THE new stretch of motorway (M9) between Waterford and Knocktopher may appear to be finished, but a series of safety checks are being carried out before it can be opened to the public, according to the National Roads Authority (NRA).

Locally there has been disappointment that this section of motorway has not been opened yet, as several earlier expected opening dates had been given in the past few months. The week of March 22 has now been named as the official opening.

“We still have to do a review of the safety inspection and then sign off on it, which will take another two to three weeks,” said an NRA spokesman, adding that this was “standard procedure”. The safety of “every bridge and every drain” must be guaranteed, he said. “Basically we have to go through everything. ... We have to be confident that the piece of infrastructure we are getting (is safe).”

Once a series of legal documents are agreed on by the NRA and the contractor, an exact opening date can be set by the Department of Transport.

Before that can happen, the NRA spokesman said: “We have to make sure all the i’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed.”