MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT Leo Varadkar is this morning turning the sod to mark the beginning of construction on a new €97m bypass of Tralee in Co Kerry.
The N22 Tralee bypass will link the N69 Listowel Road with the N70 Killorglin road, via the N21 to Limerick. It will include an 8km dual carriageway around Tralee, and a 5.5km two-lane single carriageway linking onward to Killarney.
The bypass section will also include a dedicated pedestrian lane and cycleway, and should reduce journey times from Dublin to the region by 12 minutes.
“The Tralee Bypass will upgrade access to County Kerry and allow Tralee to benefit from the removal of unnecessary through traffic whilst improving the travel experience for tourists and businesses alike,” Varadkar said.
The project is intended to reduce traffic levels in Tralee town by around a quarter, while also allowing for easier onward access to Killarney and to Kerry Airport in Farranfore.
Construction of the new road should take around 21 months and create around 150 jobs.
The project is one of six road projects set to begin construction this year, but the Department of Transport has warned that no new road projects will commence between 2012 and 2014 due to budget shortfalls.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say