€43m boost for new North Kerry roads

THE Tralee Northern Relief Road and the Listowel Bypass will benefit from a combined €43million in funding in the next four years, as both were included in a review of the Capital Plan for 2018 to 2021.

Minister Brendan Griffin TD told The Kerryman that €32million will go to the six-kilometre Listowel Bypass project, recently granted planning permission, which will link the N69 Tralee-Limerick Road to the Ballybunion Road.

The Tralee Northern Relief Road will receive a further €11million. An addition to the Tralee Bypass, it will link Bracker O’Regan Road and the top of Oakpark Road. The funding comes on the back of a review which took place in October.

“Enhancing local infrastructure will help improve the lives of Kerry people, as well as making the area even more accessible,” said Minister Brendan Griffin, adding the projects “will ease congestion in both towns and make them more accessible for people and businesses.”

Separately, Kerry received more than €23million from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for national road schemes last year, and TII has allocated another €17.8million to the county for 2018, a Kerry County Council (KCC) spokesperson told The Kerryman.

The 2017 allotment went to schemes such as the works on an N86 contract at Lios Póil and Camp; and refurbishment works to 12 bridges.

The 2018 TII allotment is one of the highest in the country, and earmarks more than €8million for pavement works, including €3.5million for a scheme on the N70 between the Waterville Town Centre and the River Inny Bridge. Another €4.7million has been set aside for major and minor works to the N86 scheme.

“During 2017, there was significant investment in and improvements to Kerry’s roads network,” a KCC spokesperson said.

“The contract has been awarded for a 3.5km scheme at the N70 Kilderry Bends between Milltown and Killorglin; works will be complete by mid2019 which will bypass this series of bad bends. Significant progress has been made on the N86 on a 4.2km contract underway at Lispole and Camp ... which will be complete in mid-2018. Meanwhile the land is being acquired along the remainder of the route between Camp and Dingle to enable further phases to be constructed in the coming years.

“The CPO and Environmental Impact Statement for the N69 Listowel Bypass was approved by An Bord Pleanál in November 2017. The advance works, detailed design and land acquisition for this €40m scheme will progress in 2018.”

Meanwhile, Cork County Council has told The Kerryman that it expects the initial works to the N22 Macroom to Baile Bhuirne project to advance enough by the end of quarter one in 2018 to allow main contract works to go to tender, subject to funding.

A 22-kilometre route is proposed to bypass both Macroom and Baile Bhuirne, and the project has been described as being of critical importance to the people of Kerry travelling on the N22.

Initial Fencing Works are complete, Ground and Archaeological Investigation Works are described as well-advanced, and Environmental Mitigation Works and Sediment Control Works will continue over the coming months