Work on €204m Gort bypass delayed

Work on the €204 million Crusheen Gort bypass will not take place this year despite hopes that the project would begin after completion of the Ennis bypass.

The two road projects form part of the Atlantic Corridor and county engineer Tom Carey had said to council members that he hoped work could start on the project once the Ennis bypass is complete in the second quarter of 2007.

However, the tendering for the scheme cannot take place until the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) has been confirmed, and this is not due to take place until next month.

Further confirmation of a delay in the project was made last week by the National Roads Authority (NRA) who did not include the project in the schemes to start this year.

An NRA spokesman said: "The authority will be focusing on the inter-urban motorways until 2010 as part of Transport 21. The Atlantic Corridor is part of a longer-term plan."

Mr Carey said that he was "disappointed" that the scheme was not included in the NRA's "schemes to start in 2007".

However, he said: "I'm optimistic that the scheme is still a priority at national level, although it is not one of the designated Major Inter-Urbans .

"Of course the scheme cannot go to tender until CPO is confirmed as it would be perceived as potentially prejudicial. I would be reasonably confident of a 2008 start."

Tubber-based councillor Michael Kelly said yesterday: "It is disappointing that the project won't start this year because we had been led to believe that work would be starting on the scheme."

He added: "I remain very concerned that the concerns of landowners along the route be addressed before the final design of the road is approved, and it is vital that a slip road be put in place to serve people living between Tubber and Kinvara."

The lead agency in the scheme, Galway County Council is seeking to compulsorily acquire almost 500 acres of land contained in 103 farms along the 22km route.

The scheme is also to involve the severance of 845 acres of farmland.

The overall scheme will cost €209 million with construction costs put at €156 million.

Construction is expected to take two to three years to complete.