Naas Rd extension

betistuc

People have been complaining all day on the radio over the planning decision re the new childrens hospital on the St James site. Access seems to be the main concern. A lot of people will be travelling from the Cork and Limerick direction so if we are stuck with this site why not extend the Naas Road at Inchicore along the route of the Luas.

It could run alongside it or above it on raised sections of dual carriageway. It's only a distance of about 4Km. It could be used solely for hospital traffic and terminate somewhere in the grounds near car parks.
If Blachardstown had been granted the new hospital (prefered option of most people) they would probably have taken a spur off the M50 over to it.
Don't have any idea how much this would cost but it might give people peace of mind knowing they have a dedicated expressway from the end of the Naas rd.

L1011

Elevated highways are impractical and basically no longer constructed. There is no space alongside.

They wouldn't have built a spur off the M50 for a Blanchardstown option.

Middle Man

There's AFAIK a (largely open) land bank in public ownership between St. James (main entrance) and the former N4 Dual Carriageway outside Heuston Station. An obvious solution would be a link road over that land to utilise the existing Dual Carriageway.

L1011

Middle Man wrote: »

There's AFAIK a (largely open) land bank in public ownership between St. James (main entrance) and the former N4 Dual Carriageway outside Heuston Station. An obvious solution would be a link road over that land to utilise the existing Dual Carriageway.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3425264,-6.2980881,1392m/data=!3m1!1e3

Where?

Running over IMMA is a non-starter. Running through Steevens is unlikely to be practical

The R148 there is traffic blocked inbound from 7-10 and 4-7 every day, outbound can be a nightmare in the evenings, etc, etc.

Carawaystick

betistuc wrote: »

People have been complaining all day on the radio over the planning decision re the new childrens hospital on the St James site. Access seems to be the main concern. A lot of people will be travelling from the Cork and Limerick direction so if we are stuck with this site why not extend the Naas Road at Inchicore along the route of the Luas.

Maybe you could compare the access issues with the existing issues getting to Crumlin.
Google Maps says its 7 mins now to get from Crumlin to St James, or 4 mins without traffic.

Cork To Crumlin Hospital is 2:35 according to Google Maps. Another seven minutes time saving hardly justifies building a new road. Most of the people using the hospital will be staff, and not travelling from Cork.

Sam Russell

They could get people to use the park and ride at Red Cow and then Luas or is that too simple?

betistuc

L1011 wrote: »

Elevated highways are impractical and basically no longer constructed. There is no space alongside.

They wouldn't have built a spur off the M50 for a Blanchardstown option.

I would have thought elevated sections are very practical where there is a space issue . Are there not some elevated sections on the N40 Cork ring road?

You say they wouldn't build an M50 spur but you don't say why.
Blanchardstown isn't out of the picture just yet. If there is enough protest.... remember the water charges

L1011

betistuc wrote: »

I would have thought elevated sections are very practical where there is a space issue . Are there not some elevated sections on the N40 Cork ring road?

You say they wouldn't build an M50 spur but you don't say why.
Blanchardstown isn't out of the picture just yet. If there is enough protest.... remember the water charges

There are limited sections which are a maintenance nightmare. They were built a long time ago. They are never going to built a lengthy elevated access road.

They wouldn't add another junction to the M50 for a limited use. They wouldn't add one that close to another junction for any use at all.

Water charges are being temporarily suspended (if even) due to lengthy protests whipped up by populist parties. There won't be similar protests against this. The hospital would have been built by now at the Mater if not for our ridiculous building height rules - the protests weren't why it was moved.

betistuc

L1011 wrote: »

There are limited sections which are a maintenance nightmare. They were built a long time ago. They are never going to built a lengthy elevated access road.

They wouldn't add another junction to the M50 for a limited use. They wouldn't add one that close to another junction for any use at all.

Water charges are being temporarily suspended (if even) due to lengthy protests whipped up by populist parties. There won't be similar protests against this. The hospital would have been built by now at the Mater if not for our ridiculous building height rules - the protests weren't why it was moved.

I agree with you on our antiquated height rules. Can't remember how tall the Mater was going to be . This one is going to be 8 storeys. The hystericals of Dublin will be calling it a skyscraper before long. They really need to do a bit of traveling.

I can't see any other way of getting people to this hospital at all different times of the day without doing something like my proposal . There's no other way in. Can't see that link to the N4 working. It's too long
And a raised dual carriageway running above that length of Luas line (if it's still in existence) I think would look pretty cool. too cool for Dublin maybe!

cml387

Good point on the radio today, about this obsession about getting there by car.

Nobody ever complains about lack of parking around Great Ormond Street.

L1011

betistuc wrote: »

And a raised dual carriageway running above that length of Luas line (if it's still in existence) I think would look pretty cool. too cool for Dublin maybe!

No, it'd look like an impractical, expensive, antiquated severance causing nightmare. It's a residential area you're proposing to run it through

_Kaiser_

Sam Russell wrote: »

They could get people to use the park and ride at Red Cow and then Luas or is that too simple?

Yes very... someone driving up with a sick child to a dedicated hospital (maybe for a few days or longer - with maybe suitcases or medical equipment in tow) is hardly gonna park up at Newlands Cross and trek in the rest of the way with the Red Line troublemakers.

Public transport has its place but it's not a catch-all solution for everything!

Sam Russell

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Yes very... someone driving up with a sick child to a dedicated hospital (maybe for a few days or longer - with maybe suitcases or medical equipment in tow) is hardly gonna park up at Newlands Cross and trek in the rest of the way with the Red Line troublemakers.

Public transport has its place but it's not a catch-all solution for everything!

If a child is in need of an ambulance, would it not be provided?

betistuc

L1011 wrote: »

No, it'd look like an impractical, expensive, antiquated severance causing nightmare. It's a residential area you're proposing to run it through

You seem to be a pretty negative kind of a cove, L1011- Strictly in the "can't do" camp as far as I can see.
This is a "what if " type of forum after all - not meant to be taken too seriously.
The residential area already has a canal and a luas line running side by side through it . Don't see what difference my proposal would make to it. I'm talking about a distance of 4Km not crossing the city with it.

What nightmares would you anticipate and why antiquated - I think elevated sections look fantastic ( look at the M2 and M3 near the centre of Belfast) Impractical you say - only impractical if there is no space for a conventional road. Expensive - unless you know something I don't I'd say buying up land and building a standard dual c/way would be expensive. Elevated sections are prefabricated and shouldn't cost as much also not as much plant and manpower is needed to construct them.

L1011

I'm being realistic, not negative.

Nobody else is going to think elevated sections over residential streets look fantastic - and they are extremely expensive. Prefabricated sections fall apart - look at the closed flyovers in London