A new bypass which will cut up to half-an-hour off the journey time between Galway and Sligo will be opened this morning by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan.
The 16km single-carriageway Knock-Claremorris bypass is the largest road project undertaken by Mayo County Council. It cost €64 million and has been designed to remove up to 10,000 vehicles a day from the Knock and Claremorris town centres.
The European Commissioner for Regional Development, Mr Michel Barnier, said it would "bring great benefits to road transport in the Border, midland and western region, by facilitating a significant reduction in journey times on the N17 national primary route as well as improving access to the region's airports".
The council agreed on a design for the scheme in 1994 and construction of phase one began in 1998. This section was opened to traffic in July 2001.
Phase two, the Knock bypass, began in April 2001 and was completed in December 2002. All archaeological sites discovered were excavated and most were found to be Bronze Age cooking sites, or fulachtaí fiadh, dating from 4060-2970BC.
Several stone tools, including a polished stone axe and Bronze Age human burial sites, were also uncovered, as were two early Christian ringforts at Castlegar and Rockfield, along with a coin dating from AD1300. The artefacts are to be presented to the National Museum.
Meanwhile, the National Roads Authority has announced that seven new road schemes will begin construction this year, bringing "a new impetus to the national roads improvement programme".
These are in addition to the 12 major schemes being progressed next year while a further 15 schemes have gone through the statutory planning process and are awaiting financing.
It is believed schemes which will start include the Monasterevin bypass, the contract for which has been awarded to a joint venture between Roadbridge and John Sisk & Son.
Clearance has also been been given to Monaghan County Council to proceed with tendering for the N2 Carrickmacross bypass, while the Kinnegad-Kilbeggan-Kilcock motorway in the midlands is also ready.
Also likely to get under way in 2003 are the Waterford city bypass and the Dundalk western bypass. The Minister for Transport has asked the NRA to prioritise schemes on the major interurban routes and in the Border, midlands and western region.