24-hour helpline for residents during construction of children’s hospital
By Maurice Garvey
A 24-HOUR helpline for residents has been created by contractors involved in the new children’s hospital at St James’s Hospital, to mitigate against potential traffic problems arising from construction works, reports Maurice Garvey.
BAM Ireland, who were awarded the contract for the project last year at an estimated value of €600 million, will begin their move onto the former Lyons Tea site at Davitt Road on February 5.
The site will be used as a temporary construction compound for the duration of the construction.
Scheduled to open in 2022, the new hospital will have more than 6,000 rooms, four acres of outdoor space, and be the size of Dundrum Shopping Centre.
In addition to the hospital, a Children’s Research and Innovation Centre and a 53-family accommodation unit is also being constructed on campus, as well as two new outpatients and urgent care centres at Tallaght Hospital and Connolly Hospital.
The Drimnagh Residents Association say traffic is a “main concern” for residents, and that they are monitoring the situation on an “on-going basis.”
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board told The Echo that a small 100m v 100m section of the Davitt Road compound will be used to store building materials and “allow for the controlled arrival of materials on the site of the hospital on the campus shared with St James’s Campus, mitigating against potential traffic impacts.”
In response to queries regarding resident’s concerns, the Board said: “Very careful and detailed planning has been done to ensure that traffic disruption is kept to a minimum. The traffic and mobility programme has been approved by the National Transport Authority and Dublin City Council and was also rigorously analysed by an Bord Pleanála as part of the planning process.
“Throughout the construction of the new children’s hospital, direct engagement is taking place on an ongoing basis with residents to mitigate against disruption as a result of the construction. Measures include a dedicated 24/7 resident’s helpline – on 531 1110 – which has been established by the builders BAM, a regular resident newsletter which is delivered door-to-door, and a resident’s project monitoring committee.
“The NPHDB is also meeting with the Drimnagh Residents Association directly to address their queries about the Davitt Road compound.”
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