Work has begun on construction of the State's longest cable-stayed bridge, which will connect the Waterford city bypass to the M9 motorway, both of which are currently under construction.
The new bridge, which is to be similar in design to the cable-stayed structure over the Boyne at Drogheda, will be 465m (0.29 miles) long, with a span over the river Suir of 230m (0.14 miles).
Construction work has been under way on the Waterford city bypass since April last year.
The N25 forms part of the North/South strategic corridor which runs from Belfast, via Dublin and Rosslare to Cork, linking the three largest centres of population and providing access to the key commercial seaports in the east and south.
The M9 motorway is due to provide a new toll road between Waterford and Dublin by 2010.
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen visited the site yesterday to mark the construction of the new bridge.
On Wednesday next he will be in the midlands to formally open the 28km Kinnegad to Kilbeggan dual carriageway.
The road is already open to traffic along about 18km between Kinnegad and Tyrrellspass.
From Wednesday the traffic will be able to travel to Kilbeggan.
Also on Wednesday Mr Cullen will open a new 4.2km stretch of the N52 between Mullingar and Belvidere.
In early July some 14km of the Gorey bypass in County Wexford will open.
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