The Government is being urged to prioritise a bypass of Tipperary Town ahead of any overall upgrade of the N24.
Deputy Mattie McGrath raised the issue in the Dáil recently highlighting the frustration being felt by residents and businesses at the volume of traffic going through the town.
The relief road or bypass is part of the planned upgrade of the N24 between Limerick and Waterford which traverses South Tipp.
Deputy McGrath says lessons could be learned from the success of the original Cashel bypass quarter of a century ago.
“Jobs4Tipp, March4Tipp, the Chamber, Councillor Anne Marie Ryan, everybody wants this bypass because they cannot live in the town with congestion.
“Obviously the N24 is being planned but why not do like ye did in Cashel – who had the vision back all those 25 years ago – to do a section of the N24 bypassing Tipp Town and do the connectivity later. You just have to get the trucks and heavy goods vehicles out of the town because of pollution, congestion and they’re dangerous to pedestrians.”
Minister Paschal Donohoe pointed out that this was not his call but did commit to raising the matter with Minister Eamon Ryan.
“I know road projects like this are very, very important and the role they can play in the prevention of congestion and also in making transport on our roads safer.
“I am indeed responsible for the funding that the Department of Transport has but I’m not involved in individual road decisions that the make. I am familiar with the project that you are referring to – I know that Government Oireachtas members have also been raising it – so I’ll raise that with Minister Ryan, to understand further what the status of the project is and how we can make progress on it.”
