Cork and Galway to Benefit as Government Unveils €1.5bn Roads Investment Boost

The Government has confirmed a €1.5 billion investment in road maintenance, improvements and new projects this year, marking a 13% increase on last year’s allocation. The funding package, announced by the Department of Transport, is divided between national roads and regional and local routes, with ministers saying it will support major infrastructure works and strengthen road safety and climate resilience.

Of the total, €800 million has been earmarked for national roads, while €718 million will go towards regional and local roads. Announcing the funding at Government Buildings, Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien said the investment would “enable multiple major new road projects” while also ensuring the upkeep of existing infrastructure.

Under the national roads programme, €104 million will be invested in Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. A further €33 million will be allocated to local authorities for routine maintenance works, and €659 million will be distributed through Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) This funding will help advance a number of significant projects already in development, including the Adare Bypass, the N5 Ballaghadrerreen to Scramoge scheme, and the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy project.

In addition to progressing large-scale schemes, TII will oversee spending on road safety upgrades and climate-resilience measures designed to future-proof key routes against extreme weather and environmental pressures.

Regional and local roads will receive €718 million in total. Of this, €50 million is designated for strategic improvement projects, while €20 million will be provided in targeted grants for works such as bridge repairs and traffic relief initiatives in towns and villages. TII will also allocate €16.5 million across 294 projects aimed at mitigating climate impacts on the road network, along with €14 million for 280 low-cost safety improvement measures.

More than €60 million has been set aside for road funding and projects across Galway City and County, reflecting ongoing infrastructure demands in the region. The Government indicated that further funding could be made available later in the year if severe weather events cause significant damage.

Repair works linked to Storm Chandra are currently estimated to cost around €50 million.

However, Minister O’Brien stressed that these figures remain provisional. He noted that local authorities are routinely advised to retain 10% of their annual allocation to address unexpected severe weather damage, a practice that has been in place for several years