This article is from page 4 of the 2006-03-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
FARMERS living along the route of the proposed Crusheen-Gort bypass are set for a multi-million euro bonanza.
Galway County Council is preparing to compulsory purchase almost 500 acres of land across 103 farms along the route. Construction of the €150m road could start as early as next year.
Clare IFA chairman, Seamus Murphy, said they would be ensuring that its members get as good a price as possible for the land and the disturbance that the road would cause.
He said the IFA would expect that Galway County Council would adhere to the national agreement between the IFA and the Government on the levels of compensation available to landowners. The deal was struck in advance of CPO agreements being made by farmers on the route of the €190 million Ennis by-pass.
As a result of the CPO of 500 acres of land for the Ennis scheme, €22 million was paid to 67 landowners, making instant millionaires out of seven farmers.
The Crusheen-Gort scheme, which involves the construction of 22 km of new dual carriageway, will also involve the severance of 845 acres of farmland along the route.
The construction will see the destruction of two habitable houses and is expected to commence towards the end of next year. 2009 is identified as a possible completion date.
According to the Environmental Impact Statement, the new road will lead to a reduction in road injuries on the N18, where ten people died and 126 were injured in traffic accidents between 1989 and 2002.
The EIS states that 14,000 vehicles a day use the route between Crusheen and Gort and the route “fails to cope with the demand of motorists and residents frequently experiencing delays during periods of peak movement.”
The EIS states that a 50 per cent increase on current usage of the road is expected by 2024.
“The continued use of existing N18 by strategic traffic and large number of Heavy Good Vehicles is unsustainable”.
The EIS states that the new road will help reduce traffic on the existing N18 by 84 per cent, while there will be a 68 per cent decrease in traffic congestion in Gort.
Those wishing to object to CPOs, or make observations on the EIS, can do so to An Bord Pleanala by April 10. It is expected that the Board will hold an oral hearing later this year.