It may be 2025 before the Killaloe bypass is completed.
The project has been significantly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with construction work not expected to begin until next year.
The works, which will see a new bridge joining Killaloe and Ballina to divert from the 18th century bridge currently used, as well as an upgrade of the R494 to Birdhill, are expected to cost more than 60 million euro in total.
While COVID-19 restrictions throughout last year and early 2021, along with legal challenges in early 2020 have delayed the project, Clare County Council told a meeting of Killaloe Municipal District Councillors yesterday that ‘excellent progress’ has been made in recent months.
Senior Engineer Sean Lenihan told Fine Gael Councillor Pat Burke that they are hopeful of proceeding to tender stage around mid June, with a preferred bidder to be selected and a contract awarded by the end of this year.
Construction is then scheduled to begin on site in Spring 2022, with works expected to take between 2 and a half and three years to complete.
That would see the bypass in place in September 2024 at the earliest, or at the latest the second quarter of 2025.
The Council say they’re progressing with the remaining landowner agreements on the route, and they’re due to get underway again this summer as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease.
