IT WAS most unfair that a Kerry snail was being blamed for holding up a major road into the county from Cork, a council meeting in Tralee has heard.
Because of a judicial review on behalf of the rare geomalacus maculosus in the High Court, the long-awaited Macroom to Ballyvourney relief road, approved by An Bord Pleanála, is proceeding at "a snail's pace".
The rare spotted slug, a red data species found only in south Kerry, west Cork and the northern tip of the Iberian peninsula, is now "looking over the ditch" at the trucks and traffic piled up in traffic jams between Cork and Kerry on its behalf, Councillor Danny Healy-Rae said.
"It is most unfortunate this proposal is held up by environmentalists on behalf of a Kerry snail - as if it was the snail from Kerry's fault," he said.
He was speaking on foot of a council motion from Cllr Michael Gleeson calling on the NRA to "commence construction with all due haste".
Cllr Gleeson said the road which was the main artery between Cork and Kerry, was "deplorable".
"It's not just the surface, but the bends. It is deplorable that people commuting on a daily basis have to travel that monstrosity of a road," Cllr Gleeson said.
However, the council report said the NRA's hands were tied until the result of the judicial review.
Cllr Gleeson said the slug had a red and white underbelly - a reference to the fact it is on the international conservation list of rare species, the red list.
This prompted one senior council official, John Flynn, to quip the road was indeed moving at a snail's pace.
By Anne Lucey, Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label road planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label road planning. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Friday, 14 August 2009
Underwater tunnel highway set to open for traffic next year
The massive tunnel highway being built under the Shannon near Limerick city is ahead of schedule and likely to be open for traffic by September 2010.
It will cut travelling times for thousands of commuters every day - connecting all the main routes along the western corridor between the west, the south and the south west. It will bypass Limerick city.
The tunnel is a key element of Limerick’s new Southern Ring Road, a 9.7km four-lane highway. The tunnel will run for 900m, of which 675m will be under the Shannon.
The tunnel connects the southern side of the Shannon near the cement factory in Mungret, to the northern riverside near the Radisson Hotel on the Ennis Road.
The then transport minister Martin Cullen TD turned the first sod on the tunnel site on October 26, 2006.
Mayor of Limerick Cllr Kevin Kiely, following a visit to the tunnel site, said - "Such is the rate of progress being made, there is a good chance the tunnel will be open ahead of schedule as early as September 2010."
The construction of the tunnel is one of the biggest engineering projects of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland. The road network on either side of the tunnel will include the provision of 11 new access bridges, six underpasses and four interchanges.
The tunnel itself consists of five precast concrete tubes which were made by Austrian specialists, Strabag. They were floated out on to the river and lowered onto foundations which were set on the river bed.
To lay the tunnel foundations, 800,000 tonnes of silt had to be dredged from the river and six million tons of rock placed along the line of the tunnel to stabilise the soft river bed. This work was completed last July and the road builders, Direct Route, have confirmed that mechanical and electrical contractors have been engaged now to start fitting out the tunnel. The work is scheduled to commence immediately.
When open, the tunnel road will be tolled at rates equivalent to other toll routes - with a car rate of around €1.90 and lorries at approximately €4.50.
As well as cutting travel times between the south and south-west to the west and north-west, it is also expected to boost business in the mid-west and help attract more travel business to Shannon.
A spokesman for the National Roads Authority said - "This project is a catalyst for Limerick city and county, Shannon airport and Co Clare - to continue their collective regional growth."
www.buckplanning.ie
It will cut travelling times for thousands of commuters every day - connecting all the main routes along the western corridor between the west, the south and the south west. It will bypass Limerick city.
The tunnel is a key element of Limerick’s new Southern Ring Road, a 9.7km four-lane highway. The tunnel will run for 900m, of which 675m will be under the Shannon.
The tunnel connects the southern side of the Shannon near the cement factory in Mungret, to the northern riverside near the Radisson Hotel on the Ennis Road.
The then transport minister Martin Cullen TD turned the first sod on the tunnel site on October 26, 2006.
Mayor of Limerick Cllr Kevin Kiely, following a visit to the tunnel site, said - "Such is the rate of progress being made, there is a good chance the tunnel will be open ahead of schedule as early as September 2010."
The construction of the tunnel is one of the biggest engineering projects of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland. The road network on either side of the tunnel will include the provision of 11 new access bridges, six underpasses and four interchanges.
The tunnel itself consists of five precast concrete tubes which were made by Austrian specialists, Strabag. They were floated out on to the river and lowered onto foundations which were set on the river bed.
To lay the tunnel foundations, 800,000 tonnes of silt had to be dredged from the river and six million tons of rock placed along the line of the tunnel to stabilise the soft river bed. This work was completed last July and the road builders, Direct Route, have confirmed that mechanical and electrical contractors have been engaged now to start fitting out the tunnel. The work is scheduled to commence immediately.
When open, the tunnel road will be tolled at rates equivalent to other toll routes - with a car rate of around €1.90 and lorries at approximately €4.50.
As well as cutting travel times between the south and south-west to the west and north-west, it is also expected to boost business in the mid-west and help attract more travel business to Shannon.
A spokesman for the National Roads Authority said - "This project is a catalyst for Limerick city and county, Shannon airport and Co Clare - to continue their collective regional growth."
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 25 May 2009
New motorway section for Co Cork
A new stretch of motorway linking Fermoy and Mitchelstown in Co Cork has opened this afternoon.
