An Bord Pleanála Ref.: HA0045 / MA0012 An Bord Pleanála ASSISTING INSPECTOR’S REPORT TO SENIOR INSPECTOR NATURE AND PURPOSE OF REPORT: To inform the report of the Board’s Senior Inspector on traffic and transport issues arising, including the adequacy of baseline information, the assessment of the likely impacts on traffic and transportation and the appropriateness and validity of traffic modelling; the need for the scheme having regard to policy provision, the strategic function of the road and road safety; the alternatives investigated and detailed design issues having regard to relevant roads standards. Local Authority : Kildare County Council. Proposed scheme : Naas to Newbridge bypass upgrade and replacement Newhall interchange scheme. Dates of Site Inspection : 29/04/14, 08/05/14 and 15/05/14; Date of oral hearing : 23/05/14, 16/05/14 and 06/06/14 Inspector : John Desmond HA0045 / MA0012 An Bord Pleanála Page 1 of 71 Part A 1.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 1.1 The application site, comprising those lands contained within the indicated boundary as ‘ lands made available ’ in drawings figure 4.2 to figure .4.10, inclusive, of EIS Volume 3, encompasses approximately 13.6km length of the M7 / N7, extending between junction 8 Johnstown Interchange, to the east/north, and junction 11 Great Connell, between M7/M9, to the west/south. 1.2 The site encompasses junction 11 Great Connell; c.1km of the R445 (Newbridge to Naas road) including its over-bridge of the M7; junction 10 Newhall Interchange, including its over-bridge of the M7, two direct M7 off- slips and one direct M7 merge lane; an indirect M7 merge lane from the Newhall Interchange via the Bundle of Sticks roundabout on R445/L2030, including an intervening section of Due Way Road (local road, unnumbered); a section of unnamed / unnumbered local road (from the direction of Newtown townland) connecting at the junction of the local road (from Bundle of Sticks) and the M7 Newhall westbound merge. The site also encompasses junction 9 Maudlins Interchange between the M7 and R445 (Naas to Dublin and Johnstown); the R445 between the Maudlins Interchange roundabout and the M7 westbound off-slip roundabout, and a c.200m section of the L2014 to Johnstown. For clarity, junction 8 Johnstown Interchange does not fall within the boundary to the road scheme. 1.3 A grass median with hawthorn hedgerow runs along almost the entirety of the subject length of the M7 / N7. The EIS indicates that the width of the median varies from 12-15m wide between J11 and J10 and is c.8m between J10 and J9. 1.4 Junction 11 Great Connell Interchange is not a full interchange and only facilitates access from the M9 to the M7 in the eastbound direction and access from the M7 in the westbound direction to the M9 southbound (the M9 commences at junction 12). There is no access from the M9 to the M7 westbound and no access from the M7 eastbound to the M9. The merge from the M9 to the M7 has two lanes extending up c.1km in length. 1.5 Junction 10 Newhall Interchange is not a full interchange, although it facilitates full interchangeability indirectly. It allows direct egress from and access to the M7 in the eastbound direction and also allows direct egress from the M7 from the westbound lane. Access to the M7 westbound is facilitated indirectly via the junction of the R445 and the L2030 at the Bundle of Sticks roundabout and Due Way Road. The design of the interchange is a one-sided dumbbell (northern side), with the M7 off-slip and merge slip meeting the L2030 at a relatively small roundabout which also accommodates access to the M7 Business Park. The M7 westbound off-slip terminates at the HA0045 / MA0012 An Bord Pleanála Page 2 of 71 priority junction with the L2030. The Bundle of Sticks roundabout acts as a default southern side to the dumbbell junction. The interchange acts as a western / southern interchange serving Naas and as a northern / eastern interchange serving Newbridge. 1.6 Junction 9 Maudlins Interchange is a J-type interchange with a roundabout on the southern side. It accommodates full interchangeability. 1.7 The western distributor road (also known as the Naas Orbital route 1) runs approximately parallel to the M7 between the Bundle of Sticks Roundabout and Sallins Road, with the route continuing north to Junction 9, Maudlins Interchange, as Monread Road. The WDR is the principle traffic route through Millennium Park and effectively forms an inner bypass to Naas. It is designated as a local road. 2.0 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: 2.1 The proposed development comprises, as follows: • The widening from two to three lanes of the M7 between junction 11 Great Connell (M7/M9 merge) and Junction 9 Maudlins, over a length of c.13km, including: o Consequential minor reconfiguration of the section of dual 3-lane all- purpose road between junction 9 