NRA chief’s strong signal that Gort to Tuam motorway is still on track

Date Published: 22-Oct-2009

There were further indications earlier this week that the Gort to Tuam motorway will proceed towards the latter end of next year – currently discussions are taking place with four interested consortia.
In fact it was one of the roads referred to by Peter Malone, the Chairman of the National Roads Authority, when opening the Waterford bypass on Tuesday.
He indicated in an interview afterwards that the Gort to Tuam route, which is being built on a public private partnership arrangement, was a priority with the National Roads Authority.
Expressions of interest were sought for the construction of the N17/N18 motorway and these were eventually shortlisted to four.
Currently discussions are taking place between the NRA and the four consortia and following this lengthy process, a successful contractor will be appointed.
Tony Collins of the National Roads Authority in Galway said that a contractor would be appointed by October next year after which construction of the 57 kilometres of motorway would commence.
“The NRA have been very supportive of this project and I am confident that work will commence before the end of next year”, he said and added that the project would also include the Tuam bypass.
Mr. Collins said that the tendering process was currently under way and that the successful contractor would be appointed based on both a technical and financial perspective.
It is estimated that the Gort to Tuam project, including the Tuam bypass, will cost in the region of €500 million and is expected to commence once the Gort to Crusheen section of the N18 is completed around the middle of next year.
The new road will intersect the new M6 Galway to Ballinasloe motorway at Rathmorrissey near Athenry where a major junction will be constructed.
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Tony Collins explained that it would cost between €4 million and €5 million per kilometre of motorway and was confident that the diggers would be moving into the site before the end of 2010.
At the moment an archeological survey is being carried out on the route as compulsory purchase orders for the acquisition of the land have already been approved by An Bord Pleanala.
Earlier this week Galway County Council gave their approval for the Tuam bypass to be part of the PPP process which means that the motorway will join the existing N17 north of Tuam on the main Sligo road.
Businesses in an industrial park in Tuam, which will be adjacent to the new bypass, have been given an assurance that they will get an access onto the route despite this not having been previously included in the plan.