Greenways are to get twice as much funding as road works in Connemara this year from Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
The funds announced this week by the national infrastructure authority weigh heavily in favour of Greenways in the far west of County Galway.
Bad roads have long been a bugbear for the people of Connemara. With parts of the area 80 to 100 kilometres west of Galway City good roads are vital.
However, Transport Infrastructure Ireland has given twice as much money for Greenways in 2024.
€500,000 is the biggest single sum going into the N59 road in Connemara and it is doubtful if this particular sum will be spent at all. This half million is directed at the upgrade of the N. 59 between Bunakill – near Maam Cross – and Oughterard.
However, hundreds of thousands of euros for this section have been returned unspent to national funds in Dublin over the years.
The reason is a decade long hold up on upgrading work of this 10 km section because of environmental issues.
On paper, at this stage, there is somewhere close to €700,000 for the N. 59 in Connemara this year while there is €1.42m for Greenways.
The biggest single sum is for the Greenway from Clifden to Recess – that is €800,000.