Tuam bypass one year ahead of schedule
It now seems likely that the Tuam bypass will open before the middle of next year – around a year ahead of schedule…and before the completion of the motorway extension itself.
This has been denied by the main contractors who insist that the whole motorway and bypass will open at the one time in early 2018 – but local Cllr Donagh Killilea claims the plan is to open the Tuam bypass in early or mid-2017 to facilitate the provision of slip-roads and other infrastructural developments.
The Tuam bypass runs from the Galway Road (near the West Wing) to the Milltown Road and has become part of the main Gort to Tuam motorway project which is progressing well.
“What I am being told at the moment is that the Tuam bypass will be opened to facilitate the construction of various slip roads into the town. This would be a very welcome development.
“At the moment the town is choked with traffic and has been for the past few years so anything that would relieve this situation is to be welcomed,” Cllr Killilea added.
Work is progressing well on the Tuam bypass with the over-bridge at Kilcloghans completed and opened to traffic last week.
However, Cllr Killilea said that he was informed that the reason why the contractors didn’t want to open the Tuam bypass ahead of the overall project was because they wanted to do the final overlay of the whole scheme at the one time.
He said however that this situation had now changed.
And Cllr Killilea said that the inner relief road for Tuam – the subject of discussion several years ago – was still not off the agenda and would prove a vital piece of infrastructure even in the event of the motorway being provided.
At one stage it was proposed to provide an inner relief road from Bishop Street, along the Curragh River and out onto the Dublin Road.
“This has not come off the table,” Cllr Killilea remarked.
But as regards the motorway and Tuam bypass, they will be opened on the one day in early 2018 or earlier if the weather is kind.
Declan Carney representing Sisk, one of the main contractors, told The Connacht Tribune that nothing has changed to the original plan.
“The full project, including the Tuam bypass, will be opening at the same time. The targeted completion in early 2018 also remains the same,” he said.
Construction on the Gort to Tuam motorway and Tuam bypass commenced early last year and a consortium known as Direct Route (Sisk, Lagan and Roadbridge Construction) were appointed to complete the project.
While there has been traffic disruption along the 57 kilometre route, it has been kept to a minimum.
The heavy winter rains did cause some disruption with the motorway being blamed for some of the flooding in south and north Galway but this has been denied by senior Council officials.
The M17/M18 is costing in the region of €550 million and when completed, it will provide a motorway from Tuam all the way to Limerick city.