The first section of the Macroom bypass was officially opened by the Taoiseach today and it will see the journey time between Cork and Killarney reduced by 20 minutes.
The 8km bypass will reduce traffic in the town by 40% with locals hopeful that it will help to breathe new life into Macroom.
The new road includes a roundabout at the tie-in on the eastern side of Macroom, a grade-separated junction at Gurteenroe on the western end of Macroom and a temporary tie-in at Carrigaphooca, with the temporary roundabout allowing traffic to merge onto the existing N22.
13,000 cars and HGVs were travelling through Macroom on a daily basis and the bypass now means the volume of traffic will decrease by 40%, allowing locals to now live congestion free.
The Taoiseach said the bypass will greatly improve safety and accessibility for locals and those travelling between Cork and Kerry.
The scheme was divided into three sections for the construction phase with the entire project set to be completed by 2024.
