Motorists face traffic chaos during M50 upgrade

MOTORISTS using the M50 ring road around Dublin can expect even worse traffic delays than normal when work begins next month to upgrade the motorway to six lanes.

Plans to widen the country’s busiest road could also disrupt the Luas, as a new stretch of railway may have to be built to convey trams across the Red Cow junction without having to stop for traffic.

The National Roads Authority and South Dublin County Council yesterday confirmed the first stage of the work will begin in the next few weeks on an 8km stretch between the Westlink bridge and Ballymount.

Serious traffic congestion is predicted during peak times for the duration of the

€244 million project, even though two lanes will be kept open in each direction between 6am and 10pm to minimise delays. A 60km speed limit will apply along the route during the construction phase.

Lane restrictions will be in operation outside these hours in order to facilitate construction work, which will last until 2008.

However, traffic disruption on the M50 is set for several more years as the €1 billion project to upgrade a 32km stretch between the M1 interchange and Sandyford will take until 2010 before completion.

Meanwhile, official sources yesterday confirmed there is still no official opening date for the Dublin Port Tunnel. It was scheduled to open early this year but now appears unlikely to be operational before September at the earliest due to ongoing safety tests.

The M50 upgrade will result in a major redesign of key interchanges, including junctions with the N7 at the Red Cow and N4 near Liffey Valley.

The NRA plans to eliminate existing roundabouts and traffic lights at all major intersections by replacing them with “spaghetti junctions” which facilitate traffic to merge without stopping.

“We realise there will be an impact on daily travellers, but we are confident that we can minimise that impact through good traffic management,” said Frank Coffey of SDCC.

He acknowledged the roadworks will cause “some grief” and longer delays than currently exist were “possible”.

The NRA also accepted the situation was likely to get worse before journey times improved.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, the M50 is broke and we are having to fix it,” said an NRA spokesperson.

The NRA said the completed project should result in improved travel for all motorists as the capacity of the M50 will effectively be doubled — there will be a fourth lane in each direction linking the interchanges which aren’t officially part of the six-lane motorway.

The upgrade will also see a reduction in the size of the central median and improved safety barriers being installed along most of the M50.

The NRA is to set up a text messaging service to warn motorists of major accidents and emergencies on the M50. It will also establish an e-mail service to notify drivers of changes to the roadworks programme.

A website, www.m50.ie, will provide up-to-date information on possible delays during the construction phase.