Planning application for long-awaited Tipperary bypass expected this year
A planning application for the long-awaited N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction road project, including a bypass of Tipperary town, is expected to be lodged by the end of the year.
At the March meeting of Tipperary County Council, Sinn Féin councillor Annemarie Ryan asked the council’s roads section for an update on the project.
The project, which has been under development for several years, aims to bypass Tipperary town and ease chronic congestion along the N24 route.
"I know from the management report it says that phase three of the project is programmed for completion by quarter three of 2026, and after which the next step is the application to An Coimisiún Pleanála, but do you envisage any further public consultations for where the final route goes?” Cllr Ryan asked.
"It is still looking like Q3 2026? Because I’m conscious that obviously, it’s a moving feast, and I get that, but we’re getting very near the An Coimisiún Pleanála bit, so if I could get a better date, I’d appreciate it,” she added.
In response, a representative of the council’s road section said that plans would be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála by the end of the year.
“We’re making significant progress, we’re very happy with the draft reports that are coming through,” the meeting heard.
"There’s a huge volume of work going on and in the management report, we said that we’re aiming at Q3, but in the last week it’s become evident that it will be the end of the year, it’ll be Q4.
"Now, there are challenges to that in that there are a number of reviews by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the Department of Transport that will all come into it, and we are not in control of that, but the deliverable that we are in control of, which is the production of the compulsory purchase order (CPO) documentation, and the final design, that is going very well and is programmed for the end of the year,” Cllr Ryan was told.
The roads representative said that another public consultation would also be held in advance of this, due to the changes of design throughout the project.
"There will be another public display because there have been so many changes to the design since the last design update, but we intend to advertise that and to show people in good time before the CPOs so that people will be well educated on what the final design is in good time,” he said.