Glasson and Ballykeeran by-pass plans frozen

The Government has effectively ruled out any prospect of by-passes of Glasson or Ballykeeran being progressed in the foreseeable future. In its revised capital plan until 2016 published recently, the Government said it was progressing a number of named projects, including N11 Arklow/N7 Newlands Cross, Gort-Tuam PPP and New Ross/Enniscorthy and Galway City Outer By-Pass (N6) through public-private partnership approaches. However, it admitted that the only other projects to proceed were likely to be "low-cost" targeted improvements "In addition to the funding provided, the National Roads Authority will also progress a limited number of improvement schemes, including the Ballaghaderreen bypass project, together with some relatively low-cost targeted improvements on the national secondary network, where road safety is an issue, and in tourist areas. The capital plan said: "These projects offer significant economic benefits and will continue to be supported in what is a far less favourable funding environment. This is despite the publication by the National Roads Authority earlier in the year of a plan to initiate a major national secondary road improvement programme. The publication, National Secondary Road Needs identified relief roads of Ballykeeran, Glasson and Ballymahon among 50 bypasses earmarked for priority nationally. However, the Government has now virtually quashed all hopes of those projects progressing in the current economic climate. The prospects of improvement works on the Ballymahon to Glasson and Glasson to Ballykeeran sections of the N55, which were also identified in the NRA plan, being progressed are also very slim. After referring to the PPP projects and the other improvement schemes, the capital plan stated: "It is not anticipated that sufficient funds will be in place to commence any other major National Road projects but it should be emphasised that these projects are deferred not cancelled."