APPROVAL has been granted for a ring road in Galway city some 20 years after it was first applied for.
Galway County Council confirmed this morning that An Coimisiún Pleanála has now granted approval for the N6 Galway City Ring Road (GCRR) project, which has been held up for two decades due to objections and legal challenges to the plans.
In a statement made today, Galway City Council said the N6 GCRR is a “core component of the wider transport solution for Galway city and county”.
“Galway County Council, Galway City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland recognise that the prolonged planning process associated with the N6 GCRR has been very difficult for home and property owners affected by the proposed route,” they added.
The council confimed it will now review An Coimisiún Pleanála’s decision and proceed to the next phase of the project, explaining that the "enabling and procurement stage includes the progression of detailed design, preparation of contract documentation and the procurement process”.
Welcoming today’s decision, Mayor of Galway, Councillor Mike Cubbard said after a “prolonged period marked by legal challenges and planning delays", the approval represents a "significant milestone for the region”.
“The Ring Road is one of the largest and most important infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Galway and will bring benefits not just for the city, but for the county and the wider west of Ireland,” he said.
Cllr Cubbard added that there remained more work to be done to improve transport in the city.
“The Ring Road is not a silver bullet for our city’s traffic congestion issues,” he explained.
“While this project will help to remove some traffic from the city and greatly improve connectivity between east Galway and Connemara, we must continue to introduce further measures to encourage a shift towards public transport.”
Minister of State for Transport Seán Canney described today's decision as a "significant milestone" for Galway.
"This is a really important and positive step forward for Galway," he said.
"The Outer Ring Road has been talked about for many years, and to now have planning permission in place brings a much-needed level of clarity and momentum to the project.
"This is a major piece of infrastructure that has the potential to transform traffic movement around Galway, reduce congestion, and support the future growth and development of the city and surrounding areas."
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