Cowen opens 20km of dual-carriageway

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has contended that the Government’s large-scale motorway project now nearing completion will be a substantial boost in aiding Ireland’s economic recovery in the coming years.

Mr Cowen yesterday officially opened a new 20km stretch of dual-carriageway linking Athlone, Co Westmeath and Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

The €200 million plus project, completed five-weeks ahead of schedule, is part of the wider Dublin to Galway motorway project which should be completed by the middle of next year.

The Taoiseach said that when fully completed the M6 would cut journey times by road between Dublin and Galway to just two hours.

Speaking at the opening ceremony Mr Cowen said: “No matter what our present difficulties, there is no doubt whatsoever that this infrastructure is necessary.

‘‘It will improve competitiveness and give us the prospect of getting our economy moving forward again.

“It’s also important to point out that by the end of this year three-quarters of the national motorway programme will be completed.

We already have built 450km of motorway and a further 220km will be completed within the next few months,” he said.

However, one local Opposition TD yesterday questioned the rationale behind opening the road as a national route when it will become a motorway within two months.

Denis Naughten, the Fine Gael frontbench spokesman, pointed out that the road will be redesignated as a motorway on August 28th.

That will mean that all its speed limit signs will have to be changed from 100km/h to 120km/h.

“Does this Government have a clue what it is doing at all?” said Mr Naughten.

“This is yet another screw up that could have easily been avoided,” he said.

Mr Naughten said that Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey published his plan to re-designate this section of road as motorway last September but that the ministerial order was only signed on July 2nd.