New Ballina bridge announcement welcomed

Local representatives on both sides of the River Shannon have welcomed the news that the Shannon crossing at Ballina and Killaloe has been included in the Capital Plan Review.

The Department of Transport announced last week that the €42 million project - which includes a bypass of Killaloe and upgrading of the Ballina-Birdhill road - would be part of the forthcoming national capital plan.

Tipperary TD Alan Kelly said work on the scheme is likely to begin next year and be completed by 2020. He said the project was part of the previous national plan and he had insisted on it going ahead while a government Minister.

"The design of the project was developed and planning permission was secured with Clare County Council as the lead authority," Deputy Kelly said this week. "Unfortunately, then the project was held up for some time due to some legal objections that had to be dealt with from 2013 onwards. They were finally closed off in 2016. In the meantime, the design was concluded and funding continued to be provided for it each year.

"The critical juncture for the project came when I pushed for the compulsory purchase orders to be progressed and notices to treat issued. Once this happened the project was a live project and had begun. The CPO process is currently coming to conclusion with the various landowners in the negotiation process. 

I have been in constant contact on this project with the relevant officials in the Department of Transport since 2011," Deputy Kelly said. "I served as a minister in that Department from 2011-14. Having had detailed discussions with them again this week, they confirmed to me that the full project will be progressed and the following timelines are what they expect for the project from now until its completion:

The project will now go to detailed design and this should be completed by the end of 2018; the CPO negotiations and process will be completed as well; the tender for the contract works will then commence and should take six months - this would see a tender for the work issued and a contractor in place by summer of 2019 with works commencing later that year; construction will commence on all three phases of the project - the Birdhill to Ballina road, the bridge and the road around Killaloe - they will however need be constructed in phases at different stages as the project develops; it is envisaged that the project will be completed by early 2022.

"There will obviously be some inevitable disruption to local traffic movements during the construction phase but I will work with the local authorities and the contractors to keep this to a minimum," Deputy Kelly stated. "I’m delighted to be delivering this news. This has been one of my top constituency priorities since I decided to enter politics. As someone from the area, I know only too well the requirement for this project. It will transform the area and allow Ballina/Killaloe to thrive socially and from a business and tourism perspective."

Clare TD Dr Michael Harty also welcomed the news, as did councillors at last week's meeting of Nenagh Municipal District. Director Marcus O'Connor said the local authorities would be amending the design brief so that all three stages of the project could proceed as one, in line with the National Development Plan. The project is currently out to tender, and the likelihood of being on site in 2019 is “excellent progress”, he said.

Cathaoirleach Cllr John Carroll (FF) said the bridge would provide a tourism and economic boost to the whole area and alleviate the “horrendous” traffic congestion seen in Ballina/Killaloe during the summer months. He hoped the new bridge would be in keeping with the architectural heritage of the area.

Mr O'Connor confirmed that an “arch motif” has been included in the design of the new crossing.