Back Row L – R: Louise Direen (District Administrator, Edenderry MD), Mark Mahon (District Engineer, Edenderry MD), Sharon Kennedy (District Director Edenderry MD), Michael Mullarkey (Chief Technician Roads Dept. OCC), Barry Lennon (Senior Engineer, Roads Dept., OCC), Ronan Murtagh (Senior Engineer, Tobin Consulting Engineers)Front Row L – R: Tom Shanahan (Director of Transport OCC), Chief Executive OCC Anna Marie Delaney, Cathaoirleach OCC Cllr Frank Moran, Ciaran Garry (Managing Director, Tower Civil Engineering), Evan Fennell (Senior Executive Officer, Human Resources OCC)

Progress for Edenderry Inner Relief Road project

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Offaly County Council have announced the signing of the construction contract for Phase 2 of the Edenderry Inner Relief Road (EIRR) project which has been awarded to Tower Civil Engineering Ltd.

Offaly County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Frank Moran and Edenderry Municipal District Cathaoirleach Cllr Robert McDermott both welcomed the imminent commencement of this strategic infrastructure project for North Offaly, 'further facilitating Economic Development in Edenderry Town’. They also acknowledged the commitment of TOBIN Consulting Engineers and Offaly County Council's Edenderry Municipal District Office and Road Design office in bringing this scheme to the construction stage.

Offaly County Council Chief Executive Anna Marie Delaney outlined that "this major infrastructure project would further improve permeability and reduce traffic flows within the town centre improving air quality and amenity, and maximising the positive benefits of modal shift and our town centre first ethos."

Director of Transport Tom Shanahan congratulated Tower Civil Engineering on securing the project, after a competitive tender process, and looked forward to the delivery of a high quality transport link providing safe pedestrian and cycle ways as well as catering for vehicular traffic. He also outlined that this project and the already completed Phase 1 of EIRR is 100% funded by the Department of Transport (DoT) and is one of a pipeline of Strategic Transport Projects that the DoT are funding in Offaly.

Offaly County Council identified this infrastructure as a key objective of the Edenderry Local Area Plan (2017 – 2023). Following extensive engagement, Part 8 Planning was adopted in March 2019.

Cathaoirleach OCC Cllr. Frank Moran and Ciaran Garry, Managing Director Tower Civil Engineering.

The project developed rapidly, with Phase 1 (Clonmullen to Clonmeen Rise) securing funding of approximately €3.5m from the DoT in 2021 under the Annual Road Grant allocations, with the new link opening in July 2022.

The successful delivery of Phase 1 has led to Offaly County Council securing an initial €2m allocation from the DoT under the 2023 Roads allocations. The works are programmed to commence in mid-June and are expected to be completed in early 2024.

Phase 2 of this project includes:

800m of new carriageway linking Downshire/Fr McWey Street to Eden Business Campus,

New junction at Downshire,

250m of upgraded carriageways to Ard na Carraige,

2,100m of new cycle-ways,

2,100m of new footpaths.

Delivery of Phase 2 of the Edenderry Inner Relief will solidify and strengthen the benefits already achieved in Phase 1 by providing enhanced links westwards to the R441 towards Rhode. It also opens up lands for business and employment, as well as improving access to existing business parks such as Eden Business Campus and Monasteroris Business Campus. The scheme once completed will greatly assist Offaly County Council with their modal shift ethos via the delivery of high quality walking and cycling infrastructure adjacent to the new road.

Once completed the Edenderry Inner Relief Road Phase 2 will further strengthen Edenderry as a place to live, work, and visit. The Edenderry Inner Relief Road project is part of the on-going mission of Offaly County Council to provide and improve strategic infrastructure in order to promote growth within the county and provide safe, green sustainable infrastructure to strengthen the Town Centre First Ethos.

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