Major road grants for North Galway

By TOM GILMORE IN the latest round of grants announced for Galway by the National Roads Authority (NRA) roads in three areas of North Galway have got major allocations of funding, and the work on the M17 looks set to begin this year.[private] While the Castletown realignment on the N17 gets over €2.6 million the Abbeyknockmoy area also gets a sizeable grant of €1.7 million for work on the N63. €1.5 million was allocated for work on the N84 near Headford and a grant of €1 million for realignment work on the stretch of the N17 at Carrownurlar where four students lost their lives in a horrific crash in November 2009. Cllr Peter Roche says that work will start on the dangerous stretch of the N63 near Abbeyknockmoy this summer. He described the stretch of road from Ballyglunin Bridge to Abbeyknockmoy village as the worst part of the road from Turloughmore to Roscommon. 'I have campaigned for this work to be done and as the land owners have signed up for it the good news is that the work should start very soon. 'During my local election campaign I said that I would regard myself as a failure if that part of the road wasn't improved during my time on Galway Co Council and I thank the NRA and the local authority for moving so quickly on this matter,' he added. Meanwhile Cllr Mary Hoade says €1.5 million granted for work on the Headford-Galway road is much needed. 'For years the N84 Action Committee has been campaigning for work on this section of the road close to Headford. 'I have lobbied with Fred Barry CEO with the NRA and Frank Gilmore of Galway Co Council about this. Once agreement is reached with landowners along the route it is expected that work will start on it later this year,' she added. Meanwhile Cllr Tom McHugh welcomed funding for road realignment works at two locations on the N17.  The locations and the amount of funding approved are at Castletown and Carrownurlaur. The €2.6 million Castletown project has been in the design and preparatory process over the last three to four years. He says that while it has been allocated small amounts of funding in the past this year's allocation is such that the remaining land acquisition, tendering process and commencing of the project can take place. He added that in relation to the Carrownurlaur project, this is an area which has been an extremely black spot for accidents for years. Cllr McHugh says he has made numerous representations to Galway Co Council and it is welcome news that this funding has been provided.  Galway Co Council will be putting in place a design for the project with works proposed to start during the summer months. In funding for major schemes in Galway the NRA has allocated €22 million for the M17 Gort to Tuam route while €290,000 has been allocated for improvement works to the Tuam-Claremorris route. Overall an allocation in excess of €70 million from the NRA for Co Galway is a welcome boost for the roads network around the county according to Deputy Michael Kitt.[/private]