Galway Bay fm newsroom - Galway City Council is set to apply for planning permission for a major bus project by the start of next year.
Councillors were informed at this week's Local Authority meeting that the Council will present plans for the Cross City Link project to An Bord Pleanála in the next six months.
The Cross City link project forms part of the Bus Connects Galway project and would see an east-west priority corridor through the core of the city, via UHG, and aims to create a modal transport shift in the city by providing certainty of frequency and journey time reliability for public transport.
The plan includes restrictions for private traffic during peak hours along key routes including the Salmon Weir Bridge, Eglinton Street and College Road.
At this week's City Council meeting, Brian Burke from ARUP Engineering confirmed that the Cross City Link project will go to An Bord Pleanála in the next six months, that disrupted blue badge parking will be relocated as close as possible for users and that bus shelters are being proposed for every stop under the scheme.
Senior Council Engineer Uinsinn Finn told the meeting that the Cross City Link is a stand-alone project that forms part of the Galway Transport Strategy which also includes the Dublin Road Bus Corridor and the N6 Galway City Ring Road project.
Mr Finn added that there is an agreement in place with the Saolta Hospital Group to secure a bus route through UHG as part of the Cross City Link.
He said the next step for the Council is to continue with the detailed design for the project and then progress to statutory consultation.
Meanwhile, City Council Senior Transport Manager Sharon Connolly confirmed that another public consultation process for the Dublin Road bus corridor project will be held towards the end of the year.
