€1million for Athy Southern Ring Road is confirmed

€1million euros is being allocated for the long anticipated Athy Southern Distributor Route. Minister for Transport Shane Ross confirmed the allocation of €18.9m for Kildare Roads. Fine Gael Kildare South TD Martin Heydon said: "I am delighted that €1m has been confirmed for the Athy Ring Road for 2017 which will allow Kildare County Council to continue to progress the project through to planning with An Bord Pleanala.  I raised this issue with Minister Ross in the Dail in December to ensure that his Department continue to see this project as a priority." The Department of Transport are currently considering the business case for the project which was submitted by Kildare County Council before Christmas and a decision is due on this in the near future which will then allow the project to go to planning stage.  As a state funded project, it has to meet the requirements of the public spending code and the Departments Common Appraisal framework for transport projects as well as obtaining planning permission. €9.2m of the full allocation for Co. Kildare roads announced today is for strategic road projects in Kildare including €7.5m for the Sallins By Pass & Osberstown Interchange. The allocation of €7.5m to progress the Sallins By Pass and M7 widening is also very welcome for this vital project which already has planning permission and can now progress in 2017.  The increasing volumes of traffic on the M7 have made this project     “