He said: "This decision condemns the citizens of Galway to another decade stuck in their cars in and around our city and it’s very difficult to stomach.
"We finally thought we were making progress in solving the chronic traffic problems which dog the lives of residents and workers and this is a devastating blow to all our hopes.
"The impact on the orderly development of Galway as an engine for growth for the West Region is very serious. This decision impacts the rationale for a number of Government and private plans including Galway Port, Údarás na Gaeltachta business development plans for Connemara, and the R336 coast road plan amongst others.
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"This decision will be viewed with dismay by workers who are stuck in their cars every morning and evening when they should be at home with their families. Also affected are businesses who find access and logistics very difficult around the city and the people West of the city who are effectively cut off from the rest of the country by the traffic gridlock.
"The opponents of the Ring Road will talk about alternatives and opportunities, but those words will ring very hollow with the tens of thousands of people attending work, college, hospitals and businesses today.
"We now need the Galway Local Authorities to make the necessary adjustments to the project plans and to resubmit them immediately in order to get this project back on track."
