‘No’ to plans for new M50 exit between Red Cow and Lucan

DESPITE the high volume of motor accidents at a hotspot on the M50 in Lucan and Liffey Valley, there are no plans to install a new exit between the Red Cow and Lucan.

It was a proposal removed from a previous county development plan.

Cllr Liona O’Toole (Ind) requested South Dublin County Council revisit the possibility of Exity 8 – in light of the recent traffic statistics, and major housing plans for the Clonburris SDZ and City Edge.

Analysis of accident statistics this year, from January 1 to August 31, revealed there were 1,088 incidents on the M50, of which 399 were collisions, working out at 50 crashes a month.

Lucan and Liffey Valley between 4pm and 5pm is the part of the M50 when motorists are most likely to be involved in a crash.

An examination of a sample of nearly 200 accidents on the M50 revealed the biggest concentration of crashes was around Junction 7 – Lucan and Liffey Valley, at 18 per cent.

News of the statistics last month came as no surprise to Lucan resident Cllr O’Toole, who believes Exit 8 would alleviate serious traffic issues in this area.

SDCC said the management of the M50 and connecting roads to the M50 is a joint matter for the National Transport Authority and Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

“In the current GDA Transport Strategy, there is no proposal to create an Exit 8 onto the M50,” said SDCC in response to Cllr O’Toole at an area meeting this week.

“Our policy must be aligned to all the higher national transport policy objectives. Therefore, although it was included in the previous County Development Plan, it was not included as a proposal in our current County Development Plan.

“The NTA have done the analysis on an Exit 8 and have decided it is not feasible to create an additional M50 connection.”

SDCC said the Clonburris SDZ scheme, and in particular the traffic network requirements, has been designed on the basis that there would be “no change to connections onto the M50.”

The local authority attribute the current congestion on the N4 “in part to an over-reliance on the car.”

They said there are continued efforts to improve pedestrian, cycling and public transport infrastructure in the area.

“As these improvements are created and as public attitudes change, car usage will decrease allowing the existing road capacity to suffice in most locations,” said SDCC.

“This is the agreed national transport strategy and we must focus on sustainable transport movement and not on improvements for the car which experience has taught leads to greater car numbers and not the reverse.”