Long-awaited Tipperary relief road project to finally go to tender
The development of a much-needed road in a busy Tipperary town has taken a step forward with the news that the council has been given the go ahead to advertise for tenders for the project.
The Inner Relief road for Thurles has been on the cards for a number of years, and aims to alleviate traffic from the centre of the north Tipperary town.
Now, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has given Tipperary County Council the green light to go to tender on the project.
The road will link the N62 with the Mill Road, and will include a bridge crossing over the River Suir, with construction set to begin next year. All going well, the project will be complete in two years.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, independent councillor Jim Ryan said that while the Inner Relief road project is to be welcomed, it won’t stop traffic from building up in the Square.
"It’s my firm belief that the Inner Relief Road will not take any heavy goods vehicles or lorries from going into the square in Thurles, and the only way that’s going to happen is to get a bypass for Thurles.
"While this is welcome news, my priority as a county councillor is to ensure that enough pressure is put on the relevant bodies to try and get the Thurles bypass project moved along, which has stalled since 2011,” Cllr Ryan said.
Despite the project having limited potential in freeing up the centre of the town of traffic, it will open up lands that are currently landlocked, paving the way for further development in the town.
"It’s going to open up the lands that are landlocked along the route, particularly Mary Immaculate College and other lands there, so it will open lands up for future development,” Cllr Ryan explained.
"But as regards taking traffic away from the square and Thurles, it won’t achieve that at all, so the only way that’s going to be achieved is by getting the bypass, and that should be the priority for Thurles, we’ve been waiting since 1969 for a bypass so it’s time now that our politicians, our TDs deliver on that,” he said.
While the permission for Tipperary County Council to go to tender on the project is positive, Cllr Ryan said that he hopes that the Minister will keep his word.
"You’d be hoping that the Minister will keep his word because there has been false dawns and false promises before, and they haven’t been followed through,” he added.