*The new bridge between Killaloe and Ballina lit up for the first time.
COMPLETION targets for one of the biggest infrastructural projects in East Clare are on track to be met.
Killaloe Bypass opened to traffic in mid-December while works continue on the Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 upgrade, all three sections were included as the one project.
John Sisk & Son were approved as the contractor for the project in December 2021 with the sod officially turned on the scheme in November 2022, construction having started in August 2022.
There is a total budget of €88m for the scheme, the figures including land acquisition, design, planning and advance works contract. The tender cost for construction was €44m. A contract for the project was signed in February 2022.
A 33 month timeframe for the scheme was set and this is to be adhered to, senior officials in Clare County Council outlined this week.
Addressing a meeting of the Physical Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), senior engineer with capital projects in the Council, John Leahy outlined that they signed an agreement to deliver the project on behalf of the local authorities in Clare and Tipperary. He said “significant progress has made” with the scheme.
“It is anticipated that the entire project will be completed by mid-2025, 33 months was the contract duration and I’m glad to announce that the project will be opened within the time allocated, it is on programme and it will be delivered on time,” he stated.
Director of Physical Development with the Council, Alan Farrell detailed, “it is the biggest roads project in the country at the moment, it is the biggest project that the Department of Transport is involved in”.
Cathaoirleach of the SPC, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) labelled it as “a very exciting project in my neck of the woods”. The Whitegate representative added, “the first section, the Killaloe Bypass opened in mid-December, I’m looking forward to the ribbon being cut in mid-2025 or earlier”. He called it a “fantastic project” and praised the aesthetics of the bridge when it has been lit up.
Cllr Burke continued, “Issues always crop up, we’ve met you on those over last few months. I came into the Council in 2009, within a month a draft of a proposal was circulated, I forget the exact details back in 2009 but we were told about the possibility of a new bridge and bypass, that’s fifteen years ago and I’m glad to say we’re nearly there”. He quipped, “we look forward to the bottle of champagne and the scissors”.
Co Clare will benefit from the scheme’s completion, Cllr Rita McInerney (FF) maintained. “It is great to see a new structural project of this scale coming to fruition, it is hugely important for the county not just East Clare, people will now be coming into the county sooner rather than going via Limerick and as soon as we can get them into the county then that is better for everybody”.
A “hands on” approach has been taken by Clare County Council since the start of the project, Cllr Alan O’Callaghan (FF) flagged. The Mayor of Clare praised the Council’s team for their efforts. “It is one of the few projects to get over the line from the previous Government with a Minister of a different opinion,” he remarked.
East Clare will reap the rewards, Cllr Conor Ryan (FG) predicted. “It is going to be fantastic for all of East Clare, it will open it all up and improve access for the entire county, it is simply fantastic news”.
Recently completed milestones with the scheme include the completion of pavement activities to the R494 and Shannon Bridge Crossing sections and commissioning of the foul sewer pumping Ssation. The road pavement wearing course was laid at night for road safety reasons and to facilitate home and business owners and minimise disruption. Road lining, studs and signage have also been installed, the temporary traffic management has been removed from Roolagh Junction. A road safety audit was conducted on March 10th and Sisk are currently attending to items recommended by the auditor.
Outstanding works on the R494 are comprised mainly of residential property acommodation works and the completion of surfacing works to the shared facility. Accommodation works are off-line and nearing completion and consist mainly of landscaping, driveway surfacing and boundary walls. Other ongoing off-line works include installing anti-scour measures to culvert streams, finishing works to attenuation ponds, road surfacing to Killmastulla local tertiary road (L94942-1), domestic foul connections to the new public sewer and minor accommodation works at Shannonside Business Park.