The motorway which cost €174 million involved construction of 16 km of dual carriageway, with three grade separated junctions, three riverbridges and seven road bridges.
Construction on the road, which runs between Carrigane north of Mitchelstown and Moorepark north of Fermoy, began in December 2007.
The road, which is funded under the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, is opening nine months ahead of schedule.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey officially opened the road to traffic at a ceremony today. He said the completion of the project represented the achievement of a number of important targets.
"This road has opened nine months ahead of target, it provides improved access to the region, improved road safety and it is a further significant step towards the development of the entirety of the Cork-Dublin motorway identified in the NDP 2007-2013 and Transport 21," he said.
"The benefits of this scheme to the whole region will be very significant. Expected travel times for motorists will be reduced by up to 10 minutes saving time and hassle. The improved accessibility of the region will stimulate further development and economic activity and it will also improve access to recreational and cultural facilities."
It is expected that 16,000 vehicles will use the road every day and that it will cut at least 10 minutes off average journey times from Cork to Dublin.
Just 14km of the M8 remains unopened to traffic and the final link is on schedule for completion next year.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The motorway which cost €174 million involved construction of 16 km of dual carriageway, with three grade separated junctions, three riverbridges and seven road bridges.
Construction on the road, which runs between Carrigane north of Mitchelstown and Moorepark north of Fermoy, began in December 2007.
The road, which is funded under the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013, is opening nine months ahead of schedule.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey officially opened the road to traffic at a ceremony today. He said the completion of the project represented the achievement of a number of important targets.
"This road has opened nine months ahead of target, it provides improved access to the region, improved road safety and it is a further significant step towards the development of the entirety of the Cork-Dublin motorway identified in the NDP 2007-2013 and Transport 21," he said.
"The benefits of this scheme to the whole region will be very significant. Expected travel times for motorists will be reduced by up to 10 minutes saving time and hassle. The improved accessibility of the region will stimulate further development and economic activity and it will also improve access to recreational and cultural facilities."
It is expected that 16,000 vehicles will use the road every day and that it will cut at least 10 minutes off average journey times from Cork to Dublin.
Just 14km of the M8 remains unopened to traffic and the final link is on schedule for completion next year.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Safety fears as pitstops shelved
Long-awaited plans to build fully-equipped service stations on the country's motorways have fallen victim to government cuts, despite one in seven drivers saying they have fallen asleep at the wheel due to driver fatigue.
A spokesman for the National Roads Authority (NRA) has confirmed that nine of the 12 'truck stops' which it had hoped to build are now being reviewed due to the current economic climate.
The revelation has prompted the AA to raise concerns about the potential impact on road safety due to driver fatigue, with motorists unable to make a 'pitstop' when this proves necessary.
The nine projects which are being reviewed are the M6 east of Athlone; the M6/M17 at Rathmorrissey, Co Galway; the M7 at Mountrath; the N7 east of the N8 at Cashel; the N8 at Kilworth; the N9 at Kilcullen; the N9 north of Kilkenny; and the N11 north of Gorey. The NRA spokesman said the projects are now in a "holding pattern" and are "to be rescheduled for completion". However, he could not say when this will happen.
"We are committed to the projects. We absolutely see them as vital," he told the Sunday Tribune. "As soon as the funding is there, we will go forward with this. Our expectations are that we are going forward with this, we just don't know when."
The spokesman confirmed that three other projects, at the M1 South near Lusk, Co Dublin, the M1 North near Domiskin/Castlebellingham and the M4 west of Enfield will be proceeding. It is hoped that these will be completed by next year.
Conor Faughnan, public affairs manager with AA Roadwatch, said it was "deeply disappointed" with the news.
"These should have been provided years ago. They are an important part of the safety infrastructure and are not just a luxury," he said. "We have to have safe areas where people can rest. Currently you could very easily find yourself running dry of petrol or stranded between Portlaoise and Cork, for example.
"You don't have funding issues preventing safety features on aircraft, or fire escapes on buildings. The NRA's line on this is totally unsatisfactory."
However, locals in some of the proposed locations are likely to greet the revelation with some relief, having in the past expressed concerns about the potential impact on their communities.
The NRA originally argued that there was no need for service stations on motorways, but later changed its view.
It remains unclear what will happen to a number of sites which it has purchased should the plans not go ahead.
Just last month, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) launched a year-long campaign aimed at tackling driver fatigue, which it describes as a "silent killer" which may have been responsible for over 350 road deaths during the past five years.
An RSA survey of 800 motorists found that 14% of people said they had nodded off when driving, with men between 35 and 54 years most likely to fall asleep.
Half of all incidents occurred between 9pm and 6am, with one in five cars drifting out of its lane of traffic.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
A spokesman for the National Roads Authority (NRA) has confirmed that nine of the 12 'truck stops' which it had hoped to build are now being reviewed due to the current economic climate.
The revelation has prompted the AA to raise concerns about the potential impact on road safety due to driver fatigue, with motorists unable to make a 'pitstop' when this proves necessary.
The nine projects which are being reviewed are the M6 east of Athlone; the M6/M17 at Rathmorrissey, Co Galway; the M7 at Mountrath; the N7 east of the N8 at Cashel; the N8 at Kilworth; the N9 at Kilcullen; the N9 north of Kilkenny; and the N11 north of Gorey. The NRA spokesman said the projects are now in a "holding pattern" and are "to be rescheduled for completion". However, he could not say when this will happen.
