Fine Gael promise Claregalway bypass

Date Published: 22-May-2007

Fine Gael in a national announcement yesterday said that, when in power, one of their first moves would be to instruct the National Roads Authority that a Bypass for Claregalway was to be fast-tracked.

Said a Fine Gael statement, backed by the party candidates Dail Deputy Padraic McCormack, Councillor Fidelma Healy-Eames and Councillor Sean Kyne … “the new Minister for Transport will direct the National Roads Authority, as is the Minister’s power under current legislation, to fast track the development of the Claregalway bypass to construction stage with immediate effect.”

The Battle of the Bypass has been going on for years, with 35,000 vehicles per day passing through the village ….. a bottleneck which leads to half hour traffic jams in the village itself, and turns the journey from Galway to Tuam into an hour-and-a-half nightmare at peak times.

Local residents had warned that they would campaign against any party which did not give a commitment on the Bypass, and last week they said they would call on voters to vote against Fianna Fail and Fine Gael if they were not committed on the Bypass.