N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) Route Corridor Selection Report Volume I N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) Route Corridor Selection Report Volume I Author: Various Various Checkers: Will Murray & Paula Ga lvin Approvers: Mick Farey & Tim Carter For and on behalf of Hyder Tobin Consultants Report No: 5049 -GD01038 -DBR -08 - Date: June 2010 RCSR-Volume 1-Final June 10 MASTER v5 N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) Route Corridor Selection Report Volume I Contents 1 Executive Summary......................................................1 2 Introduction and Scheme Context ................................5 2.1 Local Geography and National Road Network....................................................................................5 2.2 The Need for the Scheme...................................................................................................................6 2.3 Previous Studies and History of the Scheme....................................................................................23 2.4 Scheme Objectives...........................................................................................................................25 3 Route Corridor Options...............................................27 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................27 3.2 Constraints Study..............................................................................................................................27 3.3 The “Do-nothing” and “Do-minimum” Options..................................................................................28 3.4 Development of Route Corridor Options...........................................................................................34 3.5 Public Consultation for Route Corridor Selection..............................................................................41 3.6 Introduction to the Appraisal Chapters..............................................................................................43 4 Environmental Appraisal.............................................45 4.1 Land Use: Planning...........................................................................................................................47 4.2 Land Use: Socio – Economics..........................................................................................................77 4.3 Land Use: Agriculture (Soils, Intensity of Farming, Land Take and Severance) ..............................94 4.4 Air Quality .......................................................................................................................................112 4.5 Noise and Vibration.........................................................................................................................138 4.6 Cultural and Architectural Heritage.................................................................................................148 4.7 Soils and Geology and Hydrogeology.............................................................................................223 4.8 Landscape and Visual.....................................................................................................................288 4.9 Hydrology and Drainage .................................................................................................................328 4.10 Natural Environment .......................................................................................................................374 4.11 Phase 4...........................................................................................................................................441 5 Engineering Appraisal ..............................................445 5.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................445 5.2 Design Standards and Criteria........................................................................................................446 Hyder Tobin Consultants Page i N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) Route Corridor Selection Report Volume I 5.3 Earthworks......................................................................................................................................454 5.4 Construction Phasing and Impacts during Construction.................................................................456 5.5 Pavement........................................................................................................................................460 5.6 Drainage .........................................................................................................................................460 5.7 Utilities 462 5.8 Structures........................................................................................................................................468 5.9 Cost Estimates................................................................................................................................470 5.10 Engineering Appraisal: Conclusions ...............................................................................................471 6 Traffic & Economic Appraisal ...................................473 6.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................473 6.2 Traffic Surveys and Model Building ................................................................................................473 6.3 Model Validation .............................................................................................................................477 6.4 Forecasting .....................................................................................................................................479 6.5 Cost and Benefit Analysis...............................................................................................................483 6.6 Transport Integration.......................................................................................................................489 7 Results of the Route Corridor Option Appraisals .....497 7.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................497 7.2 Environmental Appraisal Results....................................................................................................501 7.3 Engineering Appraisal Results........................................................................................................502 7.4 Economic Appraisal Conclusions....................................................................................................502 7.5 Public Consultation Feedback (see Appendix 3, Volume III)..........................................................503 7.6 Summary of Results........................................................................................................................504 8 The Identification of the Preferred Route Corridor ...506 8.1 The Emerging Preferred Route Corridor: Summary of Feedback Received (see Appendices 25 & 26, Volume II)..................................................................................................................506 8.2 Investigation of Suggested Modifications to the EPRC...................................................................507 8.3 Conclusions and Recommendations in relation to the Preferred Route Corridor ...........................529 References .............................................................................532 Hyder Tobin Consultants Page ii N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) Route Corridor Selection Report Volume I List of Tables Table 2.2-1 Comparison of Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on the N4 for 2003 & 2007 7 Table 2.2-2 Traffic flows from Temporary Traffic Counters on the N4, February to August 2008 7 Table 2.2-3 Summary of Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Flows derived from 2008 Base Model ....8 Table 2.2-4 Future Traffic Growth Factors Rebased to 2008 9 Table 2.2-5 Summary of Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Flows for 2035 ‘Do-Nothing’ at NRA High Growth 10 Table 2.2-6 Number of At-Grade Junctions along the N4 between Mullingar and Roosky 14 Table 3.3-1 Number of Built Properties in Vicinity 31 Table 4.1-1 Significance Criteria for Planning and Land Use 48 Table 4.1-2 Route Corridor Option 1: Planning and Land Use Impacts 59 Table 4.1-3 Route Corridor Option 2: Planning and Land Use Impacts 62 Table 4.1-4 Route Corridor Option 3: Planning and Land Use Impacts 65 Table 4.1-5 Route Corridor Option 4: Planning and Land Use Impacts 67 Table 4.1-6 Route Corridor Option 5: Planning and Land Use Impacts 70 Table 4.1-7 Route Corridor Option 6: Planning and Land Use Impacts 73 Table 4.1-8 Summary of Impacts: National / Regional Policy 75 Table 4.1-9 Summary of Impacts: Local Planning and Land-Use Policy 76 Table 4.2-1 Significance Criteria 77 Table 4.2-2 Population Statistics 1991 – 2006 78 Table 4.2-3 Travel Time to Work 80 Table 4.2-4 Means of Travel to Work 81 Table 4.2-5 National/Regional Impact Summary 90 Table 4.3-1 Types of Soils within the Landtake of each Route Corridor Option 1 97 Table 4.3-2 Results of Quantitative Measurements: Land Take and Severance 100 Table 4.3-3 Qualitative Assessment Results: Soils and Intensity of Farming 104 Table 4.3-4 Results of Quantitative Measurements: Land Take and Severance 106 Table 4.3-5 Relative Results