The first phase of the €190m Ennis bypass opened to drivers today.
The formal opening at the Dromoland Castle exit was performed by the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, along with the National Roads Authority and Clare County Council.
The new mainline section consists of 14km of roadway linking the Dromoland castle exit to a point just north of Barefield and south of Crusheen villages.
It is expected to cut journey times on the route from the north of Limerick city to Crusheen by up to 30 minutes.
Sections of the bypass heading westwards to Lahinch, Kilrush and Kilkee are due to be open this summer.
Construction of the Crusheen-Gort section is also due to be started later this year.
The new bypass will take 17,000 vehicles, including heavy goods vehicles out of Ennis, 27,000 from Clarecastle and 10,000 from Barefield.
First mooted 20 years ago, the bypass became a huge election issue in 2002, when it was promised by the Fianna Fáil party.
Construction eventually got under way in 2004.
However, James Breen, Independent TD for Co Clare, has concerns about the safety of the new roadway.
He says the hard shoulders are too narrow at just 8ft wide, and this will compromise safety for large vehicles like trucks and buses if they have to stop.
He has called on the National Roads Authority and the Garda Traffic inspectorate to investigate.
