|
contents | business | |||||||||
| Work on Newlands Cross and N11 Arklow to Rathnew road projects officially starts  Work is officially starting on the Newlands Cross flyover and the N11 Arklow to Rathnew dual carriageway road projects after Leo Varadkar, transport minister for Ireland, turned the sod on both schemes.Both projects will make a huge difference to motorists, with the N7 removing the last traffic light between Cork and the outskirts of Belfast, and the N11 dual carriageway removing the last bottleneck between Dublin and Rathnew and providing an important new service area. It also means that the first Public Private Partnership road project to be signed since 2007 is now officially underway, in an important signal for economic recovery. BAM'These are two very important projects which will make a big difference to road users in Dublin and the east of the country. They will remove two serious bottlenecks which have caused untold delays to commuters, hauliers and road users over the years. The financing of these projects also represents a breakthrough for the Government in terms of new funding for roads', Minister Varadkar said. 'The N7 flyover at Newlands Cross will remove the last set of traffic lights between the outskirts of Belfast and the Dunkettle roundabout in Cork. To give an idea of the difference this will make, some 80,000 vehicles pass through Newlands Cross every day. And the N11 will end the last stretch of single carriageway between Arklow and Rathnew, replacing the dangerous and winding road with high-spec dual carriageway and the added bonus of a new service and rest area.' The contractor BAM Civil Ltd (BAM PPP & PGGM Infrastructure Cooperatie) will start work on both projects within a matter of days, and construction is expected to take just over two years. N7 Newlands Cross Upgrade This comprises a flyover at the junction between N7 Naas Road and the R113 Fonthill/Belgard Roads at Newlands Cross. This flyover will take N7 traffic up and over the R113 Fonthill/Belgard Road, thus minimising local traffic impact. Traffic signals will be installed at the two points where the ramps meet the local roads, with dedicated turning lanes provided for the Belgard/Fonthill Road. Some 80,000 vehicles pass through Newlands Cross every day. BAM The existing Newlands Cross junction located in South County Dublin is the sole remaining signalised traffic junction on the entire N7/M7 route. The Newlands Cross Junction Upgrade will provide a continuous free flowing route between the M50 Red Cow interchange and Limerick City, Cork City, Kilkenny City and Waterford City. N11 Arklow to Rathnew dual carriageway and service area This consists of 16.5km of new dual carriageway, along with associated link roads and junctions. It will connect the existing N11 Arklow Bypass with the existing N11 Rathnew/Ashford Bypass creating motorway/dual carriageway from Dublin to Gorey. It will also include the construction of a service area on the N11-Northbound, just north of Gorey, with direct access from the N11-Southbound via an overpass. BAMThe N11 is a strategic link in the national road network as part of the eastern road corridor between Dublin and Rosslare, and is also part of Euro-route E1. The existing N11 is characterised by a range of road types, road widths and qualities, which reflect the staged development of sections of the road over time. The existing N11 between Rathnew and Arklow is currently single carriageway with a narrow cross section, poor overtaking opportunities and no hard shoulder over the northern half, and a wider cross section again with limited safe overtaking opportunities over the southern half. The route does not have a good road safety record, and there are numerous existing side road and private access junctions along its length. The existing Arklow Bypass to the south is of a dual carriageway standard, and the Rathnew/Ashford Bypass scheme to the north is also of dual carriageway standard. The primary purpose of the proposed Gorey North Service Area is to provide fuel and rest facilities on a 24 hour basis on the N11 national primary route in order to aid interurban and long distance travel. This will assist the road safety campaign put forward by the Road Safety Authority and contribute to reduction of driver fatigue and accidents on the national primary road network by providing rest and refreshment facilities. It will also provide facilities for Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) drivers to park up and take their required resting periods. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Construction News :: home page |