Two councillors deeply dismayed N24 upgrade plans don't include bypass of Clonmel

Two councillors have voiced deep disappointment that a new Clonmel bypass is not proposed for the N24 Cahir to Waterford upgrade project and are pressing for the decision to be reviewed.

Clonmel Cllrs Siobhán Ambrose and Pat English criticised the decision to upgrade the existing Clonmel Inner Relief road instead of building a new bypass at Tipperary County Council’s February meeting last week. 

Their condemnation of the N24 design team’s decision was issued in the wake of the announcement of the Preferred Transport Solution for the 60km stretch of the national route between Cahir and Waterford.

Instead of a new bypass for Clonmel, the N24 design team is proposing to upgrade the N24 Clonmel Inner Relief Road and divert traffic on its most congested section between the Fethard and Cashel Roads roundabouts by constructing new link roads and a road overbridge at one of these two busy junctions.

Cllr Ambrose described January 19, the day the N24 Cahir to Waterford Preferred Transport Solution was unveiled, as a “dark day” because what was proposed wasn’t what they wanted.

She reminded council management that Clonmel is the county’s capital town and it was “hugely regrettable” that a new bypass was not proposed.

The Fianna Fáil councillor noted that land in the town’s hinterland had been sterilised for planning approvals for 20 years because it may be required for a bypass. And she pointed out it was proposed that sections of the N24 on either side of

Clonmel will be upgraded to dual carraigeway size but the Clonmel Inner Relief Road will be a single carriageway. This was a point Cllr Pat English also raised as he too declared he was very disappointed with the proposals for the N24 in Clonmel and complained a bypass was proposed for every other town and village along the route.

The Workers & Unemployment Action Group councillor argued that the proposed link roads will only help with removing local traffic from Clonmel’s Inner Relief Road and not the traffic passing through the town.

He said he didn’t believe traffic study findings that 83% of the traffic travelling on the Inner Relief Road was staying in Clonmel.

“I don’t believe that for one minute. A town the size of Clonmel needs a bypass.”

Cllr English called on council management to request the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and TII to review the N24 design proposal in relation to Clonmel and requested the council seek a meeting with them about the issue.

Cllr Ambrose, meanwhile, indicated she had requested a meeting with the Transport Minister and argued “nothing was set in stone”.

Council CEO Joe MacGrath responded that he needed to first check whether a request has already been submitted for a meeting with the Minister and give him an opportunity to respond to that request.