This article is from page 14 of the 2006-08-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
BOTH Shannon and Ennis Chambers of Commerce have welcomed the call from the Air Transport User’s Council (ATUC) of Chambers Ireland to fast track the Shannon Galway Link.
The group says the link is vital to enhance Shannon Airport’s opportunities for growth as the era of Open Skies dawns.
The ATUC has called on the Government to commit to completing the Shannon-Galway section of the Atlantic roadway by 2010 to secure Shannon’s future and connect the West to a host of European and North American destinations.
“This statement further re-enforces the plans put forward in the recent Tourism and Economic Development Plan prepared by the MidWest Regional Authority and also strengthens the recommendations made in the ‘Embracing the challenges and opportunities of Ireland – US Open Skies report prepared in consultation with IBEC Mid West and Shannon and Ennis Chambers’.
This unified approach must compound and give credence to the need for the completion of this vital road artery,” explained a spokesperson for both Ennis and Shannon Chambers.
The local chambers are now urging Transport Minister Martin Cullen to act on these recommendations, “to grow the catchment area for Shannon Airport by fast-tracking the road infrastructure”.
While a commitment to build the road was included in the Government’s Transport 21 programme, no timelines have been given for its construction. The chambers say that a deadline of 2010 will bring the road completion in line with the other inter-urban routes which are to be completed by that year under Transport 21.