Minister provides update on long-awaited Kilkenny road project

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien reaffirmed that €200,000 has been allocated to the Kilkenny Northern Transport Project, formerly known as the Northern Ring Road extension, to move the development forward to the ‘Options Stage’.

Responding to a written query from Carlow-Kilkenny Fine Gael TD, Catherine Callaghan, Minister O’Brien outlined the process over the last couple of years.

“In line with Government requirements, Kilkenny County Council produced a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for the Kilkenny Northern Ring Road Extension and a draft was forwarded to the Department in January 2023,” the Minister described.

“The Department reviewed the SAR and returned its comments and observations to Kilkenny County Council for consideration”.

“In 2024, the Department provided funding for an updated Project Outline Document (POD), which has been submitted to the Department by Kilkenny County Council, and while this process was underway, funding was also allocated for Traffic/Junction Analysis in Butts Green area of the City to further assess and understand traffic patterns in the city,” he added.

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Kilkenny County Council has been advancing the project on its end also, appointing project management consultancy group AtkinsRéalis which will conduct an extensive suite of environmental surveys.

The proposed road would connect the N77 from the Castlecomer Road Roundabout at junction 10 on the Ring Road to the R693 Freshford Road, just north of Aut Even hospital. On completion it would be 1.5km in length and include a bridge crossing over the River Nore.

The long-awaited Ring Road extension is hoped to greatly reduce traffic congestion in the city and although the project is years away from completion, the provision of funding has breathed new life into the development.

“Following a review of the POD by the Department of, €200,000 has been allocated to the Kilkenny Northern Transport Project in 2025 to allow Kilkenny County Council to progress the project to the Options Stage,” Minister O’Brien said in his concluding remarks.

“As regards 2026, regional and local road grant allocations will be finalised following the publication of the Revised Estimates Volume and will take into account the expenditure outturn on projects and programmes in the preceding year”.

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