Relief road for Claregalway sees some progress

GALWAY County Council will soon appointment a Technical Consultant to advance the Claregalway Relief Road project.

The project which has been mooted for several years, was added to the National Development Policy last November.

Studies have revealed that an average of 20,000 cars travel through the village on a weekday, leading to motorists spending up to six to eight hours a week in traffic, if they travel through Claregalway at peak times.

Funding of €50,000 was allocated earlier this year for the appointment of consultants for route selection and design of the road.

Turloughmore Cllr David Collins told The Tuam Herald that he has received confirmation from Galway County Council that the procurement process for Technical Consultancy Services is expected to commence in the next three months.

He believes that the bypass needs to be prioritised for the development of Claregalway village. Upon appointment, the consultant’s team will advance the scheme, beginning with the concept and feasibility check in Phase 1 and design selection in Phase 2.

Residents and businesses in Claregalway and surrounding areas have been campaigning for a relief road or bypass for more than 20 years.

If completed, the route should reduce the traffic congestion and improve the journey for motorists travelling from Tuam, Mountbellew, Turloughmore etc, towards Galway City.

Recent Census figures have shown a sharp increase of almost 33 per cent in the population of Claregalway, one of the highest increases in population in the western region.

“We have been working on this project for a number of years and it was great to have it declared a priority project last year,” said Cllr Collins.