exit north-east of Kerry Pike at Ballycannon.
Kerry Pike Community Association chairman Michael O'Leary said they were encouraged by the fact that the NRA had included their Red Route among the options and they were very hopeful that this route would finally be chosen.
Mr O'Leary said that the original three routes proposed by the NRA were all very disruptive, with the overland Blue Route along the Shournagh Valley having a dramatic impact on a very scenic area while it also bisected Kerry Pike village.
The alternative Red Route proposed by the association would involve the construction of a 960-metre tunnel which would be shorter than either of the two other tunnels included in the other NRA proposals while it would also involve far less disruption to housing.
Mr Flynn said the alternative route had been included because it was found to be a viable option.
A public consultation on the options took place last night in Blackpool while a second public consultation will take place this evening at the Kingsley Hotel on the Carrigrohane Straight from 5pm to 9pm.
