Dublin City Council is progressing with a plan to link the south end of the Clontarf to City Centre Cycle and Bus Priority Project to existing cycle routes on the quays.
The missing link was always due to be filled in towards Talbot Memorial Bridge at some point after the main project had progressed.
The main project — which is currently under construction — runs from the main entrance of Connolly Station at Amiens Street to Alfie Byrne Road via North Strand Road and Fairview. At Alfie Byrne Road it links to the northern section of the S2S Dublin Bay route. As reported first by IrishCycle.com, the completion of the project has been delayed for the second time.
In an update to councillors since then, officials said North Strand Road would be reopened to two-way private traffic by the end of September, and there would be “pockets of works” being finished off after that.
Local Cllr Donna Cooney (Green Party) said: “Patience is beginning to wear very thin at this point, and we’d like to see it completed as soon as possible.”
The inbound cycle track was mostly opened last year, and has already resulted in a 24% increase in use of the route ahead of any substantial section of the cycle route being opened outbound.
The Clontarf route project’s consultative forum, which is made up of councillors and stakeholder groups, was recently told that the missing link between Connolly Station and the River Liffey is expected to depend on the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan for the area around Custom House. The transport plan proposes to make either the area in front or the rear of Custom House car-free, not both.
The council said that the layouts between the train station and the northeast corner of Custom House are “intended to be broadly similar to the Clontarf to City Centre Scheme”. It said the inbound bus stop outside and Connolly Station “requires particular attention”.
The plan for fully bridging the gap between the current southern end of the Clontarf to City Centre Project to the quays will depend on which options around Custom House is chosen. Espcially on the short section on the streets around the northeast corner of Custom House to the quays. A note in the presentation states: “The Extent of Works in this image shall depend on plans associated with the DRAFT Dublin City Centre Transport Plan 2023.”
The intended timeline includes finalising the design in Q2 and planning for Q3 of this year. The council said there are “Discussions ongoing with NTA to incorporate into NTA Programme of Works”.
The following draft drawings were presented to the project’s consultative forum:
Not quite all the way to the quays unfortunately.
The drawings are only the current drafts, the design of the secion to the quays is pending depending on the progress on the City Centre Transpot Plan.
What is the extent of the footpath widening in this section?
I welcome this. 4 lanes of vehicular traffic is far too much.
Well now that would be nice
Nothing to link to the south quays? In fairness, with the amount of traffic lights at Memorial Road, it is relatively easy to filter from the left bus lane over to the right-hand side and go straight over the bridge.
I know this is irishcycle.com, but I have to say, I hope the plan also involves re-aligning the southbound car lanes at the Custom House/Memorial Road! The “straight on” lane is the right-hand lane with a bus lane to the right, but cars in the middle lane (should be for over the bridge and turning left) continually barge into the right-hand lane after the yellow box. The markings are atrocious and there is zero signage.