Tuam bypass back on agenda as stand alone project

By JACQUELINE HOGGE TUAM'S long awaited bypass must be made a stand-alone project if the ongoing delays in progressing the M18 motorway, which includes the Tuam project, lead to the collapse of the overall development.[private] This was the message given to three of Galway East's four TDs who attended a special meeting in the town this week. Paul Connaughton Jnr, Colm Keaveney and Micheál Kitt were at the Town Hall for a special briefing on the areas of most concern to the local electorate. Contracts for the Gort to Tuam road were due to be signed in January but funding issues saw the preferred bidder, Balfour Beatty, withdraw from negotiations with the NRA who are now in talks with the second preferred bidder, Direct Route. Cllr Tom Reilly said the local community was very frustrated at the lack of progress and information on the project and asked the TDs present to find out exactly what the current situation is from the NRA. His colleague Cllr Shaun Cunniffe said any further delays with the M18 could not be tolerated and suggested the TDs push the NRA to proceed with the Tuam section as a stand-alone project. Deputy Keaveney agreed that the Tuam bypass should be a stand alone project if the M18 scheme collapses, but cautioned that with dwindling exchequer funds the onus on the new government was to maintain the roads already built. 'The Minister has already said that a lot of capital projects will have to be pulled as there is a lot of pressure on the government to maintain the roads we have,' he said. Deputy Kitt said everyone was frustrated at the lack of progress but the onus was on the NRA. He suggested the best way forward was for all four TDs to seek a meeting with NRAâ€Ë†CEO Fred Barry. Money already spent Deputy Connaughton said he didn't want to see the project shelved given the amount of money already spent on it and said it needed to be brought to a head as soon as possible. 'It would be very easy to say we'll deliver this project but the reality is all we can do is push very hard to get it done,' he said. 'We need to live in the reality of the circumstances we face and a lot of people who have sat at this table before us have put a lot of time and effort into getting it this far, so we need to finish the job if possible.' Mayor Sally Ann Flanagan asked if the Town Council could be forwarded correspondence relating to any future meetings with the NRA so that they could follow up the issue for the latest information. Meanwhile, the local TDs were reluctant to commit to securing the next phase of the Western Rail Corridor linking Tuam to Athenry despite all three agreeing it would benefit trade and tourism in the town if it did proceed. Deputy Kitt said both the road and rail projects were intertwined and he was still holding out hope that the Tuam to Athenry section of the railway would proceed. 'West on Track are working very hard to move this forward and I believe it viable so hopefully with the support of a West of Ireland Taoiseach who is very supportive of opening up the rail network in the west we can see this happen,' he said. Deputy Connaughton said the railway had a huge role to play in the town and progressing the Athenry to Tuam line was a â€Ëœno brainer'. 'We need to pick the projects that will give us best value for money and this is certainly one of them,' he said. 'We need to have the courage of our convictions and see that if we invest now we will reap the benefits of this in the long term.' Deputy Keaveney agreed that the railway project represented great value for money and that it would be a real game changer for Tuam if it did come to fruition.[/private]