New Tullamore link road to open

The new High Street to Tanyard link road has opened to traffic in Tullamore.

Offaly County Council has said the opening of the link road will help pave the way for the regeneration of the Tanyard, the former 'Carroll’s' site, and the former 'Coen’s' site in the town.

Speaking prior to the opening of the link road this week, local councillor Declan Harvey said it was a welcome development.

Cllr Harvey said the arrival of new route was positive news for Tullamore.

"The link road can only be advantageous for the town, and while it may take some time to get used to the initial two-way traffic flow, it certainly will enhance access to and from O'Connor Square and ease congestion in the heart of the town," Cllr Harvey said.

While noting that the opening of the link road was a project which should have been undertaken some years ago, Cllr Harvey added that the route will further serve as a welcome boost for the business community in Tullamore.

A recent Tullamore Municipal District meeting was told that, once the new road is open, Tanyard Lane to O'Connor Square will close for around eight weeks to facilitate further works.

At the time of the link road contract signing in July 2024 Offaly County Council stated that the route would help to further enhance "the transformative impact of the O’Connor Square re-development" in the county town.

"This project will provide an attractive and easily accessible vibrant town centre destination as the new link street will enable a wide spectrum of mixed town centre uses, including retail, commercial, social, cultural, residential and tourism to co-exist through the integration of high-quality public realm," said the local authority.

The project is funded under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF), by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.