Maudlins and junction 8 Johnstown which currently includes a lane gain/drop as the road passes through Maudlins interchange, following the existing alignment; o Constructed within the existing grass median; o Drainage works provided within grass verges and 5 new attenuation ponds alongside motorway (chainage 4+400 to 4+800; 6+500 to 6+700; 7+700 to 7+900; and 11+400 to 11+500 approximately) some requiring new land-take; • Closure of motorway slips to the existing junction 10 Newhall Interchange. • Construction of a new dumbbell interchange (new junction 10) with existing R445 Naas-Newbridge Road 700m south of existing junction 10, with two new roundabouts on R445, one either side of existing motorway bridge (ch 6+700); • Local reconfiguration of the merge and diverge tapers at junction 11 Great Connell to effect a lane gain/drop; • Local reconfiguration of eastbound merge and westbound diverge tapers at junction 9 Maudlins to eliminate current lane gain / drop arrangement; 1 For consistency, I will refer to this route only as the Western Distributor Route or the WDR. HA0045 / MA0012 An Bord Pleanála Page 3 of 71 • Due Way road, currently acting as a local access road and a M7 merge slip will be locally realigned to the south of the new Newhall interchange to provide for local access only and omitting the M7 merge slip and a new roundabout will be provided to maintain access to the surrounding lands. 2.2 Road design details The proposed M7 upgrade road cross-section is as follows: • 3.0m hard-shoulder, 3no.X 3.5m traffic lanes; median hard-strip 1.0m required by TD27 resulting in 14.5m each side. Existing is 3m, 3no.X 3.65m; 1m = 11.3m. Additional hard-surface required is 3.2m per carriageway. • A concrete barrier will be provided for each carriageway with (leaving space in-between) except between ch 13+670 and Ch 14+300 due to level difference to be retained by concrete barriers. • Existing speed limits (120kph between J11 and J9 and 100kph between J9 and J8) to be retained. 3.0 Environmental Impact Assessment 3.1 The application is accompanied by an EIS. 4.0 Compulsory Purchase Order 4.1 The proposed development requires land take from the following parties: 5.0 PLANNING HISTORY 5.1 Road schemes - HD0032: Application for Local Authority Road Development EIS Direction in respect of the proposed upgrade of existing pedestrian, cycle and vulnerable road user facilities along the R407 Sallins Road, from Naas to Sallins Village. DECISION DUE 23/09/14. HA0046: Concurrent application for M7 Osberstown Interchange and R407 Sallins Bypass scheme. DECISION PENDING. HA0018: The Local Authority Road Development Application was lodged by Kildare County Council on 04/11/08. The Board decided on 26/02/10 to REFUSE TO APPROVE the proposed M7 Osberstown Interchange motorway scheme. The main reason for refusal can be summarised as concern over project splitting of projects requiring EIA, with consideration of the proposed Osberstown interchange premature in the absence of the concurrent consideration of the Sallins bypass (having regard to the objectives in the Sallins LAP 2009 in addition to objectives in the Naas TDP 2005) as part of an overall development proposal. HA0045 / MA0012 An Bord Pleanála Page 4 of 71 The Board’s reasons and considerations included reference to the Sallins LAP 2009 objectives to provide for a new interchange to relieve congestion on the other two interchanges and provide additional connectivity to the local, regional and national network; to facilitate improved public transport services included n/s public transport link across the M7 motorway link between Sallins and Naas in accordance with CDP 2005 objectives; and the achievement of the SLAP 2009 objective for a public transport interchange connecting the M7 and the railway. TR4(iv) and PT5 of Sallins LAP; sections 4.2.7 objective M25c and 4.2.3 of the NTDP 2011. A submission received from NRA (23/12/09) indicated no objection in principle and stated that ‘ the authority is conscious of the significance attached by the County Council and the Town Council to the Osberstown Interchange as an integral element of an overall transport plan for the area which seeks, inter alia, to improve regional transport linkages to a new and expanded Naas and Sallins Train Station, provide an extensive park and ride facility to serve the Naas and Sallins station and to create regional/local bus/rail interchange facilities . The successful implementation of this strategy would, in the local authorities [sic] view, facilitate a transfer of car-based commuter traffic off the M7 to rail These objectives strongly influenced the Authority’s position on the Council’s proposal for the M7 interchange.” …The Authority recognises that the Newhall Interchange will require upgrading in the future; the proposed Osberstown interchange is likely to result in some deferment of this requirement.