Construction work on a massive roads project - that will provide a continuous dual carriageway linking counties Limerick, Clare and Galway - is set to commence next week.

Galway County Council has just signed a €92m Design Build Contract with Wills Bros Ltd and SIAC Wills JV Ltd.

The contract provides for the construction of a high-quality Dual Carriageway extending from Ballingers Corner, North of Gort, Co Galway to Cragard, Barefield, Co Clare where it will join the N18 Ennis Bypass.

The scheme consists of 22km of dual carriageway, 10km of realigned local roads and 12km of accommodation access tracks.

Construction work, which is scheduled for completion in 2011, also involves the building of 14 new bridges and two grade separated junctions.

Letters have been issued to landowners along the scheme's route informing them that work on the road project is scheduled to commence next week.

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Clare Mayor Madeleine Taylor Quinn welcomed the signing of the contract.

She said: "The provision of this new road link will make Clare an increasingly attractive location for commerce and investment."

Ms Taylor Quinn said the completion of the dual carriageway was of critical importance to the continued development of Shannon Airport and the entire West of Ireland.

The scheme forms part of the proposed Atlantic Road Corridor, which is an objective of the National Spatial Strategy, the Transport 21 Programme and the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

The Atlantic Road Corridor involves the provision of a major road network to provide a link between the major Gateway urban centers identified in the National Spatial Strategy from Letterkenny through Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork and onto Waterford.

David Timlin, Clare Council's Director of Services, said: "The proposed Atlantic Road Corridor is vital to the economic and sustainable development of the Midwest, Western and Southern Regions of Ireland in terms of regional development, economic competitiveness, accessibility, transport and freight costs and a major contribution to addressing the infrastructural deficit."

The N18 Gort to Crusheen scheme is being funded by the Irish Government and part-financed by the European Union under the National Development Plan 2007-2013.

The scheme is being undertaken by Galway County Council on behalf of Clare County Council in accordance with an agreement made under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 2001 and approved by the National Roads Authority under Section 14 of the Roads Act 1993.

Meanwhile, the proposed N18 Oranmore to Gort Dual Carriageway scheme is currently at the tender stage and the award of this contract is subject to the approval of the National Roads Authority.

(PR/JM)