The scheme will see the partners deliver planning and design services for a high-quality road connecting Cork and Limerick. This will be a flagship project for Limerick City and County Council, Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Tipperary County Council, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland with a ‘digital by default’ approach to design and operation.

Conn Murray, Chief Executive at Limerick City and County Council, said: “This project is identified in Project Ireland 2040 National Development Plan as a major enabler for balanced regional development by substantially delivering the Atlantic Corridor, with a high quality road network linking Cork, Limerick and Galway.

Limerick City and County Council welcome the appointment of Barry Transportation and their project partners WSP and Sweco as Technical Advisors. Together with our partners in Cork County Council, Cork City Council, Tipperary County Council, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, we are committed to delivering this major national infrastructural project.”

“We are delighted to be working with Limerick City and County Council on the planning process for this vital arterial route, which will improve journey times and journey time reliability between Cork and Limerick” says Liam Prendiville, Director at Barry Transportation.

“With Cork and Limerick being the second and third largest urban areas in Ireland, links between both cities are currently very limited and not fit for purpose”, says Frank Delaney, Director in Highways at WSP. “This road improvement scheme will strengthen economic links between these cities.”

John Nolan, Operation Director at Sweco, said: “As well as being a significant piece of infrastructure, this project is set to enable the development of a Cork-Limerick ‘twin city’ region, delivering significant social and community benefits, improving productivity and enabling the creation of thousands of new jobs. Our partnership will see us roll out the latest in planning technology, collaborating to help unlock the full potential of the region.”

The concept and feasibility phase (Phase 1) of the planning and design will commence this month, with Barry Transportation, WSP and Sweco, providing all engineering, environmental, economic and appraisal services required to deliver the project through the planning and design phases.