What we delivered

  • Led the design of a ring road that aims to significantly alleviate city centre congestion and improve journey times

  • Designed the road to minimise environmental impacts, integrating noise barriers, habitat compensation and low-noise surfaces to protect Galway’s natural heritage

Services used
Bridge design and engineering / Civil engineering / Planning, policy and advice / Road design and engineering /

Get in touch with our team

Providing safer city streets by splitting through-traffic and regular city flow, easing traffic congestion and reducing journey times in and around Galway are some of the driving forces behind the city’s proposed N6 Ring Road.

Galway County Council, Galway City Council and the National Transport Authority (NTA) came together to address Galway’s transport issues, culminating in the Galway Transport Strategy. The N6 Galway City Ring Road (GCRR) is a key component of this transport strategy, reflecting Galway City and County Council’s vision of a cohesive and sustainable transport system. This integrated approach aims to enhance efficiency and resilience across all modes of transport within Galway’s network.

Galway County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland originally appointed Arup to develop a bypass for the city. However, during the initial analysis it became clear that an integrated transport solution for the city was required. This work included feasibility studies, identification of constraints and route selection, design and planning for a scheme.

The N6 GCRR will help reduce existing traffic congestion and future proof this part of the national road network, re-routing traffic away from the city centre and providing extra capacity to the regional network. It will also free up road space for more active and sustainable transport modes and improve journey time reliability for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

Freeing Galway from its traffic stranglehold

Reducing non-essential through-traffic choking the city centre was a priority for Galway, after determining through initial analysis that many drivers were rat-racing through the city to bypass gridlock on the national road network. Arup’s transport planners proposed a new road that encircles the city to the north, linking the R336 coastal road on the west to the N6 motorway to Dublin on the east and providing a necessary new crossing of the River Corrib.

The N6 GCRR will also link the west of Ireland into the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), designed to enhance connectivity between regions, remove bottlenecks that hamper the smooth functioning of the EU’s internal market and promote a sustainable, multi-modal mobility network for passengers.

An integrated transport solution for Galway

As lead designer, Arup developed an integrated transportation solution for Galway city and its environs, incorporating the designs of various organisations and disciplines and liaising with a wide variety of stakeholders. The N6 GCRR is a key component of this solution and includes around 6km of single and 12km of dual carriageways. The proposed development also includes a bridge, a viaduct and two tunnels with lengths over 200m, as well as link roads, side roads, junctions and associated structures from the west of Galway city near Bearna to the existing M6 east of Galway city near Coolagh.

The N6 GCRR is designed to improve connections and keep Galway on the move, while minimising impact on the region’s protected natural and built environment. The current route was selected because, out of the potential options available, it offered the least negative impact on local residents as well as local flora, fauna and sites of historical importance.

Galway has a rich natural heritage with a wealth of habitats of high ecological importance, including some Natura 2020 designated areas. The proposed development will include extensive landscape planting for screening and the creation of specific habitat areas to compensate for loss of habitat elsewhere. To mitigate noise impacts across the proposed road development, the design will incorporate noise barriers as required and will have low-noise road surface (LNRS) throughout.

Photomontage of new bridge over the River Corrib

The N6 GCRR is designed to improve connections and keep Galway on the move, while minimising impact on the region’s protected natural and built environment. This photomontage shows a proposed new crossing of the River Corrib.

Partners & collaborators

Galway City Council / National Transport Authority / Systra