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These roads around the country are getting an upgrade

The Transport Minister said, “The main focus of the safety improvements scheme is to improve safety at locations where collisions have taken place.”

SOME €324 MILLION is going to be spent upgrading regional and local roads across the country.

It will mean some 2,035 kilometers being strengthened and 1,980 kilometers of road being maintained by getting surface dressed.

Local Authorities can now plan ahead and decide their annual work programmes following the announcement of the 2017 grant allocations.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, said the priority in 2017 continues to be the maintenance of our existing road network which will enhance safety and support job growth in local areas.

While the funding in 2017 will largely continue to support the maintenance of our current regional road network I am also pleased to announce funding for a small number of larger road improvement projects.

Breakdown 

Ross said that, “As well as expenditure on maintenance and strengthening, the 2017 investment programme also allows for a number of Capital Plan projects to progress”.

These projects include:

  • Bettystown to Laytown Link Road in County Meath
  • Dingle Relief Road (Phase 4) in County Kerry
  • Sallins by-Pass/Osberstown Interchange
  • Shannon Crossing in Killaloe, County Clare
  • Athy Southern Distributor Road in County Kildare
  • Portlaoise Southern Relief Road
  • Eastern Garavogue Bridge in Sligo
  • Grange Castle Business Park Roads in County Dublin

The Minister added that, “A number of projects will also support industry and facilitate increased employment including road infrastructure improvements in the vicinity of the proposed Center Parc development in Longford.”

Those projects include:

  • Sallins Bypass / Osberstown interchange (Kerry Group)
  • Grange Castle roads (IDA)
  • Western Distributor Road, Sligo (IDA)
  • Tralee to Fenit Road (IDA)

In addition there are urban regeneration projects at Coonagh to Knockalisheen (Moyross) in Limerick and Eastern Garavogue Bridge in Sligo.

Road improvement schemes in Longford and the Tallow Link Road in Waterford have also received an allocation.

A number of critically deficient bridges on regional roads around the country will also be included, these are:

  • Latoon Creek Bridge in County Clare
  • Curraheen Bridge in Cork City
  • Cockhill Bridge in County Donegal
  • Thomond Bridge in Limerick City
  • Ardfinnan Bridge in County Tipperary

Ross said, “There is also provision for 219 bridge rehabilitation schemes and 185 safety improvement projects to be carried out.

The main focus of the safety improvements scheme is to improve safety at locations where collisions have taken place.

“Funding of over €1.3m will be allocated to local authorities to continue with the implementation of 30km/h speed limits in housing estates across Ireland.”

Main features 

The Minister added that local authorities are best placed to assess priorities within their areas and considerable autonomy is given to local authorities under grant headings to decide their work programme.

The main features of the investment programme include:

  • €165m for road pavement strengthening works
  • €41m for surface dressing
  • €69.5m for maintenance and strengthening works for which Local Authorities have discretion in the selection of roads
  • €26.6m for Specific and Strategic Regional and Local Roads Projects;
  • €9m for bridge rehabilitation works
  • €6.1m for Safety Improvement Works
  • €7m of miscellaneous grants including, training, speed limit funding, salt purchase, road surveys and a programme to tackle the spread of Japanese Knotweed.

These grants do not represent the total investment in regional and local roads for this year, but act as a supplement for local authorities own resources.

Read: Irish bloggers will now have to declare when they’re promoting a product in their posts>

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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:10 PM

    Nearly got 10/10 very close got 4 right!

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:13 PM

    @Daniel Kelly: I always get 10 on the second go.

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    Mute Daniel Kelly
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:24 PM

    @P. V. Aglue: I’ll try that but it may take a few attempts.

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 24th 2025, 12:41 PM

    @Daniel Kelly: closer encounter needed.

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    Mute Raymond Dennehy
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 11:15 PM

    ET question did for me. M+Ms in the book. Reeses in the film

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    Mar 24th 2025, 12:27 AM

    @Raymond Dennehy: thought they were skittles… just watched it with kids t’other day

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    Mute VFin
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    Mar 24th 2025, 3:44 PM

    @Raymond Dennehy: same same

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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:33 PM

    Get to the chopppaaa

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    Mute nollaig o cellaigh
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    Mar 23rd 2025, 11:58 PM

    1st 10 out 10 in a while

    Whose wasting their life now?

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    Mar 23rd 2025, 10:55 PM

    10/10

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    Mar 24th 2025, 8:13 AM

    @Derek Gannon: well done Derek. When will we send the bag of Reece’s pieces.

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    Mar 24th 2025, 7:13 PM

    @reg morrisey: ill take the “hit by a meteorite” please

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    Mar 24th 2025, 10:05 AM

    Batteries Not Included! Totally forgot about it…loved it as a kid.

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    Mar 24th 2025, 1:01 AM

    The enemy of my enemy is my friend… 7 out of 10 my best score to date, omg how sad lol

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    Mute Luas Vuitton - Penneys Drag Queen
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    Mar 24th 2025, 12:42 PM

    2/10. Rubbish quiz. Needs questions on ALF, Blake’s 7, and Dr Who.

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    Mar 24th 2025, 1:07 PM

    @Luas Vuitton – Penneys Drag Queen: that would be a quiz about TV shows, my dear ;) Blake’s 7 is a deep cut! Classic.

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    Mar 23rd 2025, 11:44 PM

    Ok.

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    Mar 24th 2025, 12:17 AM

    9 out of ten. Not bad.

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    Mar 25th 2025, 6:12 AM

    Opening scene from The Thing is superb. Carpenter is a brilliant and unique director

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