Since it was first mooted almost 30 years ago, the proposal for an eastern bypass motorway has had the capacity to generate heated debate. Attacked by environmentalists and residents in affluent south Dublin but supported by many gridlock-weary motorists, it has proved too hot an issue to gain widespread support among political parties.
This was never more evident than in December 1992 when the former minister for the environment, Mr Michael Smith, decided to scrap the proposal amid heated debate on whether the motorway should be included in an upcoming plan of the Dublin Transportation Initiative.
With the mood at the time against the proposal, the announcement was seen as a means of gaining political capital for Fianna Fail in Dublin South-East.
With that history in mind, it is ironic that a Fianna Fail Government is now eager to be seen to be associated with the scheme.
Indeed, yesterday's announcement by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey, that he had advised the National Roads Authority to proceed with planning and design of the motorway, can be seen as important for political rather than planning reasons. The NRA had already commissioned a study of the proposal and was considering draft plans. What the Minister's announcement does, however, is to give the political impetus to make that a reality.
Undoubtedly, the Government has perceived a growing consensus that action was now required to address Dublin's chronic traffic problems. This was indicated last year when Dublin Corporation voted to reinstate the motorway as a transportation policy objective.
The motion was jointly sponsored by a cross-party group of three local councillors, the former lord mayor, Senator Joe Doyle (Fine Gael), Mr Eoin Ryan (Fianna Fail) and Mr Dermot Lacey (Labour), and supported by all members of the three parties.
The proposal had been under consideration by the local authority since the mid-1980s although the first serious commitment only came in 1994 with the commissioning of a £1 million report from consulting engineers Ove Arup.
Initial calculations put a price tag of £300 million on the project. However, this has since been revised to around £750 million under another feasibility study carried out by Arup and published this year by the NRA.
The report heavily favoured the motorway, concluding that it would result in significant operational and economic benefits. The project was also said to be feasible on engineering, environmental and economic grounds and suitable for delivery on a public-private partnership basis.
The route of the motorway has also changed under different plans, the latest involving a tunnel under Dublin Bay from Sandymount to Booterstown, and linking to the M50 C-ring at Sandyford through Foster's Avenue and Goatstown. One element of the plan which has always remained, however, is a link with the proposed Dublin Port Tunnel, now at planning stage.
The proposed motorway is expected to cater for up to 50,000 cars a day. The NRA has indicated planning will take at least four years, and construction a further four to five.
The project will certainly generate more heated debate, signalled by criticism yesterday by the Green Party's Dublin South-East TD, Mr John Gormley. "Traffic volumes are growing exponentially anyway and there's nothing to suggest it will alleviate traffic through Sandymount, Ringsend and Irishtown," he said.
There are also early indications of party divisions on the issue, with Labour's city councillor Mr Dermot Lacey welcoming the announcement but fellow councillor Mr Kevin Humphreys criticising it.
The latter accused the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats coalition of caving in once again to the road lobby. "This Government has failed Dublin and failed to deal with the huge traffic problem currently in the city. They have reverted to old ways and have not learnt the lessons from other countries," said Mr Humphreys.
It seems the battle lines are only just being drawn.