Outer Ring Road - Lucan. Anybody knows?

unkel

The Outer Ring Road is to eventually connect the Naas Road (N7) with the Navan Road (N3) via the Nangor Road (Clondalkin) and the Lucan Road (N4) on the outside of the M50 iirc

The part from the N7 to the Nangor Road (new road) has been finished and is in use for some months. The part from the Nangor Road to Lucan South (new road) has been finished (including railway and canal bridges) bar the last couple of hundred meters. It should join up with the existing road to connect to the N4

Why is this last little stretch not being finished? The streetlights are on every night even though the road is not used :rolleyes:

Anyone knows? I heard a rumour that the existing road in Lucan couldn't handle the traffic, but I feel this is BS as that road is quieter than most

Finishing this road would create a 3rd corridor between Lucan and Clondalkin which is much needed as the Easterly corridor (Fonthill Road) is much clogged up. The Westerly corridor (Newcastle Road) is getting increasing heavy traffic with Adamstown being built. It is of third world quality anyway

Andrew Duffy

It won't ever reach the N3 as it's been removed from the Fingal County Development Plan.
As for the gap, the maps here:
http://www.sdcc.ie/index.aspx?pageid=539&deptid=12&dpageid=96
... do actually suggest a gap between Phase 1 and 2, but I think that's a mistake. I guess you could mail South Dublin County Councils roads department: roadsdept@sdublincoco.ie

Mailman

The residents of Lucan went to Bord Pleanala(spelling) and got an injunction to prevent it from being opened until the extension road which interlinks with the N4 is complete in late 2006/early 2007. In the meantime a connector between the ORR and FontHill road should be opened up soon.

unkel

Thanks for the info! Might email the council alright

Mailman wrote:

The residents of Lucan went to Bord Pleanala(spelling) and got an injunction to prevent it from being opened until the extension road which interlinks with the N4 is complete in late 2006/early 2007. In the meantime a connector between the ORR and FontHill road should be opened up soon.

Incredible :eek:

I don't know anybody in Lucan that opposes the new road and why should they? Traffic is bad enough without it. I guess some people (greens?) find their way in the planning / legal jungle easier than others...

For me it would cut both my commuting distance and time by more than half and would prevent me from driving on a dangerous (many dead) road. I might even cycle occasionally, but they obviously prefer my V8 engine to pollute the air sitting tight in traffic

sorry for rant

seamus

unkel wrote:

Anyone knows? I heard a rumour that the existing road in Lucan couldn't handle the traffic, but I feel this is BS as that road is quieter than most

I drove up the new section up to Grange Castle the other night. The existing road in Lucan from the N4 down would not cope with what this road can carry - and seeing as it'll be a substitute for the M50 at peak times, it would be an extreme bottleneck.

The existing road in Lucan is a single-lane road for a start. The road is fine until you hit the junction with the N4 - it's just not designed correctly. At peak times, it can come to a complete standstill, as the traffic both leaving and joining the N4, coming to and from Lucan is all controlled by traffic signals.

They'll need to upgrade the road to two lanes and alter the existing N4 junction to use normal uncontrolled slip roads and/or roundabouts

unkel

seamus wrote:

The existing road in Lucan from the N4 down would not cope with what this road can carry - and seeing as it'll be a substitute for the M50 at peak times, it would be an extreme bottleneck.

The existing road in Lucan is a single-lane road for a start. The road is fine until you hit the junction with the N4 - it's just not designed correctly

Valid considerations, seamus and for sure the existing road needs to be upgraded as planned to dual carriageway with a much better junction (flyover?) to the N4 but I think opening the new road would not draw traffic from the Clondalkin area towards the N4 in the morning peak traffic much. Look at the two other corridors connecting Lucan and Clondalkin - the morning traffic is southbound

Unless of course it would draw traffic from the N7 towards the N4 bypassing Newlands Cross / Red Cow / M50

Most of this won't have a big benefit northbound in the morning anyway as long as the M50 is tolled in peak traffic and the N4/M50 interchange isn't completely freeflow yet I suppose

seamus wrote:

I drove up the new section up to Grange Castle the other night

Will try that now

Capt'n Midnight

unkel wrote:

For me it would cut both my commuting distance and time by more than half

I've gone back to using Newlands Cross rather than by the back of Baldonnel , commuting time is about the same, distance is half and it's probably a safer road more because of the 10mph average than anything else.

I reckon the new road will be a traffic magnet, I remember when the there were LUAS works on the junction of kylemore and long mile road , everybody moved a junction west and it took me an extra half hour to get in at Baldonnel ...

spacetweek

Andrew Duffy wrote:

It won't ever reach the N3 as it's been removed from the Fingal County Development Plan.
As for the gap, the maps here:
http://www.sdcc.ie/index.aspx?pageid=539&deptid=12&dpageid=96
... do actually suggest a gap between Phase 1 and 2, but I think that's a mistake.

There is no gap; Phases 1, 2 and 3 are a continuous route. The plans for Phase 2 which will link the road to Ballyowen (and onwards to the N4 junction) have been downgraded due to pressure from local politicians. The new proposal is for a 2-lane road with bus lanes each way. I don't think this is a good idea. This section of the road will simply become a bottleneck, as will the N4 junction, which will now need to be greatly improved as it will be connecting two dual carraigeways to each other.

Phases 2 and 3 are on the way. I do not think any of Phase 2 has been built yet; someone said the link road to the Fonthill road is nearly ready - i haven't seen any evidence of it. A tiny laneway called Lyches' Lane is going to connect to the same roundabout that the Fonthill link road starts at; the ORR section from there down to the Grange Castle entrance is nearly ready - I took a cycle down there recently.

The continuation onwards to the N3 has indeed been removed from plans, although I believe only the South Dublin Co. Council part has actually been removed; the Fingal part still appears on development maps. The ORR would probably just become an M50 bypass if the link was built, as people sought to avoid the toll booths. It's a pity though, as it seems very logical to continue the route northwards, linking in with the Ballycoolin Road, continuing through the N3, linking in with future improvements west of Ballycoolin and eventually hitting the under-construction Cherryhound interchange on the N2. Who knows where it could go after that, a little bit further and you hit the M1 and the bypass is complete. There is another road planned to head north though, starting at the M4 Leixlip Junction and joining the existing north-south road at Ongar and onwards to the Clonee N3 junction. This section is too far west for it to serve as an M50 bypass though, so it should be alright.

There are also plans to improve the Newcastle road down to the Milltown junction, where it joins the Nangor Road. Oh, and there's another north-south road planned for Adamstown-Baldonnell, so there will be 4 major north-south roads west of the M50 in the area: the Fonthill rd, the ORR, the Newcastle Rd and the Adamstown-Baldonnell Road. Phew.

One last thing: Outer Ring Road? A better name is sorely needed. :mad:

seamus

spacetweek wrote:

One last thing: Outer Ring Road? A better name is sorely needed. :mad:

Son of South Circular?