Galway Chamber has called for immediate progress on the N6 Galway City Ring Road after An Coimisiún Pleanála approved the project, warning that any further delay would undermine the region’s economic prospects.
The Chamber, which represents 500 businesses employing 30,000 people in Galway city, said congestion is continuing to damage productivity, investment and quality of life.
Chief executive Karen Ronan said the decision marked an important step but insisted that Galway “has waited long enough”.
“This project has been discussed, delayed and debated for years while congestion has continued to worsen, impacting our economy, our environment and the daily lives of people across the region. The time for delivery is now,” she said.
Ms Ronan said the Ring Road would not solve Galway’s traffic problems on its own but was “a central part of a multistrand approach”, with BusConnects, expanded rail services and investment in cycling infrastructure all required to tackle the city’s transport challenges.
She also warned that the project “cannot afford to be beset by additional legal and administrative delays that have affected it since the outset” and urged Galway County Council, Galway City Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland to move without delay to the detailed design and procurement stage.
The Chamber said the Ring Road remains essential to unlocking economic growth and restoring Galway’s competitiveness as a regional and international investment location.
It said the project must now be treated as a national priority and aligned with the State’s commitments to balanced regional development under the National Planning Framework.
“This is not just a Galway issue. It is a national economic issue. If we are serious about regional development, then projects like the Galway Ring Road must be delivered with urgency and accountability,” Ms Ronan said.
The Chamber said it will continue to work with Government and local authorities to ensure the project advances without further delay.
Meanwhile, The Mayor of Galway, Councillor Mike Cubbard, has welcomed the decision to grant planning permission for the Galway City Ring Road.
“The Ring Road is one of the largest and most important infrastructure projects ever undertaken in Galway and will bring benefits not just for the city, but for the county and the wider west of Ireland,” he said.
Councillor Cubbard noted, however, that the project alone will not resolve Galway’s long-standing traffic issues. He said that, alongside initiatives such as BusConnects, active travel investment and increased rail capacity, the Ring Road will play an important role in improving overall transport in the city.
“The Ring Road is not a silver bullet for our city’s traffic congestion issues,” he explained. “While this project will help to remove some traffic from the city and greatly improve connectivity between east Galway and Connemara, we must continue to introduce further measures to encourage a shift towards public transport.”
He added that improving bus and rail services is essential, warning that traffic congestion and limited public transport options are currently acting as barriers to business investment, retail activity and tourism.