Northern Distributor Road to benefit city’s north-side, wider Limerick area and the region – Limerick Chamber event hears
The Northern Distributor Road has the potential to open up and ensure that the economic upturn gripping Limerick spreads to all parts of the city, a Limerick Chamber event has been told.
Addressing an information meeting on proposals to construct the road, Director of Policy Caroline Kelleher said that the Northern Distributor Road will bring key engines of growth, such as the access to the city centre, business parks, education institutes and Shannon Airport, even closer to the area.
The Distributor Road, she said, would not alone unlock and be hugely beneficial for this part of the city but would be a vital piece of infrastructure for the wider Limerick area and Mid-West Region.
“Government policy is now firmly focused on the development of the National Planning Framework and obtaining balanced regional development, which will be driven by regional cities,” she told the gathering.
“All of Limerick, and not just parts of it, must be developed if our city is going to fulfil its potential as a dynamic urban area in its own right but also one that acts as the engine room for the entire region.
“The development of the Northern Distributor Road is one of the key pieces of infrastructure that can help make this happen. Currently, inappropriate road capacity is leading to increased congestion, longer journey times, higher costs and suppressed economic activity. It affects competitiveness and must be addressed”.
“The need to improve transport links has also been identified as a key ingredient in the regeneration of the deprived parts of the city and this road will be a huge step in that direction. So, it is a win for the Moyross area, the north-side of the city, Limerick and the Mid-West.”
A presentation on the night from Senior Engineer Vincent Murray with Limerick City and County Council revealed that capacity constraints on the road in the vicinity of the National Technology Park (NTP) and the University of Limerick (UL) can result in up to 40 minute delays in exiting UL and up to 20 mins in getting out of the NTP and onto the R445 – the old Dublin to Limerick Road at Annacotty.
“This shows the potential impact of the Northern Distributor Road. It will be beneficial to an area stretching from Annacotty to Coonagh and beyond,” Ms Kelleher added.
Addressing flooding, some of the concerns raised in relation to the Northern Distributor Road, Mr Murray stressed that the OPW are satisfied that the Flood Risk Management Plan Justification test applied and passed in respect to the proposed Northern Distributor Road Corridor, which recognises that the road will not contribute to additional flooding in the area.
Director of Services with Limerick City and County Council, Kieran Lehane informed the group that documents relating to the proposal will be published on 25th February, 2017 and will be available on the Council’s web site. They can also be viewed at the Council offices at County Hall, Dooradoyle, City Hall, Merchant’s Quay and the libraries at Watch House Cross, the Granary or Dooradoyle. Limerick Chambers Director of Policy noted that the Chamber would continue to work on advancing this scheme.
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