Ireland’s National Roads Authority (NRA) has announced that the €550m Gort-to-Tuam motorway project in County Galway has received final approval from the country’s government.

Expected to create 1,000 jobs, the project is a 57km public-private partnership (PPP) programme.

The NRA stated that it was told to proceed with the project after the government approved its share of funding.

While the project was temporarily suspended due to Ireland’s economic climate, the NRA will now re-engage with its preferred bidder, Direct Route consortium.

"Construction work is expected to start by the end of 2013, and will take more than three and a half years to complete."

Initially, the government approved a seed capital of €20m for the project beginning.

Commenting on the government’s clearance for the Gort-to-Tuam section, NRA spokesman said the construction of the road would be an important investment in the area.

Construction work is expected to start by the end of 2013, and will take more than three and a half years to complete.

The scheme is part of the major section of the proposed Atlantic Corridor, which will eventually link towns and cities on the west coast with Cork and Waterford, while also connecting air and sea ports.

The Gort-to-Tuam stretch begins at the northern edge of the present N18 Gort-Crusheen motorway programme, and runs towards north direction with a major junction at Rathmorrissey where the road crosses the M6 Dublin to Galway motorway.

From Rathmorrissey it continues north to Tuam, where it links with the existing N17. The route comprises nearly 60km of dual carriageway.

The new route will bring motorway-quality road to nearly 100km north of Shannon airport. However, the NRA said that the new stretch would not include a motorway service area.