The NTA's Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) 2016-2035 considers the future national, regional and local road network as part of its consideration of a Strategy aimed at addressing urban congestion and improving the efficiency and sustainability of the urban transport system in the GDA. The Strategy sets out principles for road development in the GDA and those principles include:
- That alternative solutions such as public transport provision, traffic management or demand management measures cannot effectively and satisfactorily address the road proposal or are not applicable or appropriate together;
- Each proposed road scheme is consistent with the Strategy and Government policy; and
- Each scheme does not diminish in any significant way the expected beneficial outcome of the Strategy.
As part of a Corridor options appraisal, the Strategy considers the measures needed to meet travel demand on the economic Drogheda to Dublin City Corridor. In the options appraisal the Strategy has identified that capacity constraints exist on the intersection of the Malahide Road with the east-west R139 at Balgriffin/Clare Hall and that a road solution is proposed to address the issue.
As the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area is a statutory function of the relevant road authority in accordance with the provisions of the Roads Act, 1993, as amended, development of proposals in relation to such a road scheme is a matter for the local authority.