THE Minister for the Environment has approved plans for an £87.5 million motorway bypass of Drogheda, Co Louth, including a high level bridge over the Boyne. But work on it is unlikely to start before 1999.
The new stretch of motorway will run to the west of the town, connecting the Balbriggan bypass in Co Dublin, which is currently under construction, with the Dunleer bypass in Co Louth.
"Approval of this scheme brings us another important step closer to a full motorway route between Dublin and the Border," Mr Howlin said, adding that its completion was "vital to this country's economic development".
The bypass will involve building 21.5 kilometres of four lane dual carriageway, with four major interchanges - at Gormanston, two on either side of Drogheda and the fourth at Monasterboice - and a total of 20 bridges.
Most of the existing NI between Gormanston and Monasterboice consists of a two lane road where traffic levels are increasing at the rate of 5.4 per cent per annum.
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