Traffic is choking the town of Killarney, Dáil Éireann has been told.
There is an average of 23,000 vehicle movements every day on the existing Killarney bypass road at the height of the season and it might be more at times, Deputy Danny Healy-Rae has pointed out, stressing the need for funding to be provided and work to start on the proposed new relief road from Farranfore to Lissivigeen and from Lissivigeen to Castlelough on the Muckross Road.
“Imagine all the traffic that comes down from Moll’s Gap, from the Cork side and the Bantry side as far back as Castlecove on the Ring of Kerry and back then from Berehaven and Castletownbere. All that traffic is brought in from the Muckross Road,” he said
Deputy Healy-Rae reminded his fellow TDs that Killarney has been trying to get the new bypass advanced for at least 24 years.
“There was a big hullabaloo back in 2003 or 2004. The plans were shown. They were wonderful plans. Now that is all at a standstill. It is in abeyance,” he said.
The Kerry TD said four possible routes had been discussed in the past number of years and planning and developments are being held up because of the fact that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) cannot come up with the route to be sanctioned because it does not have the funding.
“The Minister for Transport stopped that this year. It was supposed to proceed but it was cancelled. We are waiting,” he added.
Deputy Healy-Rae said there is a great TII team working out of Castleisland who are doing their very best.
“I refer to people like Paul Neary and several genuine men who have been there for years but this project has been held up. We deserve fair play like everyone else,” he said.
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