[Article]: Dozens of major infrastructure projects on hold

marmurr1916

Key road and rail projects axed as money runs out

By Treacy Hogan and Ailish O'Hora
Tuesday July 06 2010

FORTY major road projects and key rail and Luas projects have been scrapped because there is no money to build them.

Nine new motorway rest areas planned for the M7 (Limerick), M8 (Cork), M9 (Waterford), M3 (Cavan) and N11 (Wexford) have also been mothballed by the Government, an Irish Independent investigation has found. The National Roads Authority (NRA) has run out of money to build the 40 roads, which include bypasses and dual carriageways.

It has been "directed" by the Government not to build the remaining rest areas along motorways, sources revealed.

The axed projects will be confirmed in a government mid-term review of the National Development Plan (NDP), which is expected to be completed within weeks.

The investigation also found:

The Government has almost halved funding for infrastructure between now and 2013, from €39.6bn to €22.9bn.

The NRA will begin just three projects next year, and all are in partnership with the private sector, with monies to be paid back over 30 years.

A series of projects under the NDP also face the axe, including several of the capital's Luas links.

The only projects considered "safe" under the NDP are Metro North, the Atlantic Corridor Road project linking Letterkenny to Waterford, and the underground DART.

Government sources confirmed vulnerable projects included four Metro/Luas schemes -- Metro West, Luas lines from Cherrywood to Bray, Lucan to the city centre and St Stephen's Green to Liffey Junction.

Question marks also hang over the N3 Belturbet bypass in Co Cavan, the N5 Longford bypass, the N22 Tralee bypass and N25 Cork southern ring road junction upgrade.

These are due to go ahead next year "subject to funding being available". Phase two and three of the Western Rail Corridor are also in doubt as the Government undertakes its review of the NDP.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Noel Dempsey last night admitted that "because of the changed economic circumstances, it was now likely that not all of the projects originally identified in Transport 21 will be completed by 2015".

He added: "No projects have been cancelled and Transport 21 continues to provide the strategic framework for capital spending on transport infrastructure into the future."

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/key-road-and-rail-projects-axed-as-money-runs-out-2247169.html

THE impact of the cutbacks on road building will be felt by communities in all parts of the country.

While work has started on rest areas on the main N4 Dublin to Sligo highway at Enfield and on the M1 at Castlebellingham and Lusk, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has been ordered by the Government to suspend its plans for nine others because of the cash crisis.

These had been planned for the M7 (Dublin to Limerick), M8 (Dublin to Cork), M9 (Dublin to Waterford), M3 (Dublin to Cavan), and along the N11 (Dublin to Wexford).

The rest areas for car drivers and truckers are deemed vital for road safety.

The Road Safety Authority claims that as many as 20pc of all roads deaths are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel.

The NRA had been ordered by the Government to build the rest areas after truckers, who are legally obliged to take regular breaks, had been complaining that they were unable to do so on the new network of motorways and dual-carriageways.

The suspension of the roads projects means that Ireland will have major dual-carriageways and motorways -- but urgently needed upgrades of secondary network is being long-fingered.

NRA chief executive Fred Barry confirmed that they would only be able to start three major projects next year.

And these will be public-private partnerships where the contractor will pay for them and recoup the money in payments staggered over 30 years. They are the Newland's Cross upgrade at the Nass Road in Dublin, the N11 Arklow to Rathnew road, and the Gort to Tuam dual-carriageway in Galway. While four smaller schemes are earmarked for start-up, no money has yet been provided for their construction.

They include bypasses for Belturbet, Co Cavan (N3), Longford (N5), Tralee (N22) and the N25 Cork southern ring road junction upgrade.

Mr Barry said they had no idea when the other projects would be started until it was determined what funding might be provided by the Government.

A total of 40 road projects have been suspended by the NRA. Although the N5Ballaghhadereeen bypass for Co Roscommon has been approved by An Bord Pleanala, it is not going ahead next year because there is no money for the project.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/safety-drive-slows-as-work-on-trucker-rest-areas-halted-2247214.html

Surely it's time for the NRA to put the MSAs out to tender for construction by the private sector and to start bundling smaller projects together as PPPs?

Neworder79

The side article lists the exact projects as:

Road Projects Suspended
N2 Ashbourne - Ardee
N4 Sligo Bypass
N5 Scramogue - Ballaghaderreen
N6 Galway Outer Bypass
M7 Naas - Newbridge
N13 Stranolar - Derry
N14 Letterkenny - Lifford
N15 Lifford - Ballybofey
N16 Sligo - Glencar
N16 Glenfarne - Glencar
N22 Macroom - Ballincollig
N23 Castleisland - Farranfore
N24 Mooncoin Bypass
N24 Carrick-on-suir Bypass
N24 Clonmel
N24 Clonmel - Cahir
N24 Cahir - Bansha
N25 New Ross - Wexford
N25 Middelton - Youghal
N28 Ringaskiddy - Cork
N53 Ballynacarry Bridge
N54 Monaghan Town Link
N56 Inver - killybegs
N56 Letterkenny Relief Road
N59 Ballina Relief Road
N59 Crossmolina - Ballina
N59 Westport Relief Road (South)
N60 Castlebar - Claremorris
N61 Roscommon Town Bypass
N61 Boyle Bypass
N62 Roscrea Bypass
N71 Bandon Inishannon
N71 Kenmare Bypass
N72 Lismore - Cappoquin
N76 Tennypark - Brownsbarn
N77 Ballynaslee
N83 Ballyhaunis distributor road
N84 Ballinrobe Bypass
N87 Belturbet - Ballyconnell
M50 Eastern Bypass