"We are committed to the projects. We absolutely see them as vital," he told the Sunday Tribune. "As soon as the funding is there, we will go forward with this. Our expectations are that we are going forward with this, we just don't know when."
The spokesman confirmed that three other projects, at the M1 South near Lusk, Co Dublin, the M1 North near Domiskin/Castlebellingham and the M4 west of Enfield will be proceeding. It is hoped that these will be completed by next year.
Conor Faughnan, public affairs manager with AA Roadwatch, said it was "deeply disappointed" with the news.
"These should have been provided years ago. They are an important part of the safety infrastructure and are not just a luxury," he said. "We have to have safe areas where people can rest. Currently you could very easily find yourself running dry of petrol or stranded between Portlaoise and Cork, for example.
"You don't have funding issues preventing safety features on aircraft, or fire escapes on buildings. The NRA's line on this is totally unsatisfactory."
However, locals in some of the proposed locations are likely to greet the revelation with some relief, having in the past expressed concerns about the potential impact on their communities.
The NRA originally argued that there was no need for service stations on motorways, but later changed its view.
It remains unclear what will happen to a number of sites which it has purchased should the plans not go ahead.
Just last month, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) launched a year-long campaign aimed at tackling driver fatigue, which it describes as a "silent killer" which may have been responsible for over 350 road deaths during the past five years.
An RSA survey of 800 motorists found that 14% of people said they had nodded off when driving, with men between 35 and 54 years most likely to fall asleep.
Half of all incidents occurred between 9pm and 6am, with one in five cars drifting out of its lane of traffic.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Government halts up to 80 major road schemes
THE GOVERNMENT has ordered a halt to planned spending on almost 80 national road-building schemes, worth billions of euro, until further notice.
The instruction was issued to the National Roads Authority late last month. Under it, the NRA is forbidden from spending on all capital projects which are not already under way, unless each new project is individually sanctioned by the Department of Finance.
The curbs will affect 78 major construction projects in the NRA Roads Programme, 55 of them national primary roads and 23 national secondary roads.
The curb will also extend to road maintenance where contracts for items such as road resurfacing will also need to be pre-approved by the Department of Finance.
A spokesman for the NRA said the authority was “very concerned”, particularly as a lot of current inter-urban schemes were ahead of schedule, and would be completed this year.
Under normal circumstances the NRA would then move ahead with 55 planned improvement schemes on national primary routes, including those linking Dublin with Monaghan, Sligo, Mayo and Wexford, as well as inter-regional routes, such as Limerick to Waterford and Limerick to Cork, and national secondary roads.
In effect the move means that as the inter-urban routes are completed over the coming 20 months, the NRA will gradually run out of work, unless schemes are individually approved by the department.
The department confirmed yesterday that all new capital projects now need to be pre-approved. A spokesman acknowledged that this new requirement had been imposed “in the light of changing economic circumstances”.
The only exception to the Government’s edict is to be the 6km Castleisland bypass in Co Kerry, sanctioned by the Department of Finance on March 19th.
Credit for the sanction was yesterday claimed by the Independent Kerry TD Jackie Healy Rae, who said he had used his position as a Government supporter to “at all times put the interest of the people [of Kerry] first”. He said the Opposition should “stop trying to jeopardise the further items that I have an agreement on”.
The instruction to the NRA mirrors that issued to local authorities ordering them to halt €500 million worth of work on regional and local roads, pending approval of each scheme from the department.
The Construction Industry Federation met Department of the Taoiseach secretary general Dermot McCarthy in recent weeks to express its concern at the Government’s instruction.
The federation said the halt in spending was “right across the board in relation to the National Development Plan commitments on water, housing and roads”. In relation to the roads it said the instruction was “absolutely savage”.
“At our emergency meeting with Dermot McCarthy we pointed out that every €100 million invested in infrastructure carried with it 1,000 jobs and returned €50 million to the Government in taxes and reduced social welfare payments . . . it is a major bone of contention,” federation spokesman Martin Whelan said.
The inter-urban motorway programme that was announced by the Government in 1999 comprised motorways to the Border and the regional cities of Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford.
Road schemes affected
Two schemes between Kells, Co Meath and Belturbet, Co Cavan on the N3
Three schemes on the N2 between Ashbourne and Co Monaghan
Three schemes on the N4 between Mullingar and Castlebaldwin
Three schemes on the N16 in counties Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan
Four schemes between Longford and Westport on the N5
Six schemes on the N25 between New Ross, Co Wexford and the Cork Southern Ring
Four schemes on the N13/N14/N15 group of roads in the northwest
Five schemes on the N22 between Tralee and Cork
Seven schemes on the N24 in Co Tipperary
23 schemes on national secondary roads.
These schemes will not now go ahead unless specifically sanctioned by the Department of Finance.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
The instruction was issued to the National Roads Authority late last month. Under it, the NRA is forbidden from spending on all capital projects which are not already under way, unless each new project is individually sanctioned by the Department of Finance.
The curbs will affect 78 major construction projects in the NRA Roads Programme, 55 of them national primary roads and 23 national secondary roads.
The curb will also extend to road maintenance where contracts for items such as road resurfacing will also need to be pre-approved by the Department of Finance.
A spokesman for the NRA said the authority was “very concerned”, particularly as a lot of current inter-urban schemes were ahead of schedule, and would be completed this year.
