Cork City Council has identified a preferred route for a major distributor road to the north of the city which has been called both “transformative” and “highly progressive” by local businesses.
The Cork Northern Distributor Multi-Modal Route (CNDMR) project will be 14km long and will run from the Carrigrohane Road west of the city, to Glanmire in the east, crossing the northern side of Cork City via Hollyhill, Dublin Hill and Banduff.
Last week, the Government included the project in the revised National Development Plan, with its cost estimated at between €200m and €500m.
The project is not expected to be completed until at least the mid-2030s.
The project recently received approval from the National Transport Authority to proceed to environmental assessments and the preparation of preliminary designs.
An impression of the Cork Northern Distributor Multi-Modal Route in urban areas
The council received 1,413 submissions after its non-statutory public consultation held earlier this year.
More than 900 people attended open days held by the local authority.
The council says the design scheme will be the subject of further public consultation and, if it goes ahead, a statutory planning application to An Coimisiún Pleanála will be made in early 2028.
The CNDMR is a major component of the 2020 Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy (CMATS) and is intended, the council says, to unlock northside lands zoned for the development of housing, linking residential development with key areas of employment and amenities.
Cork City Council’s Chief Executive Valerie O’Sullivan said the project’s inclusion in the NDP reflects the Government’s in Cork “as a key driver for regional growth and as a counterbalance to the capital”.
The CEO of the Land Development Agency, John Coleman, said confirmation of the route is a major step forward in unlocking the potential of the city’s northside.
The Cork Business Association called it an “important and highly progressive step”, while Cork Chamber said it will have a “transformative impact on communities across Cork’s northside and the wider region”.