Pressure needs to be maintained to get the long awaited Thurles bypass included in the National Development Plan.
Local businesses, residents and elected representatives have been campaigning for years to have the project funded by central government.
Councillor Seamus Hanafin raised the issue at the April meeting of Tipperary County Council
He says the benefits of the multi-million Euro works carried out on Liberty Square won’t be fully appreciated until the by-pass is finally in place.
“We have two national secondary roads meeting in Liberty Square and we have spent a huge amount of money doing up Liberty Square and it’s looking fantastic.
“But the fact of the matter is until we get the heavy goods vehicles removed from Liberty Square and find other routes for them we’re really not going to get the full value of the works that have been carried out.”
Councillor Hanafin also says the inner relief road for Thurles will play a key role in allowing the town to develop.
Progress is being made on the stretch from Clongour Road to the Mill Road.
He says effectively all that’s holding up the project is a lack of funding.
If this was forthcoming Seamus Hanafin says it would open up a host of opportunities for Thurles.
“The drawings are there, everything is ready to go. We’re really waiting to see if we can get the funding for it.
“Hugely important because that will give a second river crossing in Thurles and will again help to alleviate the traffic congestion in the town centre.
“It also opens up a huge amount of land for development not least of which is the lands at Mary immaculate College which will give a new front into the college and allow it to progress in the way that it should.”
