Public Transport Minister Alan Kelly has announced the provision of €2m for the development of a major new greenway between Galway City and Moycullen village.

The greenway will see the construction of a 2.5 to 3 meter wide walking/cycling greenway along the dismantled Connemara railway line, running close to the banks of the Corrib between Galway city and Moycullen.

The route, which will run through the campus at NUI Galway, will provide a secure and safe environment for walkers and cyclists. It will be 12.4km long, 11.4km of which will be off-road and 1km on a quiet local road.

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Announcing the news, Minister Kelly said it will be the first greenway in Ireland that will be primarily targeted at daily cyclists as opposed to tourists.

"15,000 people commute from Moycullen to Galway on a typical working day. This greenway is first and foremost designed to facilitate those people being able to travel by bike.

"This greenway, which is among the first of its kind in the country, will link Moycullen with major employers in Galway city centre, the University Hospital and will run through NUI Galway's campus.

"It will be perfect for students and in time, I believe over 5,000 people a day could use this greenway," stated Minister Kelly.

(CD/JP)