PRIVATE CARS must be banned from using Westmoreland Street to cross Dublin city centre during the construction of Metro North, the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) has said.
Addressing the first day of the resumed An Bord Pleanála hearing on the metro, project director Rory O’Connor said that to facilitate construction works only public transport could use Westmoreland Street between Fleet Street and the quays.
This means cars could not pass through College Green and Westmoreland Street to access O’Connell Street and effectively reinstates the northbound “bus gate” on a full-time basis.
The hearing opened on April 1st but was adjourned on April 29th. An Bord Pleanála subsequently sought additional information from the RPA, presented yesterday. When the RPA originally gave evidence in relation to traffic management, Dublin City Council had intended to introduce the bus gate, which bans private cars from using College Green to cross the city, on a 24-hour basis. The council, against the advice of Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, introduced the bus gate at morning and evening peak traffic times Monday to Friday only.
Mr O’Connor yesterday told the hearing that outside the limited hours of the bus gate, the Westmoreland Street private car ban and other traffic restrictions would be necessary. Other additional information supplied included the duration of work to divert utilities – underground electricity, gas and sewer infrastructure – before the five-year construction of the metro line can begin.
In O’Connell Street, this work would take a year and eight weeks, Mr O’Connor said. Pedestrian access to shops and businesses would be maintained. However, to allow vehicular access, the pavement, widened by the city council as part of the multimillion euro O’Connell Street improvement works, would have to be cut back in places to create a temporary traffic lane. Utilities diversion in the St Stephen’s Green area would take about six months. A similar timeframe is envisaged for Parnell Square, while, in Ballymun, utilities work is expected to take 50 weeks.
The delays caused by the seven-month suspension of the hearing are set to continue. The resumed hearing had been due to finish later this month. However, the RPA yesterday told An Bord Pleanála inspector Kevin Moore it had agreed with Dublin City Council, the Mater Hospital Campus Development Ltd and the Mater Private Hospital to provide a second entrance on Eccles Street to the Mater Metro stop.
The alteration must be subject to public consultation with six weeks allowed, Mr Moore said. This means the hearing will stretch into next year.
