Construction of the first phase of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road (LNDR) has begun.
Building of the Coonagh to Knockalisheen Road was given the go-ahead by the Government in February with the weeks prior covered in uncertainty as Clare councillors accused Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan (GP) of “dithering” which delayed the multi-million euro project.
Roadbridge have been appointed by Limerick City and County Council for the contract following a competitive tendering process for the project costing around €29 million.
It is expected that works will take just under three years (33 months) to complete.
The overall cost of the project will be in the region of €58 million and involves the construction of a new distributor road between Coonagh Roundabout on the Ennis Road and the Knockalisheen Road in the Moyross area on the northside of the city. The road is a key element of the Limerick Regeneration Framework Implementation Plan.
Works are comprised of the construction of 2.2kilometres of new urban dual carriageway with footpaths and cycleways, 600 metres of new urban single carriageway road with footpaths and cycleways, 2 kilometres of major improvements to an existing urban single carriageway road with footpaths and cycleways along with minor improvements to 1km of existing rural single carriageway roads, two bridges over the Limerick to Galway railway line, three new roundabouts and two traffic signal-controlled junction.
Speaking at the signing of the contract for the works, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Michael Collins (FF) predicted that the works will “act as a catalyst for the improvement in economic and social developments along the route, which will be of huge benefit once the recovery from the pandemic gets underway”.
Paraic McCarthy, Project Manager, Roadbridge expressed the company’s delight at securing the contract. “As a global multi-disciplined civil engineering company, with our head office here in Limerick, we are looking forward to working with Limerick City and County Council, Clare County Council, the local community, and all stakeholders to deliver this critical infrastructure for the growth of Limerick city and the wider region”.
