Limerick Northern Distributor Road Project Phase 2 Lisnagry – Annacotty Action Group Submission May 2012 Limerick Northern Distributor Road Project Phase 2 Lisnagry-Annacotty Action Group Document Control Document Number 121-151 –R1 Revision Date Prepared Checked Approved R0 (1st issue) 6.03.12 E McKendrick D Leahy E McKendrick R1 (2nd issue) 9.05.12 EMcKendrick D Leahy E McKendrick Approved for Issue by: Emma McKendrick BEng CEng MICE MIEI MCIWEM 121151 Page 1 May 2012 Limerick Northern Distributor Road Project Phase 2 Lisnagry-Annacotty Action Group Table of Contents Executive Summary..................................................................................................... 4 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................... 6 2.0 Review of Information Made Available to the Public .................................................... 7 2.1 Constraints Study Report................................................................................... 7 2.2 Preliminary Options Assessment / Project Appraisal of Route Options............................. 7 2.3 Commentary on the Information Reviewed ............................................................. 8 2.3.1 Need for the Scheme ..................................................................................... 8 2.3.2 Route Selections and Objectives ....................................................................... 8 2.3.3 Justification for the Distributor Road.................................................................. 9 3.0 Consideration of Environmental Impacts ................................................................. 10 3.1 Noise ......................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Air Quality................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Soils & Geology, Hydrogeology........................................................................... 11 3.4 The Lower River Shannon –(cSAC); Site Code 002165 ............................................... 11 3.5 Flood Risk Management ................................................................................... 12 3.5.1 CFRAMS .................................................................................................... 12 3.5.2 The Planning System & Flood Risk Management Guidelines....................................... 13 3.5.3 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment....................................................................... 15 3.5.4 Relevance of the Planning Flood Planning system & Flood Risk Management Guidelines (2009) to the Emerging Preferred Route ............................................................. 16 3.5.5 Flood Mitigation Measures .............................................................................. 16 3.5.6 Clare County Development Plan 2011–2017, Chapter 9 Environmental ......................... 16 3.5.7 Relevance of the Clare Co Co Development Plan to the Emerging Preferred Route .......... 18 3.5.8 Limerick County Development Plan 2010-2014...................................................... 18 3.5.9 Pallasgreen Zinc Mine ................................................................................... 20 3.5.10 Historic Flood Events / Extents........................................................................ 20 Flooding on the River Shannon November 2009 ..................................................... 20 Flooding on the River Mulcair .......................................................................... 21 General Impacts of Flooding on the Mountshannon Road .......................................... 21 3.5.11 Summary of the Impacts of Flooding.................................................................. 21 4.0 Economy ....................................................................................................... 22 4.1 Limerick – Clare Tunnel ................................................................................... 22 4.2 Killaloe Bypass, Shannon Bridge Crossing and R494 Improvement.................................. 23 4.3 Comparison of Route Corridor Options in Terms of Construction Costs ........................... 24 4.3.1 Economic Analysis ....................................................................................... 24 4.4 Summary of Economic Considerations .................................................................. 26 5.0 Safety........................................................................................................... 27 6.0 Accessibility and Social Inclusion .......................................................................... 27 121151 Page 2 May 2012 Limerick Northern Distributor Road Project Phase 2 Lisnagry-Annacotty Action Group 7.0 Integration..................................................................................................... 28 8.0 Transport Modeling........................................................................................... 28 8.1.1 Data Collection........................................................................................... 28 8.1.2 Transport Model.......................................................................................... 28 8.1.3 Model Forecasting........................................................................................ 28 9.0 Project Appraisal Balance Sheet ........................................................................... 29 9.1 Environmental Impacts of the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor ................................ 29 9.2 Safety Impacts .............................................................................................. 30 9.3 Economy ..................................................................................................... 30 9.4 Accessibility and Social Inclusion ........................................................................ 30 9.5 Integration .................................................................................................. 30 9.6 Outcome of PABS........................................................................................... 30 Appendix A Information in the Public Domain Public Consultation Documentation Mid-West Regional Planning Guidelines 2010 - 2022 Appendix B Drawing 121-151-003 Flood Extents Mapping (based on 2009 Flood) Drawing 121-151-004 Photographs of Flooding Route Map 01 Appendix C Route Proposed in the Fitzgerald Report for the Northern Distributor Road Appendix D GSI Mapping – Bedrock Faults Ground Water Report Ground Water Bodies GSI National Draft Bedrock Aquifer Map GSI National Draft Generalised Bedrock Map GSI National Draft Gravel Aquifer Map GSI National Vulnerability Map GSI subsoil Data 121151 Page 3 May 2012 Limerick Northern Distributor Road Project Phase 2 Lisnagry-Annacotty Action Group Executive Summary The Lisnagry-Annacotty Action Group engaged the services of PUNCH Consulting Engineers to prepare a written submission in relation to the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor for the Limerick Northern Distributor Road Phase 2 on their behalf. Much of the information included in the submission was compiled by members of the Action Group. The submission primarily relates to the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor from where it crosses the Shannon River to its termination at Docking Point E on the Dublin Road, though an opinion on the need, economic viability and justification for the scheme is also included. From a review of the Constraints Study report and other information provided to the Public it is apparent that: • The Need for the scheme is largely based on documentation prepared pre 2008. The relevance of these documents to 2012 has not been tested or reviewed. • No consideration has been given to the impact of the Limerick – Clare Tunnel. The Limerick - Clare Tunnel now provides a link between the M7 and the N18 (Annacotty to Coonagh) and as such much of the objective of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road has been already met. • No consideration has been given to the cost to the exchequer in compensation payments to Direct Route, arising from under utilization of the Limerick - Clare Tunnel which will be exacerbated by the provision of a toll free alternative public road. • No consideration has been given to the fact that traffic levels within the city have reduced in recent years, - Traffic counts PUNCH have undertaken in recent times, would suggest that the traffic flows in Limerick today are more akin to those in 2003 - and that the population of the mid-west region between 2006 and 2011 is known to have grown by a mere 5%. • No consideration has been given to the fact that the Killaloe Bypass will provide a further new crossing over the Shannon (linking Clare to Limerick/ North Tipp). • No consideration has been given to the economical un-viability of constructing the route through circa 1.75km of flood plain where the last extensive flooding occurred in 2009. It is estimated that the cost of constructing through the flood plain will increase the construction cost by a multiple of four. Significantly, the Emerging Preferred Route option, because of its extra distance will; • entail very sizeable additional construction expenditure • result in additional travel time and an unnecessary increase in carbon emissions • increase existing congestion at the proposed docking point. • The land associated with Route C1 in Co. Limerick appears to have been excluded from the Constraints Study