Under normal circumstances the NRA would then move ahead with 55 planned improvement schemes on national primary routes, including those linking Dublin with Monaghan, Sligo, Mayo and Wexford, as well as inter-regional routes, such as Limerick to Waterford and Limerick to Cork, and national secondary roads.
In effect the move means that as the inter-urban routes are completed over the coming 20 months, the NRA will gradually run out of work, unless schemes are individually approved by the department.
The department confirmed yesterday that all new capital projects now need to be pre-approved. A spokesman acknowledged that this new requirement had been imposed “in the light of changing economic circumstances”.
The only exception to the Government’s edict is to be the 6km Castleisland bypass in Co Kerry, sanctioned by the Department of Finance on March 19th.
Credit for the sanction was yesterday claimed by the Independent Kerry TD Jackie Healy Rae, who said he had used his position as a Government supporter to “at all times put the interest of the people [of Kerry] first”. He said the Opposition should “stop trying to jeopardise the further items that I have an agreement on”.
The instruction to the NRA mirrors that issued to local authorities ordering them to halt €500 million worth of work on regional and local roads, pending approval of each scheme from the department.
The Construction Industry Federation met Department of the Taoiseach secretary general Dermot McCarthy in recent weeks to express its concern at the Government’s instruction.
The federation said the halt in spending was “right across the board in relation to the National Development Plan commitments on water, housing and roads”. In relation to the roads it said the instruction was “absolutely savage”.
“At our emergency meeting with Dermot McCarthy we pointed out that every €100 million invested in infrastructure carried with it 1,000 jobs and returned €50 million to the Government in taxes and reduced social welfare payments . . . it is a major bone of contention,” federation spokesman Martin Whelan said.
The inter-urban motorway programme that was announced by the Government in 1999 comprised motorways to the Border and the regional cities of Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford.
Road schemes affected
Two schemes between Kells, Co Meath and Belturbet, Co Cavan on the N3
Three schemes on the N2 between Ashbourne and Co Monaghan
Three schemes on the N4 between Mullingar and Castlebaldwin
Three schemes on the N16 in counties Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan
Four schemes between Longford and Westport on the N5
Six schemes on the N25 between New Ross, Co Wexford and the Cork Southern Ring
Four schemes on the N13/N14/N15 group of roads in the northwest
Five schemes on the N22 between Tralee and Cork
Seven schemes on the N24 in Co Tipperary
23 schemes on national secondary roads.
These schemes will not now go ahead unless specifically sanctioned by the Department of Finance.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 20 March 2009
€35m Midleton road boasts top pedestrian safety features
THE visually-impaired and those with mobility problems should find Ireland’s newest road the safest to cross.
The €35 million northern relief road in Midleton, Co Cork, was opened to traffic yesterday and comes with some unique safety features that will particularly benefit pedestrians.
Visually-impaired people can press pedestrian push button units that will tell them about the number of lanes ahead and inform them of the direction of oncoming traffic.
Meanwhile, dimples or "blisters" on colour-coded tactile paving are aligned to guide them directly to the other side.
"In a suburban environment like this, they are top of our priority list and the cars come at the bottom in terms of road users that we are facilitating," said Cork County Council senior engineer, John Lapthorne.
For people in wheelchairs or those pushing buggies, there is a smooth, low-gradient surface between the path and the road at crossing points.
Dedicated cycle lanes, which are segregated from the main traffic, run along each side of the road.
The high cost of the 1.6km road reflected the price of land in urban areas.
The cost of acquiring the land was double that of the construction costs.
Part of the reason the road was developed was to allow easy access to the railway station in town, which will be opened later this year to coincide with the re-opening of the Cork-Midleton commuter rail service.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
The €35 million northern relief road in Midleton, Co Cork, was opened to traffic yesterday and comes with some unique safety features that will particularly benefit pedestrians.
Visually-impaired people can press pedestrian push button units that will tell them about the number of lanes ahead and inform them of the direction of oncoming traffic.
Meanwhile, dimples or "blisters" on colour-coded tactile paving are aligned to guide them directly to the other side.
"In a suburban environment like this, they are top of our priority list and the cars come at the bottom in terms of road users that we are facilitating," said Cork County Council senior engineer, John Lapthorne.
For people in wheelchairs or those pushing buggies, there is a smooth, low-gradient surface between the path and the road at crossing points.
Dedicated cycle lanes, which are segregated from the main traffic, run along each side of the road.
The high cost of the 1.6km road reflected the price of land in urban areas.
The cost of acquiring the land was double that of the construction costs.
Part of the reason the road was developed was to allow easy access to the railway station in town, which will be opened later this year to coincide with the re-opening of the Cork-Midleton commuter rail service.
Irish Examiner
www.buckplanning.ie
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Route options for motorway
Route Option One (€3.95bn at 2015 prices): 2.5km viaduct, nine metres above the ground, across Dublin Port, tunnel under Dublin Bay, viaduct across Sandymount strand with a tunnel under Booterstown and tunnel from the N11 to Sandyford interchange.
Route Option Two (€4.2bn): High viaduct across the Port, with a tunnel under bay, across Sandymount Strand, under Booterstown and from the N11 to Sandyford.
Route Option Three (€4.35bn): Cut and cover tunnel across the Port. Tunnel under bay, across Sandymount Strand and under Booterstown and a part tunnel from the N11 to Sandyford.
