Major funding boost for Tipperary roads as €57m allocated for upgrades and safety works
The Department of Transport has announced that €49,379,670 has been given to the local authority to progress upgrades and new road schemes across Tipperary during 2026, with an additional €8million in funding coming from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
The single largest allocation for regional roads in the county is to the Latteragh upgrade, which has been allocated €12,715,000. This scheme involves the improvement of a 4.3km section of the existing R498 regional road between Nenagh and Thurles, at Latteragh, approximately 7km south-east of the M7 Nenagh Bypass.
The R640 road in Cahir has been allocated €300,000 for rehabilitation works, while €150,000 has been allocated to the Thurles Inner Relief Road project.
€938,500 has been allocated to a number of projects under the climate change adaptation and resilience works category, including the R445 at Kilmastulla, near Ballina, and the R661 for flooding of the River Multeen.
Just over €1million has been allocated to the local authority for bridge repairs across the county, with €829,370 allocated for safety improvement works on regional and local roads.
€50,000 has been given to the council for the now-pedestrianised bridge in Ballina under the specific improvement grants category, and €300,000 was allocated to the Glenconnor Road realignment in Clonmel.
Additionally, TII have allocated a further €8million to Tipperary County Council for progress on national roads projects.
€2.7million has been allocated for the N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction project, which will see a bypass of Tipperary town, while the Thurles bypass project has been given €50,000.
A further €1million has been allocated to the Main Street and Father Matthew Street in Tipperary town for footpath strengthening, while €750,000 has been allocated to the Slievenamon Road, Thurles project.
€200,000 has been allocated to Turtulla Cross outside Thurles, and €300,000 for phase two of the improvements to Liberty Square.
Tipperary town councillor John O’Heney said the allocations are “encouraging”.
“It is very encouraging to see a lot of local projects allocated funding this year, including Barronstown Cross, Bansha Road, Kilfeacle, Tipperary town, Clonmel and major funding for the upgrade of the N24 between Limerick and Cahir,” he said.
Thurles councillor Jim Ryan said that he was pleased with the funding allocation for Turtulla Cross, despite how long progress was taking.
"Delighted to confirm that Tipperary County council have received €200,000 today to move the Turtulla Cross safety works scheme to the next level. We are getting there slowly but surely and I won't stop fighting for this project until the works commence.
"However what I can confirm is that the proposed works include the installation of a roundabout at this junction which will be a massive help in making it a more safe area for motorists and cyclists,” he said.
Fine Gael councillor Declan Burgess said that funding allocated for Golden village is a welcome step forward.
"This is a very welcome step forward. I have previously been on site with the hall committee, tennis club and rugby club, and I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to progress this project and highlight the need for improved safety measures,” he said.
Labour party councillor Fiona Bonfield said that while the funding was good news, with the rates of construction inflation, far more is needed.
"Good to see some projects I have been working on included, but not all, and overall, we need a lot more money from Government to tackle the works that are needed to be done,” she said.
“With the cost of inflation, this additional money is wiped out,” the Newport councillor added.