Advertisement
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.
https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.

An absolute disgrace (flooding on our new roads)

124»

Comments

  • #92
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    murphaph wrote: »
    The N3 has now flooded like this 3 times since 2002 in the same spot. Yes, the Tolka runs alongside. However, remedial works took place along here and they took a considerable amount of time to complete. They appear to have created a functioning dyke, ie, it prevented water getting from the Tolka to the road but it also prevented water getting from the road to the Tolka! The fact the water was still sitting there 12 hours later is testament to this.

    This is a national primary artery into and out of Dublin which serves a major industrial/commercial/residential area to boot. They should have pumps capable of extracting the water from the lowest point on the N3 at this location and depositing it over the dyke into the river.

    Most of the problems weren't because there was no high tech solution like this. Most of the problems were because the ordinary drains do not get cleared out enough.

    Also, roads which were clearly impassable remained open for hours. There's no coordinated plan. It's all a bunch of headless chickens running the show.

    Would I be correct in saying that it is not legal for any of the above to happen? I thought there was environmental regulations that would prevent run-off from roads (which contain pollutants) being pumped directly into water courses e.g. the Tolka without treatment?

    Having said that, there is an obvious issue with the section of the N3 in question which is probably caused by the use amount of development to the south of the road. There needs to be some sort of high capacity system to get the water out of this area.

    Fair play to the OPW, they had put resources in place to deal with the problems on Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park. As I passed through on Sat they had a crew out working and a big pump stationed at the problem area.


  • #93
    Victor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 78,804 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Brian, rainwater is relatively clean. They do fit silt and oil sumps before the drain flows into a ditch or stream. The problem is lack of attenuation areas on all but newer schemes.

    Just a reminder of the November 2002 flood.


  • #94
    gurramok
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,992 ✭✭✭✭gurramok


    Here's what Gerry had to say http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0814/1218477549792.html
    While some local authorities last week claimed they could not have predicted such an event, Mr Fleming says planners will have to think in the longer term.

    "In Catalonia [in northeast Spain] they have storm drains which are capable of taking a 400mm flash rainfall - our total on Saturday amounted to 76mm of rainfall.

    "The storm drains in Catalonia are unused 95 per cent of the time but they are there when they are needed.

    Also:
    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2008/0815/1218477634036.html
    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0814/1218477549796.html
    The weakest point is likely to be the maintenance of motorways, according to another engineering source. This is generally the responsibility of local authorities or, in the case of public-private partnership (PPP) projects, the private operators.

    "Blocked drains or gulleys could be the real problem, rather than the design of drainage systems," this source said. "Another issue is whether money should be spent upgrading drains, if heavy rain is only going to cause flooding once in 20 years or so."
    Northern Spain has storm drains capable of taking five times as much water as that which fell in Dublin last weekend. Those drains are unused 95 per cent of the time. But they are available when required and motorists and families are not trapped by flash floods.

    N3 flooded 4 times in the exact same spot, 2000, 2002 and twice in 2008(Sat& Tues). Lets hope a miracle will happen and it will not flood again by 2010 :D


  • #95
    Hotblack Desiato
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 38,951 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato


    Victor wrote: »
    Brian, rainwater is relatively clean.

    Not after it's flowed along a Dublin Bus route - ask any motorcyclist.

    If DB had natural gas powered buses, all their garages would probably blow up within a week.

    I'm partial to your abracadabra,

    I'm raptured by the joy of it all.



  • #96
    murphaph
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,070 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Up the north they're calling for heads to roll because of the design of the new Broadway Underpass (M1/A12) and more particularly the design of the culverting of the Clowney river above it.

    It's telling to me that up there people are asking hard questions while down here pretty much nothing happens.

    The N3 should not have flood in the same spot again. This problem should have been rectified after the 2002 floods. A once in 20 year even my arse.


  • Advertisement
  • #97
    uberwolf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,581 ✭✭✭uberwolf


    Still though, it could have been worse...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PhQ5gkNiqI


Advertisement