CITY OFFICIAL REFUTES CLAIMS N6 MULTI-MODAL SCHEME IS OVERBUDGET

Date Published: 02-Oct-2012

City official Ciaran Hayes has defended claims that the N6 multi modal corridor improvement scheme, which has seen a series of roundabout changeovers, is likely to run well over budget.

It follows concerns raised by City Cllr Padraig Conneely that an estimated project costing of 6.5 million euro initially provided to members has now almost been reached given the current expenditure rate of 4.6 million.

Just over 4.6 million euro in NRA funding has been spent on the scheme to date which has involved the removal of roundabouts at Briarhill, Ballybane and the Tuam Road.

The next structure set for removal is the Bodkin roundabout at the Galway Shopping Centre with work due to begin in mid January next year.

1 million euro of expenditure to date has been spent on the Briarhill junction, 2.3 million on the Font and Morris junctions, 380 thousand on associated work on the N6 and N59, as well as design, consultancy and utilities.

Speaking on Galway Talks, Director of Services at Galway City Council Ciaran Hayes stressed that the 6 million 'can never be considered as an actual cost' for the removal of all six roundabouts in the scheme.

He says this was simply an overall project allocation for 2011, with further funds due to be allocated for 2012 as the project progresses