Bypass Day: Pop in and get an idea of how the proposed route affects you

KERRY County Council is hosting an open day on the future of the Listowel Bypass project with a view to giving everyone a better understanding of where the scheme is currently at.

The preferred route was identified by December 2012 (as seen in the map on right), leaving the Finuge junction on the N69 south of Listowel to travel over what would be a new bridge on the southernmost sweep of the Feale before meeting another roubdabout on the Greenville side and on to link up with the John B Keane Road at a new roundabout near McKenna’s yard.

The public display of the preferred ‘route corridor’ marked the last stage of the Bypass process with the Council currently consulting with affected landowners.

The Kerryman understands that the Council hopes to progress to the public consultation, part 8 phase by the end of the year.

However, the future of the project is subject to a plethora of concerns, from environmental assessments to land acquisition, planning, funding and much more.

The Bypass has never been more important for Listowel with traffic choking the town over long periods for much of the summer. Interest is intense in the project and the authority is now hoping to meet everyone with a stake in the future scheme at its informal open day at the Listowel Arms Hotel on Wednesday, September 21, next from 12pm until 8pm.

Staff at the Kerry National Road Design will be on hand to answer any of the myriad questions Listowel must now have on the plan.

The open day is not formally part of the bypass process, but was facilitated by the Council in response to councillors’ requests that the Listowel/North Kerry public would be informed of the latest developments and the future course of the big road. Once initiated, the statutory public consultation phase will take six weeks with An Bord Pleanála likely to hold an oral hearing as it considers the project for permission.