The new National Development Plan 2021-2030

marno21

Reading between the lines of the allocations document, it seems the roads programme is looking something like this:

--> Completed before 2025

N5 Westport-Turlough

N8/N25/N40 Dunkettle Interchange

N22 Macroom-Ballyvourney

N56 Dungloe-Glenties (not certain on section south of Glenties)

N59 Moycullen bypass

N69 Listowel bypass

--> Starts before 2025

N5 Ballaghaderreen-Scramoge

--> 2026-2030 starts

N3 Virginia bypass

N4 Carrick on Shannon-Dromod

M6 Galway City Ring Road

N11/N25 Oilgate-Rosslare Harbour

N13/N15 Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass

N13/N56 Letterkenny Area Improvement (incl. Relief Road + DC upgrade)

N14 Letterkenny-Lifford

M20 Cork-Limerick

M21 Foynes-Limerick

N21 Abbeyfeale bypass

N21 Newcastlewest bypass

M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy

N52 Ardee bypass

--> Potential 2026-2030 starts

N2 Slane bypass

N22 Farranfore-Killarney

N25 Midleton-Youghal

N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction

N58 Foxford bypass

--> Post 2030 projects in planning

N2 Ardee-Castleblayney

N2 Clontibret-Border

N2 Rath Roundabout-Kilmoon Cross

N3 Clonee-M50

M4 Maynooth-Leixlip

N4 Mullingar-Longford

M11 upgrade (J4-J14)

N17 Knock-Collooney

N24 Waterford-Cahir

N40 Cork North Ring Road

--> Will progress in phases as funding allows

N56 Dungloe-Glenties (2.6km remaining)

N59 Oughterard-Maam Cross (10km remaining)

N59 Westport-Mulranny (14km remaining)

N86 Tralee-Dingle (24km remaining)

€‎145m is allocated for new roads projects in 2024 (an absolute pisstake if you ask me), that's between construction costs, land costs and everything else for all the above projects.

The M28 will be ready to start in 2024 and possibly the Ardee bypass this side of 2025 depending on how the legal issues currently ongoing with it progress. There are no other projects within 3 years of starting construction (funding issues aside). The M21 could start in 2026 if the judicial reviews are addressed expeditiously but I can't see that happening.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120273673#Comment_120273673

M6 start from 2026 to 2030? That doesn't sound realistic to me Marno? And is M28 Cork-Ringaskiddy not "Start before 2025"?

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274620#Comment_120274620

M6 is currently programmed to start when the legal wrangling has been addressed. It, and the M20, have been specifically carved out in the Roads programme to keep them from Green interference.

M28 can start in 2024, but funding of 145m in 2024 won't allow it to start until the increased funding envelope commences in 2026 (not set in stone either I might add). This is entirely a Government decision to not provide sufficient funding to commence it.

hans aus dtschl

That's bizarre to me: the M6 Galway Ring Road is anything but a sure thing, as they have so much to do to from a political perspective to get it over the line, whereas the M28 legal battles are all (finally) done! If I had to guess which of these two would be "ready to build" and which would be "delayed" I know which I'd bet on!

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120274802#Comment_120274802

In that regard, I don't think they're equals in anything but arbitrary time categories. Despite what I posted, I would happily put money on the M28 being open to traffic before the M6.

I can't understand why the M28 isn't being started immediately for economic reasons above anything else. It not being built is holding up so much in Cork, least of all Docklands developments that have environmental benefits beyond anything else.

Pete_Cavan

I think there is too much in planning right now for projects which aren't intended for delivery for a long time. There are several projects which could be defunded now, picked up again in a couple of years and wont have been delayed at all. There is a lot listed under 2026-2030 starts and it is very optimistic to think all of that is going to be funded for construction in such a short window, could be €4bn. Some is almost certainly going to fall over into the post-2030 period and eat up funding for those already in post-2030.

Just look at how much money in going to what Marno has listed as post-2030 delivery projects this year;

N2 Ardee-Castleblayney - €600,000

N2 Clontibret-Border - €2,500,000

N2 Rath Roundabout-Kilmoon Cross - €750,000

N3 Clonee-M50 - €500,000

M4 Maynooth-Leixlip

N4 Mullingar-Longford - €200,000

M11 upgrade (J4-J14)

N17 Knock-Collooney - €400,000

N24 Waterford-Cahir - €2,000,000

N40 Cork North Ring Road - €100,000

That's a lot of money for projects which aren't even intended to start this decade. Do we need to be spending that to bring these projects to a stage where they can sit on the shelf for another couple of years before their turn for construction? There is €4m there which could be put to more productive use this year and presumably their funding requirements will increase for each of the next couple of years. Now N2 Clontibret-Border is to match TEN-T grant which is fair enough and the Cork NRR is only small beer but the others are significant money with no intention of delivering for 6 or 7 years.

Of what Marno has listed as potential 2026-2030 starts, I think the following could be pushed out by a year or two with no impact on eventual delivery;

N25 Midleton-Youghal - €800,000

N24 Cahir-Limerick Junction - €1,000,000

€3,000,000 for the Galway Bypass is ridiculous while it is all up in the air, only already committed to expenses should be going towards it. If all of the above gets similar or increased funding next year, they could be getting €10m out of a total of €145 for the year. If you had that money, plus the funds freed up from big projects completing this year, there might actually be money available to push the button on something like the M28 next year.

Chris_5339762

M28 is, to the layperson, started. But there are two reasons why it couldnt start construction -

1) I don't think you could sort tenders until after the judicial reviews

2) IIRC they didn't want M28 AND Dunkettle construction at the same time.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275277#Comment_120275277

They could tender the M28 pretty soon and start once enabling works are finished, if there was funding available.

Limerick74

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120275277#Comment_120275277

I assumed the judicial reviews are dealt with on the M28 and should not delay the procurement of main contractor?

Chris_5339762

M28 tender documents are being prepared, at the moment all the pre-work is being done - tree felling, archaeology, route prep with ESB, stuff like that. Thats what I mean when I say that it has started to the layperson.

KrisW1001

Up to 150 National Development Plan projects could be accelerated – The Irish Times

Recent announcement by Paschal Donohoe that approval process for projects under €200M would be "simplified". The article linked above focuses on healthcare projects, but on a follow-up radio interview, Donohoe clarified that health and transport would be the biggest beneficiaries of the changes.

There have been a couple of recent road projects that were reduced in scope in order to avoid the more complex approvals process for more expensive schemes, so there could be some benefits from this.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281369#Comment_120281369

I thought M28 was 'starting' next year, as the Dunkettle is about to finish up. They best get a move on with those tender docs.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120423446#Comment_120423446

Paschal seems much more proactive than MMcG. Hopefully the quarterly memo to Government with an update on NDP delivery will put a bit of pressure on the civil servants to have progress to show and keep it at the forefront of the politicians minds.

roadmaster

I am not sure if this in the correct place to put this but the UK are halting smart motorways. With the M50 just upgraded could TII end up doing the same as the UK

https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sunak-to-ban-new-smart-motorways-following-concerns-about-safety-and-cost-12858118