Ten new road projects are to go out to tender in the near future, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, announced yesterday.
The roads, which have a total projected cost of almost €1 billion, are:
M1 - The Western bypass of Dundalk to the Border
N2 - the Ashbourne bypass
N4 - the Sligo relief road
N4 - McNeads Bridge to Kinnegad
N6 - Loughrea bypass
N7 - Naas Road widening
N15 - Ballyshannon/Bundoran bypass
N18 - Ennis bypass
N21 - Ballycarthy to Tralee
N25 - Kinsale Road interchange
Mr Brennan added that a number of new schemes would open to traffic this year. They are:
The second Westlink bridge
Glen of the Downs road
Watergrasshill improvements
The N8 improvements
N18/19 improvements
Start on seven new projects this year including the Monasterevin bypass and the Kilcock-Kinnegad road.