Millions for N59 upgrade may return to Government

It may be years – if ever – before the upgrade of a section of the Galway to Clifden road can start….even though the project received the green light from An Bord Pleanála.

But it has now emerged that most of a €4m Government allocation for work on the section of the N59 between Oughterard and Maam Cross in 2015 will be lost to Connemara; that money will go back into the Government coffers.

This money was expected to be spent on part of the road from Oughterard west towards Bunakill.

The state aid has been lost because Galway County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have still not come to an agreement on how to proceed with the detailed work on the project.

There was a condition attached to the Bord Pleanála permission stipulating that the National Parks and Wildlife Service would have to be satisfied with the plan before any substantial work could go ahead.  This point has not been reached despite lengthy discussions.

The process has now been further complicated by what is described as a pilot case being initiated by the European Commission in regard to the status of the pearl mussel; this protected species is found in the Owenriff river in Oughterard.

In its contact with the Irish Government, the Commission has listed agriculture, forestry, hydrology and morphology issues as possible threats to the pearl mussel.

The development of the N59 – the Galway to Clifden road – has also been listed as a possible threat.

It is understood that this action was embarked on in Europe following contact from “an Irish non-govermental agency”.  The Government will be obliged to respond.

This case was initiated in the period since Bord Pleanála gave development permission for the Oughterard to Maam Cross project.

The status of the pearl mussel was discussed at the Public Hearings held by An Bord Pleanála prior to the issuing of development permission which heard the opinion of experts.

Galway County Council’s plans were seen by An Bord Pleanála as being sufficiently water tight to ensure that the pearl mussel would not be affected by the road development and ancillary work.

However, it is understood that the latest queries from Europe has created further concern about the next steps in the N59 project.

In practical terms, Galway County Council will need to carry out a Site Investigation on the route from Oughterard to Maam Cross as a first step.  It was hoped this could be done earlier this year and tenders were sought from consultants.

It is estimated that this work could be done in four to five weeks with some further weeks needed to make assessments and provide reports.

But this initial stage has had to be postponed indefinitely in order to try and find a resolution to the environmental issues.   According to some sources the project is now totally bogged down.

The 15 kilometre section of the N59 between Oughterard and Maam Cross is widely regarded as the worst part of the main Galway to Clifden road.

Bord Pleanála public hearings last year heard that the road was sub-standard in a broad range of categories.

There is a further planning process taking place for the section from Maam Cross to Clifden.

Minister of State, Jimmy Deenihan – in his former role as Gaeltacht and Arts Minister – and Marian Harkin MEP are among those who have described the Galway to Clifden road as being “the worst road in Ireland”.