THE TIMESCALE:
2008-2011: Statutory procedures, including planning and design stage.
2012: Land purchases.
2013: Contract awarded.
2018: Eastern bypass opens.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Route Option Two (€4.2bn): High viaduct across the Port, with a tunnel under bay, across Sandymount Strand, under Booterstown and from the N11 to Sandyford.
Route Option Three (€4.35bn): Cut and cover tunnel across the Port. Tunnel under bay, across Sandymount Strand and under Booterstown and a part tunnel from the N11 to Sandyford.
THE TIMESCALE:
2008-2011: Statutory procedures, including planning and design stage.
2012: Land purchases.
2013: Contract awarded.
2018: Eastern bypass opens.
Paul Melia
Irish Independent
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 19 October 2008
NRA may freeze all new road projects for four years
The National Roads Authority (NRA) may not start any new road projects until 2011 or 2012 because of financial constraints.
The Sunday Business Post understands that more than 90 per cent of the authority’s €1.4 billion budget for next year will be spent on the five inter-urban motorways connecting Dublin with Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. All projects in the planning stage will be postponed.
The NRA’s budget has been cut by €157 million next year, and six major road projects will be postponed as a result. It is now likely that these projects will be shelved for two to three years, and that other projects will face lengthy delays.
The NRA is working on more than 140 projects, which are at various stages from planning to completion.
NRA chief executive Fred Barry recently informed the relevant bodies that ongoing projects would be completed, but that no new road projects would begin for the foreseeable future, according to a senior source in the transport sector.
‘‘Anything that has started will basically be finished, but there will be no new starts until things pick up in 2011 or 2012,” the source said.
NRA spokesman Seán O’Neill confirmed that no new projects would go ahead next year, and said the six projects postponed last week were ‘‘either in planning, or the government were not under obligation to fund them as yet.
‘‘They were not part of the inter-urban corridor, which has the highest volumes of traffic and is a central transport network,” he said. ‘‘These are significant for the future of the economy. The bad news is that smaller projects may not go ahead next year due to financial constraints, but the focus will remain on the large - and necessary - road projects.”
There was concern that road grants for regional and local authorities - which amounted to almost €620million last year – would be cut.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will not announce next year’s allocation until early 2009, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Transport.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
The Sunday Business Post understands that more than 90 per cent of the authority’s €1.4 billion budget for next year will be spent on the five inter-urban motorways connecting Dublin with Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. All projects in the planning stage will be postponed.
The NRA’s budget has been cut by €157 million next year, and six major road projects will be postponed as a result. It is now likely that these projects will be shelved for two to three years, and that other projects will face lengthy delays.
The NRA is working on more than 140 projects, which are at various stages from planning to completion.
NRA chief executive Fred Barry recently informed the relevant bodies that ongoing projects would be completed, but that no new road projects would begin for the foreseeable future, according to a senior source in the transport sector.
‘‘Anything that has started will basically be finished, but there will be no new starts until things pick up in 2011 or 2012,” the source said.
NRA spokesman Seán O’Neill confirmed that no new projects would go ahead next year, and said the six projects postponed last week were ‘‘either in planning, or the government were not under obligation to fund them as yet.
‘‘They were not part of the inter-urban corridor, which has the highest volumes of traffic and is a central transport network,” he said. ‘‘These are significant for the future of the economy. The bad news is that smaller projects may not go ahead next year due to financial constraints, but the focus will remain on the large - and necessary - road projects.”
There was concern that road grants for regional and local authorities - which amounted to almost €620million last year – would be cut.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will not announce next year’s allocation until early 2009, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Transport.
Sunday Business Post
www.buckplanning.ie
Monday, 5 May 2008
Galway city bypass under threat
CONCERNS for the survival of a rare plant growing in a local bog could scupper plans to finally build the Galway city outer bypass, a project supporters say is essential to safeguard business and commercial life in the west of Ireland capital. Advocates of the 330m transport initiative which has been in the planning for over a decade say it will transform the city by dramatically reducing traffic congestion, and cut the journey times from Dublin to the west coast by up to an hour. However concerns are rising that conservationists may appeal for intervention from the EU in Brussels if the proposed roadway gets the go ahead.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has expressed concern to An Bord Pleanala at the impact the bypass will have on the rare and legally protected slender cotton grass plant growing in adjacent Tonabrocky bog. The conservation body also asserts that the new roadway will have a 'significant impact' on two hectares of limestone in the Menlo area and that the planning board would be acting beyond its remit were it to approve the project as outlined by the National Roads Authority.
Galway West TD and chairman of the Oireachtas joint committee on transport, Frank Fahey, believes it's unacceptable that two state agencies should end up arguing opposing points of view to An Bord Pleanala.
"It's the first time this has happened, " he says. "The point is that very significant efforts were made by the consultants and by Galway County Council to accommodate the concerns of the NPWS. Every effort was made. If there is any question of a possible appeal to Brussels by the NPWS then a solution should be found between the agencies without that step being taken.
"It's absolutely critical to Galway and to the Connemara region that the bypass is built, " he says. "Commercial life is stagnant in the city primarily because of traffic congestion.
