The Minister for Transport is expected to scrap plans to put the Luas on stilts over the Red Cow roundabout and instead opt for the construction of a three-tiered spaghetti junction at a cost of more than €30 million. Carl O'Brien reports.
The interchange, notorious for traffic congestion, is expected to take around two years to build and would not impede the Luas light rail system.
The new junction would form part of a wider €300 million National Roads Authority plan to upgrade the M50 around Dublin by upgrading other junctions over a five-year period.
However, the Minister wants the upgrading of the Red Cow interchange - the State's busiest roundabout - to be fast-tracked and built within a two-year period.
The spaghetti junction would include a series of cloverleaf fly-overs and loops. However, details of the plans are still being worked out and an announcement is due before Christmas.
Controversy over the Red Cow roundabout arose earlier this year when it emerged that the Luas would be sharing the same road space as cars, leading to even more acute traffic congestion. The Minister has been considering two options: to put the Luas on stilts at a cost of around €20 million and further delay its arrival, or upgrade the junction itself.
However, Mr Brennan told The Irish Times yesterday he favoured the construction of an upgraded junction, although some details remained to be resolved before a final decision is made in the coming weeks.
The Minister conceded that the construction of the junction was likely to lead to further traffic congestion in the short-term, but said he was determined that it would be built within the shortest possible period of time.
Given the state of the public finances, it is likely the junction will be built by the private sector.
National Toll Roads has already expressed interest in the project. The firm, which makes around €12 million per annum from the Westlink and Eastlink toll bridges, has told the Minister it will pay the entire cost of the project in exchange for its toll franchise being extended by a further 20 years after its current deal expires in 2017.
While the NTR's toll booths have been criticised for adding to traffic congestion, the firm is said to be willing to use more modern technology to help improve traffic flow.
The National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) has reportedly expressed an interest in the project as well, along with other road-building schemes.
It has also emerged that plans to upgrade the M50 to three lanes have been cut back.
The NRA hoped to rebuild all the M50 "roundabout" junctions to "free flow" status, but the cost, at €700 million, was too high.
The cost has subsequently been reduced to around €300 million by taking a more selective approach to the upgrading of junctions and the widening of the road.