| Q1.1 | Who is running the project? |
| A1.1 | Tipperary County Council in conjunction with Limerick City and County Council are progressing the development of the N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction Project. The project is being managed by Mid West National Roads Design Office with Arup appointed as lead consultant to advance the project through the planning and design process. |
| Q1.2 | Why is the project needed? |
| A1.2 | The N24 is a strategic corridor from Limerick to Waterford and is particularly important for the enhancement of accessibility to the towns it passes through, namely Tipperary Town, Cahir, Clonmel and Carrrick-on-Suir and their rural hinterland. The N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction Project endeavours to resolve the existing transport and safety issues along the section of the N24 between Cahir and Limerick Junction. |
| Q1.3 | The Project name is confusing – why does the project extend so far west of Limerick Junction? |
| A1.3 | The extents of the project and the study area were extended on the western end from Limerick Junction to include Oola as there are some safety concerns with the existing railway bridge on the eastern side of the village on the existing N24 which were identified during Phase 1 of the project. The extension of the study area from Phase 1 to 2 was approved as part of the review process with TCC, Mid West NRDO and TII. |
| Q1.4 | What does “Preferred Option” mean? |
| A1.4 | The Alternative and/or Option that, thorough investigation and analysis by applying all the assessment criteria to all the Alternatives and Options, represents the best balance and most benefit. The Preferred Option is not the final design and may be subject to alteration as the design progresses. |
| Q1.5 | When will the Preferred Option be selected? |
| A1.5 | Following the completion of Public Consultation No. 2 the submissions received will be reviewed and processed by the design team and the Alternatives and Options further refined as part of Stage 2 of the Option Selection Process. The Stage 2 Alternatives and Options will be assessed by the project team (including the environmental specialists) and it is expected that a preferred solution will be selected in Q1 2022 and there will be another public display at that time. |
| Q1.6 | Upon receipt of the returned feedback forms, what difference does this make to the final outcome or how is this information used to determine the options? |
| A1.6 | The information is very valuable as additional constraints can be identified through this feedback. This helps inform our refinement of Alternatives and Options and the Option Selection process. |
| Q1.7 | When is the earliest timeframe that the project could be built? |
| A1.7 | The project is currently programmed to submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in Q2 2024. Once the planning application is submitted, An Bord Pleanála dictate the project timeline for the Oral Hearing (if one is required) and their decision date. If a positive decision is made by An Board Pleanála, and there are no court challenges to this decision, and funding for construction is approved by government it will subsequently take approximately two years to complete the detailed design and appoint a contractor. The duration for construction is currently unknown as the extents of the project are still unknown at this Phase. Therefore, the only certainty on timeframe at present is that it is expected that the submission of the planning application to An Bord Pleanála will occur in 2024. |
| Q1.8 | When will the project be submitted for planning permission and get planning consent? |
| A1.8 | The project is currently programmed to submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in Q2 2024. Once the planning application is submitted An Bord Pleanála, they dictate the project timeline for the Oral Hearing (if one is required) and their decision date. |
| Q1.9 | Why is the project starting again from a blank canvas? What has happened to the previous project? |
| A1.9 | The previous project was developed and assessed nearly 10 years ago and a lot may have changed in those years in terms of constraints and people’s movements (travel for work, education and recreation). It is important to start from a blank canvas to fully understand what the transport issues are, what are the trip generators and attractors and what is the most optimal transport solution. |
| Q1.10 | Can the section around Tipperary Town be prioritised and are interim measures being examined as part of this project that could help to improve traffic flow through Tipperary Town? |
| A1.10 | The transport issues along the full extents of the study area are being assessed and transport solutions are in development. The transport issues at Tipperary Town are part of these studies and a solution will be progressed as part of this project. The development of options for consideration as part of this project will be progressed in an incremental manner; from a base point of building up from the existing road network to potentially developing a totally new piece of road infrastructure. It is important to note that there are safety and transport issues along the full extents of the project which also need to be considered and addressed. All transport modes including walking and cycling facilities and improved public transport are being considered as part of the project. Future technologies such as facilities for autonomous vehicles will also be considered. |
| Q1.11 | Will my house be given the same level of importance as other constraints? |
| A1.11 | Your house is an important constraint and will be considered among all the constraints. |
| Q1.12 | Who is carrying out the environmental assessments on the options? |
| A1.12 | A large team of specialists are conducting the environmental assessments for the project. The numerous disciplines and their relevant specialists are listed below. -Landscape and Visual – Brady Shipman Martin -Ecology – Scott Cawley Ltd. -Archaeology and Cultural Heritage – Irish Archaeological Consultancy (IAC) -Human Beings and Population – Optimize Consultants -Air Quality – Arup -Climate – Arup -Noise and Vibration – AWN Consulting -Soils and Geology – Arup -Hydrogeology – Arup -Hydrology – Hydro Environmental Ltd. -Agronomy – Curtin Agricultural Consultants |
| Q1.13 | When will the planning permissions, which are currently frozen due to comments from this scheme, be unfrozen? When will the current planning referrals area be refined to a number of corridors and to a single preferred option? |
| A1.13 | Planning reviews will be undertaken on all planning applications of interest throughout the duration of the project. Following the commencement of Public Consultation No. 2 – Alternatives and Options, the area of interest for planning referrals will be refined from the constraints study area to a buffer around the proposed Option Corridors and will further reduce as we progress towards defining the preferred option/solution. Once the preferred option is adopted in Q2 2022, the area of interest will again be refined down. |
