The JRA sent the following correspondence to our local councillors. Please email the JRA at info@jra.me with any queries and concerns:
Re: Proposed Temporary Closure of N11 between Kill Lane and Cherrywood Interchange – Night Works
On 22/08 Johnstown Residents Association (JRA) received notification from Cormac Devlin T.D about a proposed road closure for the N11 between 18/09 and 30/11.
We subsequently found the reference to the proposed closure, dated 21/08, on your website here.
While upgrading of road and cycle infrastructure in the county area is welcome, Johnstown Resident Association has a number of significant concerns in relation to this proposal, which we submit to the Council as below. Considering no information has been provided regarding any provision for single lane access, local access or emergency service access, we are working off the assumption that this proposal is a total road closure – i.e. worst case scenario – every evening & night, between 1930 and 0500, for 10 weeks.
1:
The N11 is the main N/S transport artery in the County. There is a significant volume of private car, public transport, taxis, bicycles, HGVs, service and delivery vehicles that use this route between the hours of 1930 and 0500.
Can the Council advise what specific roads it is planned to re-route this traffic through during the hours of the closure hours?
This is a key question for the JRA as there are two roads in our area, Granville Road and Rochestown Avenue that run parallel to the N11 at close proximity and could very conceivably be considered as alternate routes by road users. Additionally Johnstown Road and its link to Pottery Road and Churchview Road and it’s link to Granville Road and Church Road are also likely to be impacted.
2:
The impact on Public transport, which is used daily by a very significant amount of residents of all ages in our area is also unclear. Where will access to the key 145 and 155 bus routes be available from?
Additionally the 63 bus crosses the N11 at the Cabinteely crossroads and is a major link between the Luas and Dun Laoghaire. How will this service be maintained?
3:
What Traffic Management plans, regarding flow and timings, will be put in place, and executed effectively, in order to minimise disruption to residents and local businesses in the wider area?
4:
How will emergency service “blue-light” access be maintained? Is there any analysis being undertaken of the expected impact on the standard ambulance, fire tender and gardai response times for the area?
5:
There are 3 pedestrian entrances along Granville Road to Kilbogget Park, which is heavily utilised by local residents and a wide variety of young peoples sports clubs (including FoxCab GAA, Cabinteely GAA, Cabinteely F.C, Seapoint Rugby Club and Cabinteely Athletics Club), who may now have to manage much heavier traffic crossing the road to the park.
If Granville Road is expected to be adversely affected, will additional temporary pedestrian road crossing points be put in place for the duration of the proposed works to ensure the safety of pedestrians, especially younger, older and mobility impaired pedestrians, cross the road and access the park safely?
6:
What measures will be put in place to ameliorate any expected additional noise pollution and air pollution from traffic, through and near residential roads?
7:
Has consideration been given to the physical impact of heavier traffic on residential roads? How will this be monitored by the Council? Will immediate remediation works be put in place to fix any damage to road surfaces unsuited to heavy vehicles such as buses and HGVs?
The JRA board of directors will likely be in receipt of significant correspondence from our local residents regarding the scale, length of time and potential impact of these works. Should any additional queries, not covered above, be brought to the attention of the JRA board of directors, we will forward them on to you before 12 noon 06/09.
A note on the proposed timing:
It would appear that the proposed starting closure time of 1930 is unreasonably early, given the fact that a significant number of commuters from work and college, on private cars and buses, will still be returning home at this hour. Additionally there will also be a significant of people using the N11 in our area going to and from sports training, evening school etc at this hour.
Two final points, by way of general observation.
Considering the scale of work being proposed and the potential disruption, it is disappointing that the JRA were initially alerted to these proposed works and public consultation by a local T.D, as opposed to the Local Authority themselves, who would have our contact details on file. An improvement in direct communication regarding these proposed works with local residents associations and local residents generally would be appreciated.
There is considerable local dissatisfaction with the length of time taken for the relatively minor junction realignment and cycleway infrastructure provision along the nearby Wyattville Road and especially at its junction with Churchview Road. What guarantees can the Local Authority give that we will not have a repeat of the same situation? These works were expected to commence Q3 2021, with a duration of 9 months as per your contracted engineers report, page 11. It is now the end of Q3 2023 and the works would appear to still be some distance from final completion. We would hope that the proposed works on the N11 would not end up following this pattern.
As a courtesy the JRA will be cc’ing this submission to local councillors in the Killiney-Shankill LEA.
Your sincerely,
Johnstown Residents Association clg.