Galway ring road gets planning approval after years of delays

The Galway City Ring Road has been granted planning permission.

Galway County and City Councils are welcoming the decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála.

The 18-kilometre road would run from the M6 motorway on the outskirts of the city to west of Barna.

Friends of the Irish Environment, which successfully challenged a previous application for the ring road, had submitted that the latest plan failed to comply with statutory obligations under Ireland’s climate legislation.

It is now moving to the detailed design phase, before the construction project is put out to tender.

Chief Executive of Galway County Council, Liam Conneally, told Galway Bay he hopes there won't be any further delays with the judicial review.

"We will never anticipate or second guess anybody, but we would hope we wouldn't have a judicial review, because the people of Galway and the west of Ireland need this piece of critical infrastructure.

"The Government is behind it, the Ministers, City Mayor, and elected members are behind it."

A 2024 study commissioned by the National Transport Authority put a price tag on the Gluas at between €1.23 billion and €1.34 billion in 2023 prices.

Responding to the decision of An Comisiún Pleanala (ACP) to grant permission to the Galway ring road, Niall Murphy, Green Party candidate for Galway West, said:

“Today, the Galway City Ring Road has been granted permission. Clarity has been given on this project, but Galway deserves more than just a ring road.

“The most important thing to do now is to start pushing forward the other transport projects which have been delayed by the Government, as the ring road planning process has been ongoing.

“We need to double down on public transport and active travel options. The new bus timetable for Galway, with 50 per cent more services, has been on hold and is not expected until 2028.

"Now is the time to push for the funding to make that happen sooner.”

Senator Seán Kyne, Fine Gael’s candidate in the Galway West bye-election said, “This is a historic day for the people of Galway city, Connemara and the west of Ireland.

"This approval has been a long time coming, and I know how much it means to the thousands of people who sit in gridlock every day while trying to get to work, bring their children to school or make a hospital appointment on time.”