Jobs boost as works begin on Gort-Tuam motorway
Preliminary works are underway on the long-awaited Gort to Tuam motorway – with work on the massive project expected to be completed by the end of 2017.
It is estimated that it will create between 700 and 800 jobs directly, but will generate hundreds of millions of euro for the local economy.
Works commenced in the middle of January with the fencing off of the 57 kilometre route. It is expected that the heavy machinery will move in at the beginning of April.
This is according to Tony Collins of the National Roads Authority in Galway who said that works had commenced on the route and this mainly involved the erection of fencing.
He said that the National Roads Authority was currently setting up compounds along the route to facilitate its construction.
Mr Collins said that around 100 jobs had been created so far but he expected this figure would grow significantly in the months ahead.
According to Deputy Ciaran Cannon, there is a major recruitment drive underway. Dublin-based recruitment companies have been hired for this purpose.
“I am delighted to see recruitment getting underway and, in particular, it is heartening to see the jobs being made available in a construction sector that was so badly affected during the recession.
“Since the announcement of the motorway contract signing last April my offices in Gort, Loughrea and Athenry have been inundated with requests for information on new job opportunities and, up to this point, I was directing people to the three Irish companies who are involved in the contract.
“Now they have collectively outsourced their recruitment for the project to three specialist recruitment companies and MCR was first out of the blocks this week with their recruitment drive,” said Deputy Cannon.
Preparatory works have commenced on the 57 kilometre scheme which will start at three locations along the route.
It will employ between 700 and 800 workers directly but the spin-off for local businesses will be phenomenal, it has been claimed.
Apart from the cost of constructing the motorway, a senior official told the Galway City Tribune that it has the potential to generate hundreds of millions of income for local businesses.
Tony Collins of the National Roads Authority said that the potential was huge. “We are talking about quarries, concrete manufacturing companies, shops and even restaurants benefiting from this scheme,” he said.
At the moment operating compounds are being established in Tuam, Cartymore and Kilcolgan by the three companies involved in the consortium that have been appointed to construct the motorway.