New ring road to cut Limerick congestion
More than 10,000 vehicles will be removed from the streets of Limerick each day after the opening of part of a new ring road around the city today.
Transport Minister Seamus Brennan said phase one of the Limerick Southern Ring Road would save motorists almost half-an-hour on the journey from Dublin to Cork and Kerry and boost development in the east and south of the country.
The €106m scheme was funded by the Government under the National Development Plan and was partly funded by the European Union.
In addition to the 9.5km dual carriageway, a further 8km of national primary single carriageway and local roads was also opened.
“This road scheme will boost economic development and expand regional development in the west and south,” Mr Brennan said.
“More and improved infrastructure is a cornerstone of future growth.
“Limerick is a vibrant and expanding city and by filtering a large volume of traffic away from the centre of the city, the Southern Ring Road Phase One will have a big impact on alleviating congestion and improving safety in the city.”
Peter Malone, the chairman of the National Roads Authority, said the completion of the road formed an important part of the plan to provide over 190km of motorway or high quality dual carriageway from Dublin to Limerick.
“This year the Authority has allocated over €150m to the N7 in order to advance schemes on this important national primary corridor,” he added.
John Clifford, the chairman of Limerick County Council, said the new road would increase safety in the city.
“The 10,000 vehicles diverting from the city to use the new bypass will include up to 1,000 heavy goods vehicles (trucks) daily, so we’ll immediately have a safer environment for people in the city,” he said.
“The reduction of 10,000 vehicles from city streets means there will also be time savings for local journeys within Limerick and for traffic travelling through Limerick, on to Clare and Galway (N18).”
