The journey time from Kilcullen to Waterford on the N9/N10 will be cut by 20 minutes, following construction of a new roadway, details of which were announced yesterday.
The preferred route corridor for the controversial road scheme was formally unveiled at a joint meeting of public representatives from Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois and Kildare yesterday.
The 110km dual carriageway/motorway scheme is expected to cost in the region of £526 million, which excludes compensation for residents and landowners directly affected by the road construction.
The project design team has identified a 100-metre-wide preferred route corridor which stretches from Kilcullen, east of Athy, Carlow town and Kilkenny City, then continuing east of Mullinavat before joining the proposed Waterford bypass.
Within the 110km road scheme, 470 landowners will be affected, while at this early stage 22 houses have been identified as being within this 100 metre band.
The project team has indicated that these 22 houses may require demolition but with closer examination adjustments may be made to exclude a number from the final route.
The project team has indicated that each property will be judged on its own merits in respect of compensation and the provision of farm underpasses where a division of farm holdings occurs.
Considerations such as land quality and agricultural usage are expected to be examined in determining the level of compensation.
Landowners and residents directly affected were contacted by post yesterday morning, prior to the announcement to public representatives and the media.
The new road will be designated to high quality dual-carriageway/motorway standard with limited access. In general, existing roads will remain open with the provision of underbridges or overbridges maintaining access to local towns and villages.
In total the preferred route option contains nine junctions serving the towns of Athy, Carlow, Kilkenny City and south county Kilkenny. In the case of Athy and Kilkenny City, link roads will be constructed from the urban centre connecting traffic with this new road scheme.
Meetings with the owners of all homes within the route corridor and associated link roads, which connect Athy and Kilkenny, will take place over the next fortnight.
The project team expects that in total the new road will cut a total of 20 minutes driving time off the current Kilcullen to Waterford journey, despite the proposed route being 5kms longer than the existing road.
The announcement was broadly welcomed by members of the commercial sector, who recognise the provision of infrastructure as one of the more important aspects in attracting development to the South East
Meanwhile, it has emerged that one of the Kilkenny county councillors who came out in favour of the roadway will be severely affected by it.
The 120-acre farm of Cllr Bobby Aylward, Knockmoylan, Mullinavat, in South Kilkenny will be halved by the new road.