Skip to main content

Ireland's budgert cuts impact on road projects

Ireland’s government is undergoing a period of belt-tightening, with a string of budget cuts that will directly impact on the transport sector. The country was in the process of spending heavily on its infrastructure but with the tough economic climate it is now facing, a number of road projects are among those facing the axe. The Irish government is slashing its infrastructure spending from €39.6 billion to €22.9 billion between now and 2013. This looks likely to result in 40 road projects, including hig
May 14, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSIreland’s government is undergoing a period of belt-tightening, with a string of budget cuts that will directly impact on the transport sector.

The country was in the process of spending heavily on its infrastructure but with the tough economic climate it is now facing, a number of road projects are among those facing the axe.

The Irish government is slashing its infrastructure spending from €39.6 billion to €22.9 billion between now and 2013. This looks likely to result in 40 road projects, including highways and dual carriageways, being shelved or cancelled.

Ireland’s 5525 National Roads Authority (NRA) has been told not to build previously planned rest areas along highways, with the
Atlantic Corridor Road linking Letterkenny and Waterford one of only a few projects that will remain in hand.
However, the NRA is planning the M20 motorway that will link the cities of Limerick and Cork.

Planning permission is being sought at present for the 80km road, which will be built in two phases: the first stage will run for around 40km from Kileens to Velvetstown while the second phase runs from Buttevant to Attyfield.

The project is expected to cost €800 million and the NRA hopes to begin construction of the first phase of the road in 2012, assuming that approval and funding can be secured.

Work on the second stage would start after the completion of the first phase in 2015, with the project planned for a completion date in 2018. However, with Ireland’s slow down on its infrastructure investment at present following the financial crisis it is not clear if the M20 project will be delayed.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ethiopia races on with projects
    June 13, 2012
    Ethiopia is pursuing a 10-year $2.4 billion development plan, part of which are ambitious road developments. Shem Oirere reports Ethiopia is hastening its pace towards accessing a share of the East Africa commodity market and opening itself up for foreign investment through the implementation of an ambitious road development strategy, the Road Sector Development Programme (RSDP). The landlocked nation has convinced a number of international lenders of the viability of RSDP, with some of them now loosening
  • Paraguay’s major transport plans for road development
    May 26, 2016
    Paraguay is setting out plans for a series of major road development works, with this programme being planned by the country’s Ministry of Works. The Paraguayan Government says it will spend some US$1 billion on road projects in the area around Chaco, with those of highest priority being built within the next two years. The most important of the projects is the bi-oceanic corridor, which is expected to cost some $700 million to construct. The work on the bi-oceanic corridor is receiving financial support fr
  • TRA 2014 showcases the best of cutting-edge transport research and thinking
    July 1, 2014
    Despite tight finances due to the current global economic climate, the recent Transport Research Arena (TRA) 2014 show in Paris showed how innovative transport research, largely using cutting-edge ITS, is creating safer and smarter highways of the future. Guy Woodford reports How far can you drive around a car race track with no other vehicles on it on half a glass of fuel while attempting to maintain a speed of 60kph? After taking up the challenge offered by the Eco Driving Simulator using SiVIC (Simulatio
  • India plans major infrastucture investment
    February 10, 2012
    India says it turned its Commonwealth Games into a world-class success, and now it aims to do the same with its infrastructure. Patrick Smith reports. On October, 2010 India put itself on the world stage, and disaster appeared to loom as a catalogue of problems dogged its biggest ever sporting event. Costing nearly US$2 billion to stage, the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever were, according to some, in doubt.