NRA: Legal challenge adds E10m to cost of M50

The National Roads Authority wants a reform to the heritage laws in order to prevent a repeat of the Carrickmines controversy.

Today the High Court dismissed the latest challenge to halt the progress of the M50 through the medieval ruins at the south Dublin site.

The NRA said the legal dispute has added an extra €10m to the cost and a delay of nearly one year for the Motorway extension.

Today's High Court judgement has been welcomed by the the Minister for Transport, Séamus Brennan.

The Minister also said that he has requested that the National Roads Authority and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council examine, barring further legal challenge, all options open to them to accelerate completion of the motorway ahead of the current date of September 2005.

In a statement issued tonight, Brennan said: "Hopefully this High Court judgement marks the end of challenges to this critically important project and that work can now proceed on completing the Southern Eastern Motorway (M50) as a matter of urgency.

"Completion of the scheme will bring significant benefits in terms of ongoing economic activity in the Ballinteer, Dundrum, Sandyford, Stepaside, Wyattville, and Shankill areas of Dublin."

The South Eastern Motorway is in its final phase which will complete the M50 C-Ring Motorway around Dublin, part of which currently carries in excess of 80,000 vehicles per day.