Kildare secures €100m for strategic projects

KILDARE County Council is set to benefit from up to €100m of Government investment having secured funding approval for six strategic infrastructure projects under the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF).

The six projects, located in priority growth areas across Kildare will, in turn, unlock in the mid-term future development land for almost 17,500 new homes around the county.

These homes will be funded by phase one of the recently announced €1bn Housing Infrastructure investment Fund.

The six projects include Naas Harbour Pedestrian Bridge to provide a direct link between the Naas North-West Quadrant master plan lands and the town centre which is expected to cost up to €10 million.

Also in Naas is the plan for the Inner Relief Road (R445 to Blessington Road), a 1.6 km route (phase one to Tipper Road) to improve connectivity and reduce congestion, with funding estimated as costing between €10m and €20m.

As announced on our front page last week, there is €20m finally earmarked for the Newbridge Southern Orbital Relief Road and River Liffey Bridge, which will see the final section of the orbital route, including c.795 m of new road and long-awaited second bridge.

In the north of the county, this will include the Celbridge to Hazelhatch Mobility Corridor connecting the R403 to the R405, including another new River Liffey bridge and 2 km of road and active travel infrastructure, costing up to €20 million.

In Leixlip, there is a €10m plan for an upgrade of Captain's Hill, while in Maynooth, the Crewhill phase of the Outer Orbital Road will deliver a key orbital route to unlock strategic housing lands, at a cost of up to €20 million.

Collectively, these projects have the potential to unlock substantial housing capacity across multiple settlements, supporting a mix of private, social, and affordable housing in line with local and national policy.

This marks a significant step forward in accelerating infrastructure and housing delivery across the county.

Kildare County Council’s success reflects a focus on plan-led delivery and a proactive, coordinated approach that integrates planning, engineering and delivery functions to identify and progress projects capable of enabling infrastructure and housing at scale.

Welcoming the announcement, Sonya Kavanagh, chief executive, Kildare County Council stated: “This funding will support the early activation of complex sites, enabling infrastructure to be delivered in advance of, or alongside, housing development.

“The projects demonstrate strong alignment with the objectives of the County Development Plan and Local Area Plans, ensuring that growth is sustainable, compact, and underpinned by appropriate infrastructure."