€4m Galway road money handed back to state

A multi-million euro development plan for the Oughterard to Maam Cross section of the N59 could be in jeopardy if agreement is not reached on the work methods proposed by Galway County Council.

But in either event, the €4m that was set aside for work on the road from Oughterard towards Maam Cross in 2015 has now been lost.

The money could not be spent because of the stand-off in regard to environmental issues and has now been returned to the Government coffers. This 15 km section of the N59 was condemned on most engineering criteria during a Bord Pleanála public hearing three years ago and it has been given the unofficial title – along with other sections from Galway to Clifden – of “the worst road in Ireland”.

However, the upgrading project has been mired in environmental issues and it is feared that the roads authorities may eventually back away.

The New Year could be “make or break” time as Galway County Council make another pitch at getting work started.

It is understood that the County Council sent a Method Statement (work plan) to the National Parks and Wildlife Service earlier this week with a ten day timescale for a decision.

Both bodies had agreed recently that a ten day period would be set for a response to these plans and documentation.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (the successor to the National Roads Authority) has now announced that €1.5m is being made available this year for site investigation works and land purchase between Oughterard and Bunakill in the Maam Cross area.

A site investigation is needed before tenders from contractors would be sought.  However, the sum allocated is considerably less than last year and can only be spent if the latest effort by the County Council gets past environmental hurdles; the Site Investigation is part of that process.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune