Residents welcome €100m junction plan but warn of missed opportunities

Plans for a €100m upgrade of the busiest junction outside of Dublin have been given general approval by people living close by.

Residents and businesspeople from Glanmire, Glounthaune, and Little Island attended a public exhibition hosted by the NRA yesterday where they were able to see detailed plans of the upgrade of the Jack Lynch Tunnel/Dunkettle Roudabout interchange which handles 95,000 vehicles a day.

Apart from creating several slip roads in the area to provide faster traffic flow, the NRA is planning to remove the signalised roundabout at the northern entrance to the tunnel because it gridlocks traffic during rush hour.

NRA project manager Noel Murtagh said the slip roads, which will be built mainly on county council-owned land and land not developed by local firms, would provide better access to all main arteries in and out of Cork.

A couple of years ago the NRA successfully objected to plans by Iarnród Éireann to build a commuter station at North Esk, on the northern side of the tunnel.

The NRA said it was premature to build on the site until it had carried out a review of the future development of the junction.

Mr Murtagh said two potential sites had been earmarked close by which would accommodate a railway station.

An Iarnród Éireann spokesman said it welcomed the move as it was “important strategically to develop” a station and park and ride facility in the area.

Morgan O’Brien, the managing director of ESI Technologies, which employs 40 people at North Esk and supplies equipment to the pharmachem industry, was impressed.

“At present the junction causes major disruption. We have a lot of trucks coming daily to supply us along with customers. This will make it easier for them and our employees.

“My only concern is that there may be some disruption during construction. Overall it looks fine,” Mr O’Brien said

While Glounthaune Community Association secretary Louise Opperman generally welcomed the plan she claimed the NRA had missed some opportunities.

“It all looks a bit complicated on paper. Some of us may get dizzy getting to the tunnel,” she said in reference to the spaghetti junction-style plans.

She said it was a pity the NRA did not build a slip road near Fota to serve the eastern end of Little Island.

Ms Opperman said the plan could create a bigger “rat run” through Glanmire because motorists on the northside of the city would have easier access through there to the main roads to Dublin and Waterford.

The NRA is hoping to start construction in early 2014 and have it finished before the end of 2016.