Annual Report 2005 - English Version ( pdf file - 3340 kb in size)

Limerick County Council Annual Report 2005TRANSPORTATION AND WATER SERVICESPaul CroweDirector ofTransportation& Water ServicesROADSMajor SchemesLimerick Southern Ring Road – Phase IIThe Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase II project,which will incorporate a fourth crossing of the RiverShannon, will involve the construction of 9.75 kmof new dual carriageway, along with associated linkroads and side roads, linking the N7 Limerick SouthernRing Road Phase 1 and N20 Cork Road in the area ofRossbrien with the N18 Ennis Road near the Radissonand Two Mile Inn hotels. The project includes fora fourth crossing of the River Shannon which willinvolve a tunnel crossing, approximately 900m inlength, linking the townland of Coonagh, on thenorthern bank, with the townland of Bunlicky on thesouthern bank of the Shannon.Following a lengthy tender process 2005 saw furthersignificant advancement in the development of thisproject with the announcement by the National RoadsAuthority (NRA) in September 05 of a ProvisionalPreferred Tenderer for the Scheme. Other significantassociated work carried out during the period includedthe completion of on site archaeological resolutionalong the route and the preparation of advancecontracts for site clearance and the construction of anaccess road in the area of Rossbrien; both contracts tobe implemented prior to construction commencementon the main contract.An award of the contract and constructioncommencement is anticipated in the third quarter of2006.N7 Nenagh to Limerick2005 saw substantial progress in the developmentof this 38Km Motorway standard roadway. Theprequalification process for the main constructioncontract commenced mid year resulting in sixconsortia being short listed and subsequently invitedto tender, in Quarter 4 2005. This scheme is beingprogressed as a Design and Build project. The projectwill ultimately form part of the Motorway/Highquality Dual Carriageway linking Limerick to Dublin.2005 also saw the commencement of a number ofadvance contracts including Archaeological testtrenching, Supplementary Ground Investigation, SiteClearance, Fencing, Mammal Surveys as well as otheradvance works.Construction on this project is scheduled to commencein Quarter 3 2006 with a construction period in theregion of three years.N21 Adare BypassThe 6.5km N21 Adare Bypass has progressedsignificantly from the initial constraints study areathrough to a selected route and draft SpecimenDesign. The selected “Black” route, bypassing Adareto the north, was announced to the public at aninformation day in Adare on the 22nd March with 376in attendance. The Constraints Study Report and RouteCorridor Selection Report were then published.Following the route’s announcement the preparationof the Specimen Design, Environmental ImpactAssessment and Compulsory Purchase Order werecommenced. All landowners that may have beenaffected by the preferred route corridor were contactedand invited to a series of three personal consultationmeetings with the project team during the year.Test Trenching at Coonagh for Limerick Southern RingRoad Phase IIBy the end of 2005 the draft Environmental ImpactStatement and Compulsory Purchase Order were beingfinalised. Subject to the approval of the National Roads32