BREAKING: Likely 2028 before construction starts on Thurles Inner Relief Road
New information reveals construction contract isn't expected to be advertised until late 2027
Construction on the Thurles Inner Relief Road is now unlikely to begin before 2028, according to new information provided by Tipperary County Council.
A recent update from the has indicated that the construction contract for the long-awaited project is not expected to be advertised until Q4 of 2027.
This is in contrast to information issued in November 2025, when local TD Ryan O’Meara said that Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien had informed him “that he expects construction to commence on the Thurles Inner Relief Road next year [2026], and officials have advised that the project should be completed and opened in approximately 24 months from now.”
The latest timeline suggests not only that construction will not begin in 2026, but that work may not commence until at least 2028. The National Development Plan Review document published in November 2025 listed the project as moving to procurement by 2026, with construction expected to commence in 2027.