Road would reduce traffic by just 1%, hearing told

A proposed €15 million road in south Dublin will reduce traffic congestion by only 1 per cent, an oral hearing was told yesterday.

Alasdair Sim, associate director with Faber Maunsell, who provided traffic forecasts to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council about the proposed Monkstown Ring Road, told an An Bord Pleanála oral hearing that in its expected year of opening the road would carry between 16,700 and 25,000 vehicles per day.

He said in the locality studied "the net effect [of the proposed road] is about a 1 per cent reduction in congestion during peak periods across the whole network".

The proposed road will link Carysfort Avenue and Deansgrange Road via Fleurville, Rowanbyrn and Brookville Park, and will include the demolition of Yankee Terrace, a row of 11 late 19th century cottages, and five other properties on Newtownpark Avenue and Annaville Terrace.

It is designed to link Stillorgan and Dún Laoghaire, and has been a development plan objective since 1972.

Some 14 objections were received from residents whose homes have been served with compulsory purchase orders by the council.

A further 195 submissions were received in relation to the road from groups and individuals, including the Dublin Transportation Office, An Taisce and local residents' associations.

Barry Sheridan, an environmental consultant who prepared a submission on noise and vibration for the council's Environmental Impact Statement, acknowledged the proposed road would cause noise levels at Fleurville above the National Roads Authority's (NRA) guidelines. However, he said the NRA target was not applicable to the proposed road.