THE FIRST sod has been turned on a new €97.03 million Tralee bypass in Co Kerry.
The project will divert an estimated 25 per cent of all traffic away from the town centre, reduce travel times for many people and bring benefits for regional tourism and road safety, it was said during the sod-turning ceremony.
Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar officially broke ground yesterday on the construction of the N22-N69 Tralee bypass road improvement scheme.
“Additionally, the Tralee bypass will upgrade access to Co Kerry and allow Tralee to benefit from the removal of unnecessary through traffic whilst improving the travel experience for tourists and businesses alike,” Mr Varadkar said.
The project had been listed as one of the demands of former Independent Kerry TD Jackie Healy- Rae, along with Kenmare Community Hospital, as a condition of supporting the last coalition government in its final months.
The 13.5km project is expected to take 21 months to complete and will connect four of the five national routes (N21, N22, N69 and N70) that terminate in Tralee.
The start of construction work during one of the most difficult economic periods in living memory was not lost on mayor of Kerry Tim Buckley, who said the bypass would benefit the county as a whole.
“At a time when the economic downturn has impacted on all areas, the construction phase of the Tralee bypass will have a positive economic impact upon Tralee and the wider area,” Mr Buckley said.
“Tralee is a focal point for transport around Kerry, so travel times will be reduced, while the business, tourism and agriculture sectors will also benefit from the bypass.”
The bypass will attract up to 18,800 vehicles a day by 2026, providing an improved road corridor network between Tralee and Kerry Airport, with an estimated travel time of 10 minutes.
In addition, an estimated 150 jobs will be created during the 21-month construction period.
Kerry county manager Tom Curran also expressed his delight at seeing the project begin.
“This is something that Kerry County Council has been working towards for many years and the support we have received from our elected members, at local and Oireachtas level, has been crucial in getting us to this point,” Mr Curran said.