First half of Waterford Greenway opens to walkers and cyclists

The first half of the new Waterford Greenway which will eventually link Waterford city and Dungarvan on a traffic-free route for walkers and cyclists has opened for use.

The 23km stretch running from Dungarvan to Kilmacthomas opened yesterday and the second 23km is due to open next spring at an overall cost of about €10 million.

The greenway, following a disused railway line, is the work of Waterford City and County Council, with co-operation from property owners along the route, support from local campaigners and funding from the Department of Tourism and Transport.

Included in the project are underpasses of the N25 road, a new footbridge at Kilmacthomas, 11 bridges, three viaducts and a 400m tunnel.

From Dungarvan, the route begins at Walton Park in the centre of the town and continues along the coast to Ballinroad – this section has been open for some time – and runs close to Clonea Strand before swinging north and going through the Ballyvoyle tunnel and across a viaduct. It skirts the southern Comeragh mountains before reaching Kilmacthomas.

The route follows the line used by trains running from Dungarvan to Waterford from 1878 until 1967, with a section of the track used to transport magnesite ore from Ballinacourty until 1982.