Major M11/N11 park and ride to open this year – but second Wicklow motorway project shelved

By Hugh O'Farrell Walsh, The Wicklow People

The battle to break the daily gridlock on the M11/N11 corridor has reached a critical turning point, as the National Transport Authority (NTA) released a progress report that offers a lifeline to north Wicklow commuters, while delivering a budget blow to those further south.

New data from the NTA’s Park and Ride Development Office obtained by Wicklow Wexford TD Malcom Byrne confirms that, while the first major intercept facility at Bray is only months away from opening, a key project at Ashford has been shelved until at least 2027 due to a sudden funding shortfall.

For thousands of motorists who endure the daily crawl past the Glen of the Downs towards Kilmacanougue, the most significant news is centred on Fassaroe (Junction 6).

The NTA has confirmed that construction on the 390-space strategic facility, the most northerly on the M11 corridor, is now nearing completion.

Work on the site began in mid-2025 and has moved into the testing and commissioning phase. Officials expect the gates to open to the public later this year, providing a dedicated launchpad for commuters to ditch their cars and board high-frequency bus services into Dublin city.

However, the mood is far bleaker for commuters using Junction 16 at Ashford/Rathnew. Despite a successful 2025 that saw Wicklow County Council approve the scheme and conclude the sale of the land, the project has hit a financial wall.

In a move that will frustrate local representatives, the NTA admitted that it is not able to commence construction in 2026. Citing "funding requirements”, the authority has pushed the 200-space project back to 2027 at the earliest.

While detailed design and tender preparation are ongoing, the site remains a dormant field rather than a solution to the N11's morning tailbacks.

Between these two extremes, the NTA is advancing plans for a massive 400-space facility at Kilpedder (Junction 11). A preferred site has been identified, and negotiations with landowners are currently ongoing.

Because of its scale, this project will bypass local council planning and go directly to the national planning body, An Coimisiún Pleanála, as a Strategic Infrastructure Development. The NTA expects to lodge that application before the end of this year.

In a surprise addition to the strategy, the NTA also confirmed it has begun preliminary work on a potential new local Park and Ride at Templerainey (Junction 20) near Arklow in collaboration with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Wicklow County Council.

This marks a significant expansion of the strategy into south Wicklow, aimed at catching long-distance commuters before they even reach the Rathnew bottleneck.

The success of these multi-million-euro investments hinges on more than just tarmac and white lines. The NTA’s strategy is built on intercepting car journeys at the earliest possible point on the M11 motorway.

These sites are designed to link directly into the N11/M11 Bus Priority Interim Scheme, which utilises dedicated lanes and hard shoulders to ensure buses can bypass the very traffic the Park and Ride users have just left behind.

With amenities like electric vehicle charging and bike lockers, the NTA is hoping that a high-quality experience will finally entice Wicklow’s car dependant commuters onto public transport services.