Junior Minister Mr Eamon O Cuiv has expressed "deep reservations" about the proposed route of a new £113 million Galway city outer bypass.
The route through the Gaeltacht community of Menlo would be "like running a motorway around Howth Head", Mr O Cuiv, Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and Galway West TD, told The Irish Times.
The 23 km scheme aims to bypass Galway city to the north and east, linking the planned new N6 Dublin-Galway road with several of the main arterial routes. A new bridge over the Corrib is proposed at Menlo, linking the west side of Galway city and Connemara to the east.
Galway County Council, Galway Corporation and the National Roads Authority have identified an "emerging preferred route" and have engaged in public consultation. They state the need for the proposed bypass was identified in the 1999 Galway Transportation and Planning Study, and predict the route will reduce local journey times and lower accident rates.
The road - a dual carriageway for most of its length - will extend from the N6 close to Galway Airport at Carnmore to the R336 Galway-Spiddal road, close to Furbo.
Mr O Cuiv's reservations are at odds with the position of his party colleague, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, who supports the scheme.
