A huge investment for the region.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed has confirmed the government’s plans to upgrade the N22 Cork-Kerry road to the tune of €280 million.
It marks the single biggest investment by government in history in the region.
The Macroom-based project has been in the works in one form or another for over two decades.
Once construction begins, it will see the development of 22 kilometres of a new dual carriageway from Coolcower that will include a northern bypass of Macroom town.
The carriageway will extend westwards, joining up with the N22 by the Cork-Kerry border.
An Bord Pleanála initially granted permission for the upgrade in 2011. It is expected to take three-and-a-half years to construct, though the Macroom bypass section should be operational before full completion.
Having agreed the deal with cabinet members, Creed took to Twitter late on Wednesday night to make it official.
“This is the government memo that my cabinet colleagues and I have approved earlier this week giving the green light to the Macroom bypass from Coolcower to the county bypass,” Creed noted, brandishing the document in question.
“Almost €280 million worth of a construction project; the single biggest investment in the region by government ever.
“It’s long overdue and I’m delighted to have been a party to this decision in government, delivering for the Macroom area.”
BREAKING: MACROOM BYPASS APPROVED BY GOVERNMENT pic.twitter.com/ASbddD2q8c
— Michael Creed TD (@creedcnw) October 16, 2019
The news arrives in the same week that the government confirmed a €241 million investment in the construction of the N5 Westport to Turlough road in Mayo.
That development will involve 20.3km of dual carriageway from Westport to Turlough and a 2.5km link to the N59, which passes through various towns in Sligo, Mayo and Galway.
The project was originally estimated to cost €170 million, but its final cost will be over 40% more than that, a cost overrun of over €70 million.
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