River Shannon crossing opens to traffic

The Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, has officially opened the Killaloe Bypass road project on Thursday — a €88 million, 6.2km infrastructure scheme that includes the first new vehicular bridge over the River Shannon in more than three decades.

Located near the twin towns of Killaloe, Clare, and Ballina, Tipperary, the project is designed to ease congestion, improve safety, and enhance regional connectivity between Clare and Tipperary.

At the heart of the scheme is the new Brian Ború Bridge, named after the High King of Ireland. The bridge, which took two and a half years to construct, spans the Shannon approximately one kilometre south of the existing Killaloe Bridge. It is the first new road bridge to cross the river since the opening of Athlone‘s Shannon Way Bridge in 1991.

The full scheme comprises:

• A 2km single carriageway bypass west of Killaloe, linking the R463 to the Brian Ború Bridge and the R494;
• The construction of the new bridge crossing the Shannon;
• The upgrade and realignment of approximately 3.3km of the R494 from south of Ballina to the R445 near Birdhill and the M7 link road;
• Dedicated pedestrian and cycling facilities spanning the full length of the 6.2km development.

Minister O’Brien described the project as a “transformative” investment in regional infrastructure, noting that it would significantly improve traffic flow and road safety while supporting active travel through enhanced walking and cycling paths.

Project delivery was managed by John Sisk & Son, alongside RPS Consulting Engineers and local authority teams.

The scheme is included in the Government’s National Development Plan and is expected to deliver long-term benefits for tourism, business, and regional development.