No ‘exact’ start date for Virginia bypass project

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien did not have “an exact date” on when the Virginia bypass project will start.

Speaking to the Celt at the opening of the Killydoon bypass, he said: “I want to deliver it.”

“People do want to see it getting done. It’s something that I have a clear focus on but I want to make sure that the start date is the start date.

“I get that there is a frustration with people there who have been expecting this to happen before.”

He acknowledged there have been “a number of false dawns”.

Planning was due to go ahead at the start of this year, however news that the project was pushed back came at the February meeting of Cavan County Council. The meeting heard the scheme will not now go to planning until the last quarter of 2027 at the earliest.

The Minister updated that the Design and Environmental Evaluation phase is “approaching completion” and it is expected that Cavan County Council will submit the Preliminary Business Case for the project to Transport Infrastructure Ireland this summer.

“If approved, the project would then be submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála for consideration,” he said.