Several new road projects promised in new National Development Plan

The Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan T.D. has today announced details of a €35 billion investment package for Ireland’s transport system – as part of the government’s revised €165bn National Development Plan (NDP).

Minister Ryan said investment will be split 2:1 between public transport infrastructure, and road building and maintenance.

It is expected that every road project promised under the last plan four years ago will be included into the new programme – including the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway, the Galway Ring Road, and the N5 Westport to Turlough route.

The NDP also highlights how major urban and regional road projects will be progressed to delivery, including the M50 Traffic Control Project and bypasses of Moycullen and Listowel.

It claims that with support of additional infrastructure, almost one million electric cars will be travelling on Irish roads by 2030.

Minister Eamon Ryan said: “This is a National Development Plan for a cleaner, greener, connected Ireland, a plan that supports communities and our climate goal – to cut emissions in half by 2030. We’re making the biggest investment in transport in the history of the state – 35 billion over the decade – which will transform how we travel.

“This revised plan re-orientates our investment toward greener, cleaner and more accessible transport. It means that for every euro we invest in new road infrastructure we’re investing twice as much in new public transport. In addition, we’re investing €360 million per year in walking and cycling infrastructure.”

The plans also state that BusConnects, including segregated cycleways, will be rolled out in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford while international connectivity will be supported through investment in ports and airports.

Minister Ryan added: “This record investment will deliver a transport system which improves our quality of life and provides us with greater choices to travel more efficiently and sustainably – be it by footpath, cycleway, road or rail, keeping us connected to our families, our workplaces and our communities. This will be a decade of change.”