Between 700 and 800 members of the public attended the public consultation phase of the proposed N22 Farranfore to Killarney road project over two days, it has been confirmed.
Initial route plans, maps and drawings went on display at the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney and senior Kerry County Council officials and project team members were on hand to address any queries raised by the public.
Senior Engineer with Kerry County Council, Paul Curry, said a sign-in system was in operation but not everyone registered so the number of people that attended could have been more.
“In the main, people were quite receptive to the proposals but some were obviously affected more than others,” he said.
Mr Curry said it is imperative that the finance is secured in 2025 to continue the momentum and, in the meantime, the project team will work closely with the landowners involved.
“Submitting the planning application in 2026 is the aim,” he stressed.
But, Mr Curry cautioned, there are still plenty of hurdles to be overcome if the project is to be advanced.
“We need an allocation of funds and we need permission to move to the design stage,” he said.
The design will have to consider matters such as junctions, road width, bridges, the land-take requirement and the environmental impact.
The senior engineer added that the new road is likely to be along the same lines as the Castleisland and Tralee bypass routes with a cross-section option as opposed to a motorway.
The public consultation is a hybrid with a web-based virtual consultation experience on the project website https://n22.kerrycoco.ie where members of the public can view the project proposals and make a submission via an online feedback form.
Alternatively, submissions can be submitted by Freepost addressed to: N22 Farranfore Killarney to Project, Kerry National Roads Office, Kerry County Council, The Island Centre, Castleisland, Freepost FKY 7494, Co Kerry V92 T0CP.
The closing date for receipt of submissions is Friday, December 6 next.
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