Deadlines, €1bn budget and home demolitions: What comes next after the Galway City Ring Road approval?
Approval for the long-awaited Galway City Ring Road, linking the east side of the city to the M6, was granted this April, but left a big question mark over what happens next.
The decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála has prompted mixed reactions. While the project is hoped to ease long-standing traffic congestion in Galway, concerns persist over its potential environmental impact and development timeline.
Following the decision, the Irish Independent spoke with Director of Services for Galway County Council, Uinsinn Finn, about what happens next.
Following the decision, there is an eight-week window during which the approval can be challenged by way of Judicial Review, beginning from the date of the public notice in newspapers. Such a review may be sought if any party believes the decision is flawed or insufficient.
Before any Judicial Review proceeds, the High Court must first determine whether applicants have “sufficient grounds” to bring the case.
If a review is granted, the project would be paused. In that case, Galway County Council would seek to engage directly with those involved.
“When it comes to that, we would be looking to see if there’s a way we can mitigate concerns and come to an agreement outside of the High Court,” Mr Finn said.
Galway County Council intends to move forward with the process even if a Judicial Review is brought forward.
Figures from 2018 indicated that €591 million would be allocated by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) as the project’s funding agency. However, Mr Finn said that estimate has risen significantly in the years since the original figure was published.
“We do acknowledge now with construction inflation over the last eight years, that it is above the €600 million.”
Mr Finn was hesitant to give an exact figure ahead of next week’s meeting where an exact number is likely to be released but said the increase could near €1 billion.
Galway County Council executives are due to meet the project team and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) next Wednesday, April 15, to advance the scheme to its fifth stage, according to Mr Finn.
“The intention is then, in line with TII project infrastructure guidelines, to go into detailed design of the project,” he said.
This includes the procurement process for contractors and consultants.
This phase is expected to run for the remainder of 2026. Construction is currently projected to begin in 2028, with completion of the overall project anticipated by 2031.
“I do take the timelines as being fairly secure,” Mr Finn said, noting that An Coimisiún Pleanála adhered to its own decision timeframe between December 2025 and May 2026.
However, a key challenge in the next phase will be addressing the impact on approximately 54 homes due to be demolished as part of the development.
The commission’s approval order will involve the acquisition and demolition of 54 homes.
Further engagement is expected to begin shortly and will follow a two-step statutory process. A Notice to Treat will be issued, followed by a Notice to Enter.
“The Notice to Treat starts the statutory clock in terms of the acquisition of the property and gives it a window between that and the Notice to Enter for the homeowner to vacate their property,” Mr Finn said.
Project liaison officers will now be appointed to work more closely with those affected in previous stages.
“They're very familiar with the office, they're very familiar with calling in, and that the door is always open,” he said. “Homeowner’s would be the biggest focus for us.”
Homeowners will be compensated through a valuation process, including provision for injurious affection, which covers loss of value and additional impacts on properties near major infrastructure such as the ring road.
“A lot of situations will be different, there's no straight forwards, not everyone is the same in terms of landowners and what their wishes will be,” Mr Finn added.
While environmental and budgetary concerns have been raised, Mr Finn said these factors were fully considered within the project’s cost-benefit analysis.
“In terms of the Galway City Ring Road, people often look at the cost of the project, but all of these projects are measured in a cost benefit report. They measure what the benefits are in terms of reducing congestion, so it's an economic benefit.”
“They improve safety. We're taking traffic out of the city centre.”
Some city residents have criticised the route, arguing they are unlikely to ever use the road to travel from one side of Galway to the other.
However, Mr Finn pointed to the Galway Transport Strategy, which he said includes complementary infrastructure for inner-city users, such as the Cross-City Link, multi-modal bus corridors, and the BusConnects programme.
“It’s really key that we improve the public transport, and we've always found that when it comes to Galway, we need more road space to be able to reallocate road space.”
Referring to the city centre, he added: “We want to make it more conducive for cycling, walking, and for public transport, so we need to take the traffic out, but there isn’t enough road space to do that.”
“The ring road is also a key part of that. It’s not just about a new road, it’s an overall solution for the city.”