It's taking an hour at peak times to simply cross the city, a journey that should take 10 minutes. People are opting to shop elsewhere. At the same time the tourism industry in Connemara is very seriously affected by the fact that it takes five hours to travel from Dublin. Every day Galway's mediaeval streets are clogged up with traffic. The bypass will go round the city on the east side and link up with the main road to Connemara including the N59 to Clifden and the coast road to the Gaeltacht. It will transform the situation and provide a great boost to the region."
"Some people are inclined to regard the city itself as a destination, and ask 'well, why would you want to bypass it?'" says Galway chamber of commerce chief executive officer, Michael Coyle. "In fact two things have become obvious. We're now starting to experience gridlock conditions similar to Dublin and western areas of the county which are striving for economic development in their own right are losing out due to inaccessibility."
The Department of Transport plans make 250,000 available for the conducting of a feasibility study into transport in Galway which is expected to look at upgrading the bus service as well as the possibility of building a light rail system.
Transport researcher, Brian Guckian, has made a presentation to the city council arguing in favour of a rail system as an alternative to the bypass. Guckian claims a 20km light rail track traversing the city from east to west and with a central spur into Eyre Square could be put in place in less than three years.
"Because of problems getting Luas up and running people associate light rail with digging up the streets. But this proposal would cause minimum disruption. Most of the construction would be offstreet and only the north side of Eyre Square, a distance of about 800 metres, would have to be dug up.
"Light rail would offer tremendous advantages to traders and commercial interests in Galway. It has a traffic calming effect and it also leads to an increase in land values.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has expressed concern to An Bord Pleanala at the impact the bypass will have on the rare and legally protected slender cotton grass plant growing in adjacent Tonabrocky bog. The conservation body also asserts that the new roadway will have a 'significant impact' on two hectares of limestone in the Menlo area and that the planning board would be acting beyond its remit were it to approve the project as outlined by the National Roads Authority.
Galway West TD and chairman of the Oireachtas joint committee on transport, Frank Fahey, believes it's unacceptable that two state agencies should end up arguing opposing points of view to An Bord Pleanala.
"It's the first time this has happened, " he says. "The point is that very significant efforts were made by the consultants and by Galway County Council to accommodate the concerns of the NPWS. Every effort was made. If there is any question of a possible appeal to Brussels by the NPWS then a solution should be found between the agencies without that step being taken.
"It's absolutely critical to Galway and to the Connemara region that the bypass is built, " he says. "Commercial life is stagnant in the city primarily because of traffic congestion.
It's taking an hour at peak times to simply cross the city, a journey that should take 10 minutes. People are opting to shop elsewhere. At the same time the tourism industry in Connemara is very seriously affected by the fact that it takes five hours to travel from Dublin. Every day Galway's mediaeval streets are clogged up with traffic. The bypass will go round the city on the east side and link up with the main road to Connemara including the N59 to Clifden and the coast road to the Gaeltacht. It will transform the situation and provide a great boost to the region."
"Some people are inclined to regard the city itself as a destination, and ask 'well, why would you want to bypass it?'" says Galway chamber of commerce chief executive officer, Michael Coyle. "In fact two things have become obvious. We're now starting to experience gridlock conditions similar to Dublin and western areas of the county which are striving for economic development in their own right are losing out due to inaccessibility."
The Department of Transport plans make 250,000 available for the conducting of a feasibility study into transport in Galway which is expected to look at upgrading the bus service as well as the possibility of building a light rail system.
Transport researcher, Brian Guckian, has made a presentation to the city council arguing in favour of a rail system as an alternative to the bypass. Guckian claims a 20km light rail track traversing the city from east to west and with a central spur into Eyre Square could be put in place in less than three years.
"Because of problems getting Luas up and running people associate light rail with digging up the streets. But this proposal would cause minimum disruption. Most of the construction would be offstreet and only the north side of Eyre Square, a distance of about 800 metres, would have to be dug up.
"Light rail would offer tremendous advantages to traders and commercial interests in Galway. It has a traffic calming effect and it also leads to an increase in land values.
Sunday Tribune
www.buckplanning.ie
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Controversial firm Gama lost €45m building Ennis bypass
A CONSTRUCTION firm accused of exploiting migrant workers in Ireland lost up to €45 million on building a major roadway after underestimating the cost of labour and materials and incurring financial penalties for delays. Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent, reports.
Gama Construction was awarded a contract to build the 21km Ennis bypass in Co Clare four years ago, before it became embroiled in controversy over paying hundreds of Turkish builders in Ireland less than the minimum wage.
However, the company went on to lose significant amounts of money on the €200 million project due to factors including underestimating the cost of labour and financial penalties for delays in the project.
The final leg of the Ennis bypass was finally opened in December, eight months after it was due to be completed. As a result, the company was forced to pay an undisclosed sum to Clare County Council.
The extent of the losses has come to light in a ruling by the Labour Court on a claim by Siptu for workers for a "finishing bonus" of between one and two weeks' additional pay. The union said the project went over budget because Gama failed to take into account the true cost of its legislative obligations towards its workers. It said members should be entitled to a bonus as it was becoming the norm on large projects.
In its submission, the company said such a bonus was not part of the deal with its employees. It did not give reasons for its losses, but said they were projected to be as much as €45 million.The court rejected the union's claim.
The contract for constructing the bypass was €123 million, while additional sums were spent on acquiring land, planning, design and archaeological work.
