An Bord Pleanála has again pushed back the date for making a decision on the N6 Galway City Ring Road, this time to mid-November.
After a decision was expected by the end of this week, a new date of November 19 has been chosen for a decision to come in by.
The decision has been delayed several times already since the conclusion of an oral hearing for the 18km bypass last year.
The oral hearing was severely impacted by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, initially being suspended, but later continuing online.
The board is still considering the large amount of submissions and evidence given during that hearing, leading to the delays.
The €600 million ring road will connect the M6 motorway near the Coolagh roundabout to the village of Barna with a 12km stretch of dual carriageway, and 6km of single carriageway.
Along with simple road laying, the project will also involve at least two tunnels, as well as a viaduct over the Corrib north of NUI Galway.
There have been more than 500 compulsory purchase orders issued to landowners along the designated route of the road. Of these, it is expected that 44 properties will completely demolished.
The long gestating ring road project was and remains highly divisive, with advocates saying that it is needed to take traffic out of the highly congested city, while those against argue that it will only lead to greater car usage, at a time when public money should be directed towards public transport and other sustainable measures.
