CONSTRUCTION WORK is due to get under way shortly on the next phase of the "Atlantic corridor", with the National Roads Authority (NRA) confirming it has signed a contract for the bypassing of Gort and Crusheen.
The cost of the scheme is €207.5 million and the consortium to secure the contract is SIAC Wills JV.
The road scheme consists of 23km of dual carriageway and commences at the northern end of the Ennis bypass and extends to approximately 1km north of Gort, bypassing the village of Crusheen and the town of Gort. An NRA spokesman said construction work was expected to start in the coming weeks and the project was expected to be complete in 2011.
The scheme is expected to reduce journey times between Limerick and Galway cities and follows the bypassing of Ennis and Newmarket-on-Fergus along the N18 route.
However, arising from Government budgetary cutbacks, the next phase of the Atlantic Corridor has been deferred for at least a year.
The Gort-Oranmore scheme involves the construction of 28 kilometres of dual-carriageway and is to link up at a major junction with the N6 Galway to Ballinasloe and the M17 Galway-Tuam route.
At the oral hearing concerning the Gort-Crusheen scheme, Galway County Council said the construction costs of the project were €156 million with 11km of the scheme in Co Clare and 12km in Co Galway. As part of the scheme, the lead agency in the project, Galway council is compulsorily acquiring almost 200 hectares of land contained in 103 farms on the route.
The scheme involves the severance of 340 hectares of farmland, while the route will pass within 300 metres and 3km of nine designated special area of conservation or national heritage areas.