Not Going Ahead or Vunerable
Metro West
Luas CherryWood - Bray
Luas Stephens Green - Liffy junction
Luas Lucan -Trinity
WRC Phase 2/3
Second Runway Dublin Airport
Regional Airport Investment
N2 may go ahead as in "Ministers backyard"

Safe
Atlantic Corridore (no breakdown of projects)
Metro North
DART Underground

Of interest: almost all listed roads are in South and West, but many are secondary projects. List may be as significant for the primary projects that aren't mentioned.
Atlantic Corridor "safe" statement is very vague given size, especially as some of the projects listed suspended are part of it.
WRC not going ahead conflicts with what the Minister said last week about delays in Metro creating space in the budget for Navan and WRC2.

Seems to be a lot of confusion about all projects at the moment, it would be good if the Minister came out with a more definitive statement on the state of all NDP/T21 projects.

paulm17781

marmurr1916 wrote: »

Surely it's time for the NRA to put the MSAs out to tender for construction by the private sector and to start bundling smaller projects together as PPPs?

That would be logical, wouldn't it? Is there a reason they insist on doing it?

marmurr1916

Neworder79 wrote: »

The side article lists the exact projects as:

Road Projects Suspended
N2 Ashbourne - Ardee
N4 Sligo Bypass
N5 Scramogue - Ballaghaderreen
N6 Galway Outer Bypass
M7 Naas - Newbridge
N13 Stranolar - Derry
N14 Letterkenny - Lifford
N15 Lifford - Ballybofey
N16 Sligo - Glencar
N16 Glenfarne - Glencar
N22 Macroom - Ballincollig
N23 Castleisland - Farranfore
N24 Mooncoin Bypass
N24 Carrick-on-suir Bypass
N24 Clonmel
N24 Clonmel - Cahir
N24 Cahir - Bansha
N25 New Ross - Wexford
N25 Middelton - Youghal
N28 Ringaskiddy - Cork
N53 Ballynacarry Bridge
N54 Monaghan Town Link
N56 Inver - killybegs
N56 Letterkenny Relief Road
N59 Ballina Relief Road
N59 Crossmolina - Ballina
N59 Westport Relief Road (South)
N60 Castlebar - Claremorris
N61 Roscommon Town Bypass
N61 Boyle Bypass
N62 Roscrea Bypass
N71 Bandon Inishannon
N71 Kenmare Bypass
N72 Lismore - Cappoquin
N76 Tennypark - Brownsbarn
N77 Ballynaslee
N83 Ballyhaunis distributor road
N84 Ballinrobe Bypass
N87 Belturbet - Ballyconnell
M50 Eastern Bypass

Not Going Ahead or Vunerable
Metro West
Luas CherryWood - Bray
Luas Stephens Green - Liffy junction
Luas Lucan -Trinity
WRC Phase 2/3
Second Runway Dublin Airport
Regional Airport Investment
N2 may go ahead as in "Ministers backyard"

Safe
Atlantic Corridore (no breakdown of projects)
Metro North
DART Underground

Of interest: almost all listed roads are in South and West. List may be as significant for the projects that aren't mentioned. Atlantic corridore "safe" statement is vague, especially as some of the projects listed suspended are part of it.

The projects hihglighted in bold, the N4 Sligo bypass, the N13, the N15 and the N25 are all part of the Atlantic Corridor, yet projects along it, including it seems the much-needed New Ross bypass, are being cancelled.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see what 'safe' means - hopefully the M20 will still go ahead.

I suspect that any improvements along the 'Atlantic Corridor' will be confined to Cork, Limerick, Galway for the time being.

glineli

No mention of the M18, Gort to Tuam, so is this safe or canned?

I had heard before that it was earmarked to start in October, hopefully thats still the case

marmurr1916

glineli wrote: »

No mention of the M18, Gort to Tuam, so is this safe or canned?

I had heard before that it was earmarked to start in October, hopefully thats still the case

It appears to be safe:

NRA chief executive Fred Barry confirmed that they would only be able to start three major projects next year.

And these will be public-private partnerships where the contractor will pay for them and recoup the money in payments staggered over 30 years. They are the Newland's Cross upgrade at the Nass Road in Dublin, the N11 Arklow to Rathnew road, and the Gort to Tuam dual-carriageway in Galway. While four smaller schemes are earmarked for start-up, no money has yet been provided for their construction.

BluntGuy

Confirming what we already knew it seems.

The only "safe" schemes seem to be PPP and even they're not "safe" by any means.

Sponge Bob

BluntGuy wrote: »

The only "safe" schemes seem to be PPP and even they're not "safe" by any means.

I would think the N17/N18 and N7/N11 PPP schemes are 'safe' as in likely to start but once the scheduled annual outpayments are aggregated with the M3 tolling shortfall and the M50 PPP outpayments from 2011 I would say that the 2 x M20 PPP schemes possibly along with the N25/M11 PPP scheme will be dead ducks by the time it comes to their turn.

Neworder79

Several western schemes not mentioned on the list:

N5 Westport - Castlebar
N5 Ballaghaderreen Bypass
N5 Longford Bypass
N59(north) Westport - Newport/Mulranny realignment
N17 Colooney - Tubbercurry
N17 Tubbercurry Bypass
N17 Tubbercurry Bypass - Knock Bypass

I'd imagine the N26 is as good as dead given they were sent back to the drawing board.