| Q1.14 | Can a member of the project team be contacted by the public or their representative to ascertain if a proposed planning application will be affected by the project? |
| A1.14 | Yes, our project liaison officer is available for the full duration of the project to answer any questions the public and interested parties may have in relation to the project. The project team will be able to advise of any potential conflicts between the proposed planning application and this project. |
| Q1.15 | Who finally decides to give planning or not? |
| A1.15 | The decision to give planning will be made by An Bord Pleanála after an Oral Hearing. |
| Q1.16 | When will I know the preferred option chosen and how will I find out how I am affected? |
| A1.16 | Following the completion of Public Consultation No. 2 the submissions received will be reviewed and processed by the design team and the Alternatives and Options further refined as part of Stage 2 of the Option Selection Process. The Stage 2 Alternatives and Options will be assessed by the project team (including the environmental specialists) and it is expected that a preferred solution will be selected in Q1 2022 and there will be another public display at that time. We will be contacting individual landowners who are affected by the preferred option once it has been selected. |
| Q1.17 | What type of surveys will be undertaken on my land? |
| A1.17 | Environmental specialists may have to undertake non-invasive site surveys (e.g. site walking for archaeology, habitat/mammal surveys for ecology etc.) on your property as part of the environmental studies. All specialists will be carrying identification and a letter of authorisation of access from Tipperary County Council. If you have you have any concerns about the people requesting to enter your land, please contact the Project Liaison Officer. |
| Q1.18 | What public transportation solutions are you studying? |
| A1.18 | We will consider enhancement, extension, or provision of public transport services or public transport infrastructure. Measures being considered include: -Improved inter-urban bus service -Improved local bus services in Tipperary Town -Improved local bus services in Cahir -Improved rail services, with no interchange between Limerick and Waterford, stopping at all stations along the Limerick to Waterford Line, including Tipperary Town and Cahir which fall within the study area -Frequencies of at least 1 train per hour during peak periods -Departure and arrival times linked to typical working patterns -Park and Ride facilities at Limerick Junction |
| A1.19 | What is Active Travel and what facilities are being provided for pedestrians and cyclist? What facilities are being provided for pedestrians? |
| Q1.19 | Active Travel means walking or cycling as part of a purposeful journey. Walking as part of a commute to work, cycling to the shop, or scooting to school are all considered Active Travel, whereas walking or cycling for recreational purposes are not. The provision of safe infrastructure to support Active Travel Options such as segregated cycling and walking facilities can also help alleviate congestion and meet climate action objectives by providing viable Alternatives and connectivity with existing public transport infrastructure. The benefits of Active Travel include health benefits as well as environmental and economic benefits. The Alternatives presented on Board 3 present the Active Travel and Demand Management measures being considered and includes a comprehensive cycle network, improved cycle facilities, as well as pedestrian/cycle facilities across the extents of the N24 corridor. This study is ongoing.. |
| Q1.20 | If you provide all the proposed public transport you are studying why do you need to build a new road? |
| A1.20 | A public transport based option on its own, similar to road based options, would be developed in an incremental manner as a means of determining whether public transport in and of itself would resolve the identified transportation issues. |
| Q1.21 | How will my personal data be handled? |
| A1.21 | Our full Privacy Statement with regards to the collection and usage of personal data is available on the project website. Personal data provided to the project team is stored securely and in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. The data will only be used for the purposes of the N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction Project. Data will not be retained for any longer than is necessary. |
| Q1.22 | Who makes the decision on the Preferred Option? |
| A1.22 | Having assessed all of the constraints, issues identified, and feedback received from the public consultation, the design team, which includes a team of environmental specialists, will make a recommendation on the Preferred Option to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee comprises senior management from Tipperary County Council, Mid West National Roads Design Office, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and the design team. |
| Q1.23 | How do I contact a member of the Project team to discuss the potential impacts on my property? |
| A1.23 | You can book a meeting through the contact us page on the project website with a member of design team, email us on cahirlimerick@midwestroads.ie or phone us on (061) 951 000 . |
| Q1.24 | What is the width of a corridor option and what is actually required? |
| A1.24 | The Option Corridors are 300m wide, with the exception of the urban areas where it is 150m wide. The design is not complete at this time and as such the actual width required is unknown but depending on the cross-section and the topography it could vary from 30m to 150m. |
| Q1.25 | Where is the design? |
| A1.25 | We are currently assessing corridors and the design could fall anywhere within those corridors depending on findings from the assessment and from feedback from the consultation and individual landowner meetings. |
| Q1.26 | When will the affected landowners under corridors be contacted? |
| A1.26 | The feasible Alternatives and Options identified are on display as part of Public Consultation No. 2 which commenced at 3pm on the 25 June 2021. This consultation is a virtual consultation and is currently programmed to run for six weeks with a closing date for submissions the 06 August 2021. Every landowner affected by one of the option corridors will be contacted by letter. |
| Q1.27 | What is meant by a ‘switch’? |
| A1.27 | A switch provides the option to switch between option corridors to form a new hybrid Option Corridor. |
| Q1.28 | Can the Option Corridor be changed? |
| A1.28 | It is unlikely that there will be major modifications to the Option Corridors, however, it is a certainty that some adjustments to the Option Corridor will occur as design is undertaken and information from surveys becomes available. |