Taoiseach officially opens €116m Tullamore bypass

The €116m Tullamore bypass was officially opened by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen on Friday of last week. The opening of the bypass, which will take an estimated 10,000 vehicles a day out of the town, was well attended by politicians and local dignitaries. Performing the official opening, Mr Cowen said: "It is a great pleasure to be here with you today to officially open the N52 Tullamore bypass - delivered 10 months ahead of schedule and within budget." He said the scheme consisted of 14km of standard and wide single carriageway and involved the construction of six underbridges and one overbridge. The total cost of €116 million has been co-financed by the EU Regional Development Fund and by the Government. Mr Cowen said it was a good day for businesses in the region as the bypass would improve connectivity between Tullamore, Athlone and Mullingar, as well as improving journey times. He added: "The Bypass will also make a big difference to Tullamore itself. The removal of 10,000 vehicles a day from our town will give the streets back to the residents. The reduction in traffic congestion, noise levels and air pollution will greatly improve the quality of life in the town and make things easier for the local business community. Residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the amenities we have in a safer and more relaxed atmosphere." "Many schemes in this region, such as the N6 Kilbeggan to Kinnegad, N6 Kilbeggan to Athlone and N52 Mullingar Belvedere, have been completed in recent years. Also, the N52 Kilbeggan to Tullamore and the N52 Carrickbridge to Clonfad are at planning stage. These major improvements of our national roads will ensure that we have an infrastructure capable of providing a high standard of connectivity, both within the country and beyond. This will attract and support inward investment in the local economy as economic growth returns, as well as in the longer term," added Mr Cowen. The opening of the new bypass was also welcomed by local Fine Gael Deputy Olwyn Enright, who said it was of enormous benefit to the town and county and a magnificent piece of infrastructure. Deputy Enright said: "I have campaigned for the delivery of this road since I entered politics in 1999 and I am delighted that it has finally been completed. I raised this issue in the Dáil and in meetings with the National Roads Authority on many occasions, on behalf of business people and residents in the area." She said the bypass was badly needed to alleviate the chronic traffic in the town and the reaction since its opening last Friday had been extremely positive. "I welcome the fact that the project was completed ahead of schedule and I know it will be of great benefit to all of us using it," said Deputy Enright. Also welcoming the opening of the bypass, Director of the BMW Regional Assembly Gerry Finn pointed out that a total of €26m of European Regional Development Funds had been provided during its construction. "The provision of quality infrastructure is critical to the development of the BMW Region and this will continue to be a key focus for the BMW Regional Assembly during these challenging economic conditions. The future roll-out of the National Broadband Scheme and the completion of the M6 Ballinasloe to Galway route which are co-funded by the EU through the BMW Regional Operational Programme are examples of this commitment to developing road and telecommunications access to and within the Region," said Mr Finn.