Newlands Cross Upgrade EIS - European Investment Bank

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South Dublin County Council N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade Environmental Impact Statement Arup Consulting Engineers Do-Something Option The proposed interchange would provide relief from severance. The design would allow pedestrians to cross on each side of the interchange. Cyclists too would incur fewer delays. The volume of traffic directly encountered by pedestrians at signalised crossings would be reduced by virtue of mainline N7 traffic being removed from the junction, while the number of signalised lights encountered, and the associated delay, would also be reduced. In addition, the proposed signal phasing strategy will limit inconvenience to pedestrians. From a severance perspective, benefits are tempered by the rather small number of crossings undertaken to access community facilities. The few households located south of the Naas Road, and the few community facilities in the vicinity, means that the benefits in terms of relief from severance are judged to be slight positive. Construction During construction the needs of local people, driving north-south (or vice versa) or journeying on bicycle or on foot will need to be considered as above for Journey Characteristics. The splitting of eastbound traffic into two lanes could make crossing more difficult and time-consuming. Additional lanes for right turning and construction traffic will also be necessary. The impact depends on the delay experienced compared with the status-quo, but seems likely to be adverse. 13.2.3.3 Amenity Do-Minimum Option Under a Do-minimum option, journey amenity, which is currently very poor, will continue to decline as traffic volumes increase with correspondingly high congestion, noise and poor air quality. Improvements to the Red Cow Interchange may reduce congestion only slightly in the vicinity of Newlands Cross. Cyclist amenity will continue to be severely affected by the difficulty of crossing two busy lanes of traffic to make right hand turns. Pedestrian crossings of the Naas Road, although safer than cyclist crossings given the presence of signalised facilities, will be unpleasant for the same environmental reasons and journey amenity will be exacerbated by the prolonged light sequence. Do-Something Option The presence of the interchange will relieve congestion along the N7 Naas Road in the vicinity of the junction, complementing road improvements elsewhere in the area. Delays due to traffic lights at the junction for R113 traffic will be shorter and congestion will be less on the approach roads on both sides of the interchange. Pedestrian crossings of the Naas Road will be quicker and more agreeable as there will be less contact with traffic and the number of crossings will be fewer than at present while involving shorter waits. The interchange design will also allow for pedestrian crossings on all sides, so reducing the need for pedestrians to make unnecessary crossings of Fonthill Road or Belgard Road. Right hand turns by cyclists from Fonthill Road onto the Naas Road west (or vice versa from the opposite direction) are currently few in number, but will be significantly safer, implying an improvement in journey amenity. Indeed, a significant safety benefit applies to all vulnerable road users (pedestrian types and cyclists) due to the removal of N7 mainline traffic from the junction, resulting in reduced traffic volumes and a considerable reduction in the interface with high speed traffic. December 2007 Page 211
South Dublin County Council N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade Environmental Impact Statement Arup Consulting Engineers Local access by car for journeys along Fonthill Road , not involving Newlands Cross, should become easier given the reduction in congestion, although traffic volumes are expected to increase in response. Cyclists will need to edge along the inside of queuing traffic on Fonthill Road less frequently than before, and for a lesser distance, with consequent improvements in journey amenity and safety. The freer flow of traffic will contribute to reduced noise and improved air quality for many properties on Rockfield Drive and Newlands Road compared with the Do-minimum scenario. However, a number of properties on Newlands Road could be affected by visual intrusion from the overpass even after allowing for mitigating screening. The impact is moderated by the long garden length of these properties. No significant change in noise is anticipated following mitigation. Without mitigation the amenity of the golf course could be affected by changes to its noise and visual environment as the proposed N7 mainline will be elevated adjacent to the golf course boundary., The loss of trees in the area due to the landtake will make the N7 vulnerable to golf balls. Without mitigation this landtake would have a significant detrimental effect on the playing of hole no. 6 and hole no.7. Construction The period of construction would involve a deterioration in journey amenity in the vicinity, although this deterioration will be short-term and its extent dependent on the nature of construction and the degree to which pedestrians and cyclists are separated from traffic. However, the diversion of pedestrians to another point, possibly a footbridge, would reduce the amenity impact. Some householders on Newlands Road and are also likely to be affected by noise, dust or visual intrusion, although this adverse impact should be considered in the context of the prevailing impact of high traffic volumes. Further details of these impacts can be found in Noise and Visual Impacts chapters. It is anticipated that the construction of the proposal will result in a temporary adverse impact on the amenity of the golf course. The boundary screen of free planting at the N7 will be removed during construction and the traffic closer to the course. This will result in an increase in road traffic noise and temporary visual intrusion at the course, in addition to noise and visual impacts associated with the construction activities. In addition, it will not be possible to play the 6 th or 7 th holes as currently configured while the temporary landtake is in place. The back of the present 6 th green will abut the temporary landtake. The temporary landtake will not allow the playing of the 7 th hole in it’s current configuration due to the fact that (a) the temporary, new boundary will be 20 metres nearer the fairway and (b) the loss of almost one hundred trees. 13.2.3.4 Economic Do-minimum Option Continued congestion in the vicinity of Newlands Cross with its associated impact on journey time and journey time reliability will adversely affect both local businesses and other businesses in Dublin, Naas/Newbridge or regionally. The impact on local businesses will be worse as a consequence of their more frequent use of Newlands Cross and the greater proportion of total journey time represented by delays at the junction. Local businesses include companies in the immediate vicinity of the junction along with other businesses in Clondalkin and along Belgard Road. December 2007 Page 212
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Kildare County Council South Dublin
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0 kilometres 2 Scale N.T.S Ordnance
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APPENDIX A8 - NOISE AND VIBRATION
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APPENDIX A9 - AIR QUALITY
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APPENDIX A11 - ECOLOGY
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APPENDIX A12 - ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHITE
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