MONDAY will be the last morning that commuters in South Kilkenny will have to use the old N9/N10 road to get to Waterford because the new section of motorway from Knocktopher to Waterford opens just before lunchtime.
The official opening of this stretch of the M9 motorway will be at 11am at the new Knocktopher junction, which is not far from where the N9 and N10 meet. The new motorway also has junctions at Mullinavat and Waterford.
The new dual-carriageway w
ill be a welcome change for drivers as it reduces travelling times to and from Waterford. The new section of road is another link on the motorway which will connect Dublin and Waterford by the end of this year. The new route also incorporates a link to Kilkenny city.
Meanwhile, cycling enthusiasts will travel the new road before it opens to traffic. The County Council, who will take charge of the route officially on Friday, have agreed to allow a charity fund raising event for the Irish Hospice Foundation to be held on the road.
The charity cycle will be held on Sunday from Danesfort to Waterford and back. Cycling enthusiasts, Sean Breathnach and Martin O'Neill, who are training for a charity run from Dublin to Geneva in the Summer, have organised the event for their favourite charity.
The pair have invited all with a bit of experience in cycling to join them. Registration will be held between 11 and 11.30am, when the cyclists will head off together. People taking part will be invited to make a contribution of 20 Euro to the charity.
