Five things to know about the West of Ireland's new motorway

IT is a stretch of road immortalised by the Saw Doctors.

But anyone caught in snarled up traffic on the Galway to Tuam leg of the N17 won’t have as fond a memory of the place as they do.

Now a new 54km stretch of motorway will mean that motorists will be able to avoid the towns of Tuam, Claregalway and Clarinbridge altogether, and could shave as much as 20 minutes off driving times between Galway to Knock airport.

Here are five things you may not know about the route:

1. It is estimated that the new bypass could take some 10,000 cars away from Tuam town

2. In 2002, the 16km single-carriageway Knock-Claremorris bypass was the largest road project undertaken by Mayo County Council

3. That original project cost €64million

4. The new Gort to Tuam modifications will cost a total of €550million

5. Over 100,000 annual overseas visitors to Galway arrive via Knock Airport