The Government have reneged on a promise to provide a bypass for the village of Claregalway.
A million euro was allocated the design and route selection process but it has been confirmed that no further funding will be provided.
It was understood by local residents that once the Gort–Tuam motorway got the go-ahead, that funding would be provided for the Claregalway inner relief road.
But now Deputy Noel Grealish has been informed by the Department of Transport that there will be no funding for the project this year. The project was ready to go to the compulsory purchase of land stage.
There is no commitment from Minister Leo Varadkar that any funding for the much needed bypass will be provided in the future.
According to sources within the Department, it is felt that when the Gort–Tuam motorway is completed, it will remove thousands of vehicles from Claregalway.
But this is disputed by Deputy Grealish who said that a lot of commuters along the N17 each morning and evening would continue to do so.
“I have been campaigning vigorously for this project since I was first elected to the Dáil and funding has been provided from 2005 onwards for design, environmental impact studies and the route selection process. But now that the project is ready to go to CPO (Compulsory Purchase Order), the Minister has decided that the Department has no funding for this essential project,” he added.
He said that the opening of the new secondary school in Claregalway last year had already added to the traffic problems.
Deputy Grealish added that this would worsen over the coming years when further numbers were enrolled.
