Chambers Ireland has warmly welcomed Minister Cullen's recent announcement that he is to bring the Galway to Ennis section of the Atlantic Roadway forward by three years - to begin in 2008.
This development - for which Chambers Ireland's Transport Users Council had lobbied since the announcement of Transport 21 - is of significant importance to the mid-west and to the growth and development of Shannon Airport, following the complete unbundling of the airport and the completion of EU/US Open Skies.
Connectivity, in terms of both transport and communications infrastructure, is the key to developing thriving regional economies.
This roadway - enabling speedy links from Shannon to Galway and, ultimately, north to Sligo - is critical to expanding the footprint of Shannon Airport and would drive up the numbers of people and locations within an hour's drive of Shannon.
This will, in turn, increase passenger numbers considerably, enhancing the viability of existing routes served out of Shannon and driving demand for more. Furthermore, connecting the urban centres of Limerick, Shannon, Ennis and Galway via a high-quality road network, would build a counter-pole to Dublin - encouraging more balanced regional development, in line with the National Spatial Strategy
The Atlantic Roadway - linking the major population centres along the west and south coast from Letterkenny to Waterford, was announced under Transport 21 - but no timeframe was originally assigned to the beginning or completion of the project.
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