The sod has been turned to mark the start of construction on a new €274 million section of the Dublin to Waterford motorway.
Turning the sod on phase two of the M/N9 road at Mullinavat, Co Kilkenny, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said the Government was committed to a "world-class road network" which would "promote regional and national competitiveness".
Work on the Knocktopher- Waterford section which began yesterday was deliberately started ahead of other sections, because of the safety record of the existing roads in the area, according to Peter Malone, chairman of the National Roads Authority.
Mr Malone said some stretches of the current N9 "have twice the collision rate as the national average. In cognisance of this, the National Roads Authority has prioritised this project as motorways and dual carriageways are inherently safer than single carriageways."
The new 24km stretch of the M/N9 road will run from Knocktopher, Co Kilkenny, to the N25 Waterford city bypass which is under construction. It is to be built to motorway standard and completed by 2009. The contract was awarded to Ascon.
When complete, the entire M/N9 route will involve a 110km highway between Dublin and Waterford, via Kilcullen, Co Kildare, bypassing Carlow town and Kilkenny city.
Phase one began last year and is due to be completed in 2008. The contract for phase three, the Kilcullen-Carlow section, is due to be awarded later this year with construction to begin in 2008.
When the M/N9 is completed, towns including Thomastown, Gowran, Paulstown, Stoneyford, Knocktopher, Ballyhale and Mullinavat will be bypassed.
