TII stop work on major Kilkenny bypass project

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has 'pulled the breaks' on a multi-million euro road improvement project on a major Kilkenny bypass.

Works along the N76 Callan bypass was due to be underway by this summer, however it has emerged that the national roads body has called a halt to the process.

Initial plans were approved by TII last December and  the work is intended to improve walking and cycling paths on the busy bypass.

However, TII has now instructed that tender documents for the work are not to be released until at least next year. Preparatory work can continue up to that point.

Survey works along the route began in March 2023 and, earlier this year, it was confirmed that €2.7million had been included in the Callan Thomastown municipal area roads budget for the project.

In January 2024, Area Engineer, Declan Murphy told a meeting of local councillors  that a Pavement Assessment Renewal Repair (PARR) report was submitted to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in the previous December and had been formally approved by the body.

At that meeting, Mr Murphy hoped that tender documents would be ready in a number of months.

There are local concerns about driver and pedestrian safety on the bypass. At a municipal district meeting, last November, Cllr Joe Lyons voiced this, asking: "Will we have to wait for a fatality to implement the works? Speed and lack of singular laneways are the problem."

Callan Thomastown municipal district councillor Deirdre Cullen is chair of the Kilkenny County Council Roads Special Policy Committee (SPC) and intends to address the matter at the new council's first meeting of that SPC.

At the start of the process, in March 2023, councillors were told TII's Tramore House Regional Design Office would consider path routes, crash barriers, signage, road markings, line markings and lighting.