MOTORISTS CAN look forward to a 30-minute cut in journey time between Cork and Dublin after the opening yesterday of the N8 Cashel-Mitchelstown dual carriageway.
The new route will bypass four villages and towns - New Inn and Skeheenarinky villages in Co Tipperary, Kilbehenny in Co Limerick, and it incorporates a bypass of Cahir town on the N24.
The dual carriageway was officially opened yesterday by Martin Mansergh, Minister of State for Finance and South Tipperary TD.
"This road, which runs through the heart of south Tipperary, will be a major benefit to the people and the economy of adjoining towns in terms of jobs and investment, and indeed will make the whole county more accessible," Mr Mansergh said.
"By delivering this scheme, which includes a bypass of Cahir, ahead of time and on budget, Government is achieving three important targets - removing through traffic, improving access to and from towns and villages in the area and, most importantly, improving road safety."
The 41km dual carriageway will remove up to 9,500 vehicles daily from the four bypassed towns and villages. Travelling times and congestion will be reduced, positively affecting both commercial and tourism sectors.
At 257km, the Dublin-Cork route is the longest of the five major city links targeted for development under the Government's Transport 21 plan and the National Development Plan 2007- 2013.
When completed in 2010, drivers will be able to travel on motorway and dual carriageway between Dublin and Cork, and the journey time will be at least an hour less than in the past.
The National Roads Authority says schemes such as the N8 Cashel-Mitchelstown route demonstrate that transformation of the State's national road network is becoming a reality, helping to address the challenges presented as a result of economic and demographic developments.
The first phase of the scheme, 12km on the N8 between Cashel and Cahir and three kilometres on the N24 bypassing Cahir, opened last October, 18 months ahead of schedule. Next year will see further progress on the N8 Cork-Dublin route, with the Cullahill-Cashel scheme due for completion.
The N8 Mitchelstown-Fermoy project is due to be completed early in 2010 and the M8 Portlaoise-Cullahill scheme is set to be completed by the end of 2010.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey recently approved applications from the National Roads Authority to designate nine sections of dual carriageway as motorway.
The N8 Cashel-Mitchelstown scheme is among those to be reclassified, with the designation coming into effect on September 24th. The cost of the route opened yesterday was in the region of €400 million, according to the National Roads Authority.