While it has been involved in some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the State, Gama's Irish operation has made significant losses recently. A pre-tax profit of €10 million in 2006 included €55m from the sale of its share in a power plant. In the previous year it made a €44 million loss.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Gama Construction was awarded a contract to build the 21km Ennis bypass in Co Clare four years ago, before it became embroiled in controversy over paying hundreds of Turkish builders in Ireland less than the minimum wage.
However, the company went on to lose significant amounts of money on the €200 million project due to factors including underestimating the cost of labour and financial penalties for delays in the project.
The final leg of the Ennis bypass was finally opened in December, eight months after it was due to be completed. As a result, the company was forced to pay an undisclosed sum to Clare County Council.
The extent of the losses has come to light in a ruling by the Labour Court on a claim by Siptu for workers for a "finishing bonus" of between one and two weeks' additional pay. The union said the project went over budget because Gama failed to take into account the true cost of its legislative obligations towards its workers. It said members should be entitled to a bonus as it was becoming the norm on large projects.
In its submission, the company said such a bonus was not part of the deal with its employees. It did not give reasons for its losses, but said they were projected to be as much as €45 million.The court rejected the union's claim.
The contract for constructing the bypass was €123 million, while additional sums were spent on acquiring land, planning, design and archaeological work.
While it has been involved in some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the State, Gama's Irish operation has made significant losses recently. A pre-tax profit of €10 million in 2006 included €55m from the sale of its share in a power plant. In the previous year it made a €44 million loss.
The Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Friday, 1 June 2007
Garda pulls speaker from road safety conference
Garda authorities have withdrawn a speaker from a road engineering conference after he said that the condition of the roads was a significant contributory factor to car crashes.
In an advanced press release for the Engineering Safer Roads conference, organised by Engineers Ireland local government division, Sgt Colm Finn, head of the Garda Forensic Investigation Unit in Dublin Castle, said road conditions played a significant role in the cause of some crashes.
"There is no doubt that a range of road conditions, including the state of the surface, the driver's line of sight and the location or absence of road signs, play a significant role in the cause of some road accidents and quite clearly, it is not always down to driver error," he said. He pointed out that there was no overall compilation of the unit's findings, but he was in no doubt that road conditions was a significant contributor.
Sgt Finn's comments attracted much media attention when they were released last week and he was withdrawn from the conference yesterday.
In a statement to The Irish Times yesterday, the Garda Press Office said it needed to examine and evaluate the investigation unit's research further before it could reach the conclusions that Sgt Finn was suggesting. "His research is not completely finished, it would be premature to draw conclusions at this stage," a spokesman said.
It is understood that the advanced press release on the conference, including Sgt Finn's comments, was passed by the Garda Press Office.
Adrian Conway, chairman of Engineers Ireland local government division, said he could not comment on Sgt Finn's research as he had not seen the findings, but, from what was heard at the conference, from Irish and international engineering experts, "engineering does have a role to play in making roads safer".
Other speakers at the conference included Forbes Vigors, road safety project manager with the National Roads Authority. He said safety on two-lane roads here could be greatly improved by converting them to 2+1 roads.
Drivers were five times more likely to have a collision on a two-lane road than on a dual carriageway, he said, and 50 per cent of fatal collisions on Irish roads occurred when vehicles crossed the centre median.
A 2+1 road is divided by a narrow central reserve with a safety barrier. A two-lane section goes in one direction to allow for safe overtaking, which alternates to the opposite direction about every 2km. Overtaking is prohibited in the single-lane section.
"In Sweden they have a much lower rate of accidents on their single carriageways because they have a considerable number of 2+1 roads." The NRA, he added, had run two pilot 2+1 road schemes in Cork and Kilkenny and early results indicated that both were safe.
Fiona Gartland
© 2007 The Irish Times
In an advanced press release for the Engineering Safer Roads conference, organised by Engineers Ireland local government division, Sgt Colm Finn, head of the Garda Forensic Investigation Unit in Dublin Castle, said road conditions played a significant role in the cause of some crashes.
"There is no doubt that a range of road conditions, including the state of the surface, the driver's line of sight and the location or absence of road signs, play a significant role in the cause of some road accidents and quite clearly, it is not always down to driver error," he said. He pointed out that there was no overall compilation of the unit's findings, but he was in no doubt that road conditions was a significant contributor.
Sgt Finn's comments attracted much media attention when they were released last week and he was withdrawn from the conference yesterday.
In a statement to The Irish Times yesterday, the Garda Press Office said it needed to examine and evaluate the investigation unit's research further before it could reach the conclusions that Sgt Finn was suggesting. "His research is not completely finished, it would be premature to draw conclusions at this stage," a spokesman said.
It is understood that the advanced press release on the conference, including Sgt Finn's comments, was passed by the Garda Press Office.
Adrian Conway, chairman of Engineers Ireland local government division, said he could not comment on Sgt Finn's research as he had not seen the findings, but, from what was heard at the conference, from Irish and international engineering experts, "engineering does have a role to play in making roads safer".
Other speakers at the conference included Forbes Vigors, road safety project manager with the National Roads Authority. He said safety on two-lane roads here could be greatly improved by converting them to 2+1 roads.
Drivers were five times more likely to have a collision on a two-lane road than on a dual carriageway, he said, and 50 per cent of fatal collisions on Irish roads occurred when vehicles crossed the centre median.
A 2+1 road is divided by a narrow central reserve with a safety barrier. A two-lane section goes in one direction to allow for safe overtaking, which alternates to the opposite direction about every 2km. Overtaking is prohibited in the single-lane section.
