[Article] New Dunshaughlin bus corridor to be ripped up

IIMII

Meath Chronicle, 27th June 2008


Dunshaughlin businesses, residents and N3 commuters will have to endure further traffic disruption problems from this week as major works on the upgrading of the water supply scheme to the town begins.
The installation of water pipes from the plant at Cooksland, on the N3, to the town itself began this week but, to alleviate traffic problems, they will take place at night. The works were due to start a month ago but were rescheduled out of consideration for students studying for the Leaving and Junior Certificate exams.
In recent years, the locality has undergone serious disruption due to sewerage pipe-laying, gas-pipe laying, the Quality Bus Corridor (QBC) construction, the recent Arch Bar junction works and the ongoing M3 motorway construction.
Now it looks as if the year-long multi-million euro project, the QBC, will be pulled up again to make way for the pipes carrying water to Dunshaughlin are installed along the N3.
Residents will be hoping it will be all worth it in the end - the major water supply scheme is to provide for a quality water supply at adequate pressure to Dunshaughlin and the surrounding areas.
The €11.8 million scheme, which commenced in February, includes the construction of a new water tower and treatment plant adjacent the N3, north of Dunshaughlin, the development of a number of production wells in the Dunshaughlin area and the construction of water mains to deliver water to and from the water tower.
To date, water mains have been constructed in Dunshaughlin on the Dunsany Road, Drumree Road and in College Park and works on the foundations for the water tower and treatment plant are ongoing. The scheme is progressing well and it is anticipated that the scheme will be operational in early 2010, according to the council.
Watermains construction will commence on the N3, north of Dunshaughlin, adjacent the water tower site and will proceed towards Dunshaughlin to the Arch Bar junction. They will be carried out over a four-week period, mostly at night-time/early morning between the hours of 8pm and 5am to minimise traffic disruption.
Traffic will once again be diverted around Dunshaughlin via the Trim Road at Black Bull Cross, Batterjohn Cross through Dunsany to Ross Cross, while the works are in progress. Diversion signs will also be in place. Meath County Council and the contractor for the project, Ward and Burke Construction Ltd, say they will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum while the works are being carried out.
Meanwhile, the Dunshaughlin Road in Ratoath will be closed from 18th June to 18th July to accommodate the Kilbride sewerage scheme, from the Dunshaughlin Road roundabout to the Fairyhouse Road.

markpb

It's a pity it never occured to MCC to upgrade the pipes while they were constructing the bus lane. Common sense is a rare asset in Ireland.

murphaph

Sure who cares, there's loads more money where that...oh wait.

ardmacha

No doubt there is a need for this scheme, but it would have been better to wait until the M3 was open and traffic was reduced, if it had not been possible to incorporate it in the bus lane works.

Irish and Proud

markpb wrote: »

It's a pity it never occured to MCC to upgrade the pipes while they were constructing the bus lane. Common sense is a rare asset in Ireland.

+1

dmeehan

could they not lay the pipes in the field (or whatever is there) next to the road? why do they have to rip up the road to lay the pipes?

ardmacha

There is a serious issue here, millions of Euro are wasted by the lack of coordination of works. With some slack in the construction industry now there should be concentrated effort to ensure that all related works are completed together. Public policy objectives like improving water and undergrounding power cables should be pursued when major roadworks take place. Unfortunately with money getting scarce this will probably not happen.