Galway West
€2.5m allocated for new Galway City bypass design
The Government has allocated €2.5 million towards the continued planning and design of the proposed new bypass of Galway City.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (formerly the National Roads Authority) has confirmed to Galway West TD Sean Kyne that the funds have been provided to Galway County Council for this year.
The Fine Gael General Election candidate said he “firmly believes” the €500 million road will be built.
“I firmly believe that the Galway City Bypass will be built. Transport Infrastructure Ireland confirmed that €2.5 million has been allocated to Galway County Council for the N6 Galway City Bypass this year.
“This brings to €6.6 million the amount invested in the last three years in the meticulous design of the bypass and demonstrates the commitment of the Fine Gael-led government to the project.
“The bypass is not just another road. It will also provide a fifth bridge crossing on the Corrib. It is incredible to think that a City of Galway’s size only has four bridge crossings over the Corrib.
“The recent analysis at the meeting which said that the bypass will remove no more than 5% of the traffic from the city is based on figures which completely ignore the N59 traffic as well as traffic from Salthill and Knocknacarra trying to join the M6 or reach the east side of the city and county.
“I fully support the bypass and have been completely upfront with my support for the project to all. It is galling to see election candidates declare their stringent opposition to the bypass only to canvass Connemara, or Salthill and Knocknacarra, and sympathetically listen to experiences of the traffic congestion which our city is unfortunately known for.
“It is also complete nonsense to imply that a supporter of the bypass is against public transport investment.
“I have, for example, raised issues including bus services to and from towns/villages such as Bearna, Moycullen, Claregalway and Oranmore; bus lanes and the possibility of opening up lanes at certain times; rural transport services such as Bealach in Connemara; parking for tour and commuter buses; bus routes, stops and shelters; the use of Quincentenary Bridge for a direct West-East bus route; the City Bikes scheme including the expansion of the scheme and the development of greenways.
“There is no single standalone solution to Galway’s transport challenges. A Bypass, however, is absolutely part of the overall solution. It will divert traffic from Connemara and the west of the City away from congested routes.
“It will connect Connemara to the national road network. It will help facilitate economic growth and development, particularly in the west of the city and in Connemara.
“And most of all, it will help reduce the amount of time the people of Galway have to spend in their cars instead of being with their families,” said Deputy Kyne.
With half of the boxes in Galway City West tallied, the state of play in the six-seater is:
Donal Lyons (Ind) 23%
Pauline O’Reilly (Greens) 14.75%
Niall McNelis (Lab) 11.89%
John Connolly (FF) 9.86%
Pearce Flannery (FG) 9.48%
Peter Keane (FF) 7.3%
John Crowley (Soc Dems) 6.3%
Clodagh Higgins (FG) 5.9%
Salthill and Taylor’s Hill boxes being tallied now
There is a tired old cliché about people singing from ‘the same hymn sheet’ – but despite their diverse political backgrounds, it could certainly be applied in the case of Galway city’s two new TDs.
Because Fine Gael’s Deputy Hildegarde Naughten and independent TD Catherine Connolly hold common ground when it comes to a lot of issues relating to Galway city.
For example, in the aftermath of the general election they both agreed that University Hospital Galway should be moved to a greenfield site at Merlin Park. They also articulated this view on the first day of the new Dail last week.
And, separately, they were both in favour of the provision of dedicated bus lanes throughout Galway city with the acceptance that there will be no outer bypass for at least another decade. Deputy Connolly believes that the current proposal is simply “a cul-de-sac” and should never have been progressed.
Left-leaning Independent TD Catherine Connolly and right-leaning Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton, both believe UHG is at saturation point and are committed to the development of a new public hospital at the larger, more accessible site east of the city.
This, along with the promotion of public transport initiatives to help end traffic chaos in the city, is one of the common policy objectives the two new women TDs share.
They are only the second and third women TDs ever in Galway West, following in the footsteps of former Fianna Fáil minister, Máire Geoghegan Quinn.
Pressure is mounting on Galway West TD Noel Grealish to join Fianna Fail as the party attempts to be part of the next government.
The Fianna Fail organisation in the constituency are now convinced that Grealish may provide the party with the answer to winning a second seat in Galway West. And the organisation are disappointed that veteran TD Eamon O Cuiv has not delivered a second seat in the last two general elections. If Fianna Fail assume power, it is very unlikely that the Cornamona man will have a place at the front bench.
The party organisation in Galway West are now anxious that Grealish becomes part of their fabric and particularly as he is a proven vote-winner.
Grealish is part of an unofficial grouping in the Dail who are currently engaged with the two major parties with a view to forming a minority government.
The fact that the Carnmore man has been a TD since 2002, it is likely that he could be part of the front bench in the next government if he agrees to become part of the support that Fianna Fail require.
It was revealed last week that he had been approached by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to join up but he was not to be drawn on the issue.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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