"In Sweden they have a much lower rate of accidents on their single carriageways because they have a considerable number of 2+1 roads." The NRA, he added, had run two pilot 2+1 road schemes in Cork and Kilkenny and early results indicated that both were safe.
Fiona Gartland
© 2007 The Irish Times
Tuesday, 8 May 2007
Snails to delay road building
KERRY slugs and Cork landowners could together slow the progress of a major new road project in the north of the county to a snail’s pace.
Yesterday, revised plans for the N22 between Ballincollig and Ballyvorney were unveiled in Macroom Town Hall.
However, its progress depends on the results of an environmental assessment of the threat the projects poses to the protected species of snail in Ballyvourney.
Senior executive engineer with the National Roads Authority Bob O’Shea said he expects a final habitat study on the Kerry Slug species within a fortnight.
“It would be wrong of me to comment at this stage. We will wait and see what the report says,” he said.
If the snail is considered safe Cork County Council will then have to begin negotiating land values with a string of property owners along the new 22km route.
The revised drawings include two new flyovers to allow more accessible feeder routes for rural communities. And, due to a change in NRA policy, the road will now be built with two lanes in either direction.
This is designed to cater for 17,000 cars a day at the city side of the route with the ability to absorb expected population increases beyond Macroom.
Local TD Donal Moynihan said getting the road built quickly to free up towns like Mallow had to be prioritised ahead of concerns for the snail.
“You can go so far to protect the environment and I fully support that but there are limits and that includes people’s right to safety,” he said.
Conor Ryan
© Irish Examiner
Yesterday, revised plans for the N22 between Ballincollig and Ballyvorney were unveiled in Macroom Town Hall.
However, its progress depends on the results of an environmental assessment of the threat the projects poses to the protected species of snail in Ballyvourney.
Senior executive engineer with the National Roads Authority Bob O’Shea said he expects a final habitat study on the Kerry Slug species within a fortnight.
“It would be wrong of me to comment at this stage. We will wait and see what the report says,” he said.
If the snail is considered safe Cork County Council will then have to begin negotiating land values with a string of property owners along the new 22km route.
The revised drawings include two new flyovers to allow more accessible feeder routes for rural communities. And, due to a change in NRA policy, the road will now be built with two lanes in either direction.
This is designed to cater for 17,000 cars a day at the city side of the route with the ability to absorb expected population increases beyond Macroom.
Local TD Donal Moynihan said getting the road built quickly to free up towns like Mallow had to be prioritised ahead of concerns for the snail.
“You can go so far to protect the environment and I fully support that but there are limits and that includes people’s right to safety,” he said.
Conor Ryan
© Irish Examiner
Thursday, 1 February 2007
Why are Irish roads car parks?
ANSWER: BECAUSE THERE ARE 2.3 MILLION VEHICLES ON IRISH ROADS
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., announced today that the total number of licensed (taxed) vehicles at 31st December 2006 was 2,296,393.
The 2006 return continues the increase in overall vehicle volumes experienced in recent years and represents an increase of 157,713 vehicles (7.37%) on the total at 31st December, 2005.
The breakdown (details given in the attached table) includes:
· 1,778,861 private cars which represents an increase of 116,704 vehicles (7.02%) on the previous year for this category,
· 318,604 goods vehicles
· 68,137 agricultural tractors.
The trend in the total number over the period 1985 – 2006 is as follows:
1985 914,758
1990 1,054,259
1995 1,262,503
2000 1,682,221
2005 2,138,680
2006 2,296,393
The 2006 total represents an increase of over 500,000 vehicles (37%) since 2000 and an increase of over 1 million vehicles (82%) since 1995.
More detailed breakdowns based on the above totals will be compiled and published later this year in the Department's Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics 2006.
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., announced today that the total number of licensed (taxed) vehicles at 31st December 2006 was 2,296,393.
The 2006 return continues the increase in overall vehicle volumes experienced in recent years and represents an increase of 157,713 vehicles (7.37%) on the total at 31st December, 2005.
The breakdown (details given in the attached table) includes:
· 1,778,861 private cars which represents an increase of 116,704 vehicles (7.02%) on the previous year for this category,
· 318,604 goods vehicles
· 68,137 agricultural tractors.
The trend in the total number over the period 1985 – 2006 is as follows:
1985 914,758
1990 1,054,259
1995 1,262,503
2000 1,682,221
2005 2,138,680
2006 2,296,393
The 2006 total represents an increase of over 500,000 vehicles (37%) since 2000 and an increase of over 1 million vehicles (82%) since 1995.
More detailed breakdowns based on the above totals will be compiled and published later this year in the Department's Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics 2006.
Thursday, 30 November 2006
Operation Freeflow - helping?
The Operation Freeflow website is worth a look:
It says: With so many public transport choices this Christmas, there'll be no need to take your car when you're heading out to shop, eat, drink or make merry! Extra buses, trams and trains are being laid on to make your life easier. We've designed this website as a one-stop-shop to help you plan your journey.
http://www.freeflow.ie/
Why not Operation Freeflow for the rest of the year?
It says: With so many public transport choices this Christmas, there'll be no need to take your car when you're heading out to shop, eat, drink or make merry! Extra buses, trams and trains are being laid on to make your life easier. We've designed this website as a one-stop-shop to help you plan your journey.
http://www.freeflow.ie/
Why not Operation Freeflow for the rest of the year?
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