Progress on Shannon Crossing Project

The news that Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar has allocated€500,000 to Clare County Council to enable the Shannon Crossing Project be brought through An Bord Pleanála is very welcome indeed.

This is a very important piece of infrastructure for the people of South East Clare, North Tipperary and Limerick. Anyone trying to cross from one side of the Shannon to the other at Killaloe knows that it is a nightmare at peak times. The quicker the new bridge is built and the roads are improved the better.

The Killaloe - Ballina area is a big tourist draw and a new bridge will help bring more visitors into the whole Lough Derg catchment area. In this climate of austerity it has to be welcomed that important capital programmes are getting the resources to proceed. If we as a government can make savings in departments then that money should be reallocated to other projects that are necessary and job creating. This project is worth around €41 million and has been broken down into 3 packages. The Killaloe bypass €11.93 Million, the bridge itself at €12 million and works to the R494 at €16.6 million