Relief came to the residents and businesses of one of Ireland's worst bottlenecks today in the form of the opening of the Monasterevin bypass.
The €140 million is expected to take 16,000 vehicles a day off the streets of Monasterevin and cut half an hour off journey times.
The 17.5-kilometre road links the M7 Portlaoise bypass at the Heath Interchange to the Kildare town bypass. It was completed a year ahead of schedule and within budget.
Motorists will now be able to drive all the way from Dublin to Portlaoise, 80 kilometres away, on motorways or dual carriageways.
The new road was opened by the Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, who said the road has been needed for many years, "but overlooked for too long".
He said the Government's road-building programmes would mean counties Kildare, Tipperary and Laois would be "at the heart of a growing modern infrastructure and a vibrant place to live, work and do business".
Mr Cullen rejected criticism by environmentalists that the Government is neglecting public transport in favour of building more and more roads.
"I very much agree that we have to do all we can to reduce the environmental impact of road building," he said today. "But I totally reject the idea that we can get by without building anything.
"We cannot achieve lasting regional development or be competitive in a world market without a modern road network."
