Busy Carlow road ‘no longer fit for purpose’ and needs to be treated ‘as a motorway’

The N80, which runs through County Carlow, is “no longer fit for purpose” and needs to be treated “as a motorway”, the Dáil has heard.

Carlow-Kilkenny TD and Minister of State Jennifer Murnane O’Connor made the remarks during a recent debate on infrastructure.

Deputy Murnane O’Connor said: “I want to mention the N80. Since Brexit, it has become a major national route, carrying more than 4.2 million vehicles annually, including a significant volume of heavy goods traffic.

“However, it is no longer fit for purpose and if you look at the Carlow part of that, it saw 27 accidents last year alone, including several fatalities over recent years.

“We need to upgrade the N80 and to look at it as a motorway, creating a link from Rosslare to the M7 at Portlaoise.

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“This would strengthen regional connectivity, improve safety and support Ireland's role as an EU gateway.”

She went on to mention a recent trip to Kilkenny and the different road projects that were discussed.

“Deputy [John] McGuinness and I were in Kilkenny last week and we spoke with the chief executive there.

“These were projects that came up too. It was mentioned that the N24 Waterford to Cahir and N25 Waterford to Glenmore schemes were in the pipeline, both of which are at different stages.

“All of this infrastructure is vital. I know the Minister is committed to this and I thank him for all his work. These are all urgently needed.”

Deputy Murnane O’Connor also highlighted the need for a relief road in Carllow and outlined its potential benefits.

“I also want to highlight the Carlow southern relief road, which is a project in the national development plan.

“It will remove through traffic from the town centre, reduce congestion, improve public transport and make travel safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

“I note the consultants are in place ahead of the further public engagement and I look forward to reviewing the route option and the project continuing as it progresses. I know I am always on to the Minister about this one.”

She also outlined issues with water infrastructure in the county and expressed her desire for such projects to move forward.

“In my area, Carlow–Kilkenny, towns and villages must have adequate wastewater and utility capacity to support housing and growth locally.

“Last week, I highlighted here that towns such as Grange and Ardattin in County Carlow are still waiting on necessary wastewater infrastructure.

“Planning and funding decisions must be aligned so projects can move forward without delay.”

Deputy Murnane O’Connor was speaking during a discussion on the Government’s Infrastructure Plan, which she welcomed.

She believes it will strengthen the planning process, improve procurement and support better co-ordination between agencies.

It also aims to reduce delays, increase certainty and allow projects to progress in a more streamlined way.