Donohoe welcomes NRA’s 2015 national road allocation providing €184m for local authorities

18th December, 2014

Provision of €165.2m for improvement works and €19.6m for maintenance works will benefit communities across the country

 

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Pascal Donohoe TD, today (Thursday) welcomed the announcement of the 2015 National Roads Authority (NRA) allocations to local authorities which provides for €184.8 million in total.  This is made up of €165.2 million for improvement works and €19.6 million for maintenance.

 

Speaking today, Minister Donohoe said: ‘Our national road network is a key asset as our economy moves towards recovery and growth. Preserving it will significantly assist and drive economic activity. The NRA’s 2015 national road allocations will benefit local authorities and communities across the country.  The funding will be used for improvement and maintenance works on the existing network and also towards the progression of a number of projects through the design, planning, land acquisition and construction phases’.

 

“Just a few weeks ago, I opened the Newlands Cross upgrade, one of the busiest junctions in the country and the first section of the €282 million N7/N11Arklow to Rathnew PPP Scheme to reach completion. The NRA will allocate €300,000 towards this project in 2015. It is hoped the remaining sections of the N11 will be open before the end of 2015.  In May this year, An Taoiseach turned the sod on the €550 million Gort/Tuam PPP scheme and the 2015 allocation towards this scheme is €2.9 million. The NRA is working to progress the remaining two PPP schemes under the Government’s Stimulus Plan (M11 Gorey/Enniscorthy and N25 New Ross Bypass).  It is hoped that both of these projects can be brought to financial close in 2015 which would allow construction to start in 2015/2016.

 

“Earlier this month, the NRA provided details of their three year minor works programme which will be launched next year and the funding announced today will go towards progressing some of these schemes.  Examples include €4 million towards the N15 Blackburn Bridge Realignment Scheme in Donegal, €2 million towards the N61 Rathallen Realignment Scheme in Roscommon and €1 million towards the N53 Barrownstown to Hackballs Cross scheme in Louth.

 

“It is important that we continue to invest where it is needed so that we not only preserve the standard of our national road network but we work to improve safety, reduce congestion and thereby increase economic output. I will be announcing the 2015 regional and local road allocations in January.”

 

ENDS