I propose to take Questions Nos. 138, 139 and 433 together.
My Department has been assured by the Dublin Transportation Office, DTO, and the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, that under the current scheme, Luas, which has its own overbridge and will travel on its own dedicated track, will have no negative implications for traffic on the Red Cow roundabout.
However, given the concerns that have been expressed at the potential for traffic congestion at the Red Cow roundabout, my Department commissioned a technical report to analyse the feasibility of providing a separation between the Luas and local road infrastructure. The consultants estimated that the cost would be in the order of €20 million to €30 million.
The RPA has recently communicated to the Department its views on the proposals put forward in the report and has estimated that a realistic cost of constructing a grade separated solution and the consequential costs arising from interruption of services is at least €50 million, with a minimum timescale of two and a half years.
The NRA has today announced proposals that can achieve major improvements in the key traffic movements on the M50, including at the N7 Red Cow roundabout. The proposals will involve total expenditure of €300 million. Subject to approval of the necessary EIS and motorway scheme by An Bord Pleanála, it should be possible for the NRA to start construction of phase 1 of the M50 project in March 2005; this would mean upgrading the N7 roundabout and the N4 interchange at Palmerstown as well as construction of a third lane in the centre median for each carriageway between the two interchanges.
Question No. 140 answered with Question No. 74.
