Kehoe welcomes turning of the sod on €282M N11 Arklow to Rathnew road project

GOVERNMENT CHIEF WHIP Paul Kehoe TD has welcomed the official start to work on the N11 Arklow to Rathnew dual carriageway road project after Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar turned the sod on both schemes.

Speaking on the announcement Minister Kehoe said:

“This project will make a huge difference to motorists with the N11 dual carriageway removing the last bottleneck between Dublin and Rathnew and providing an important new service area.

“It is also the first Public Private Partnership road project to be signed since 2007 is now officially underway, in an important signal for economic recovery.

“These are two very important projects which will make a big difference to road users in Dublin and the east of the country. It will remove a serious bottleneck which has caused untold delays to commuters, hauliers and road users over the years. The financing of these projects also represents a breakthrough for the Government in terms of new funding for roads,” Minister Varadkar said.

“The N11 will end the last stretch of single carriageway between Arklow and Rathnew, replacing the dangerous and winding road with high-spec dual carriageway and the added bonus of a new service and rest area.”

The contractor BAM Civil Ltd (BAM PPP & PGGM Infrastructure Cooperatie) will start work on both projects within a matter of days, and construction is expected to take just over two years.

Kathleen Codd Nolan, Chairperson of Wexford County Council said: “This project assists greatly in linking Wexford to Dublin City and onwards to the entire national motorway network. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the continued investment required to improve and upgrade roads in County Wexford.”