Today, the Project Team for the Blackglen Road / Lamb’s Cross project have sent a detailed update in relation to progress/delays on the project and the traffic management plan. I have raised the issue of the behaviour of traffic management operatives with the council’s traffic engineers on the project. I’ve also kept pressing the project team for progress updates throughout the project.
If you have any issues to report, please let me know.
The summary of the update provided with us today Thursday 5th October:
- An unexpected issue came up with groundwater while doing works on the new foul sewer in the middle of Lamb’s Cross.
- An emergency meeting took place on Wednesday 4th October to address traffic management issues and these will continue regularly until the end of the project.
- The estimated date for completing the Lamb’s Cross works is 23rd November, in order to finish before the usual additional traffic issues in December.
- There will have to be major works carried out for 24 hour periods between Mon 16th- Wed 18th October and at one other time in November (TBC). This is for road resurfacing.
- Additional traffic management will take place at Aiken’s Village and on Enniskerry Road to minimise traffic delays.
- Communications will improve, including letter drops and signage encouraging drivers from further afield to avoid the area and take detours.
- There is a trade-off where prolonging the works with less traffic management will not necessarily improve traffic flows as much as people may think it might.
The full update is below or available on PDF here.
Last Tuesday evening the contractor encountered an issue with groundwater in the
excavated trench while constructing a manhole on the new Foul Sewer in the middle of
Lambs Cross Junction. This work is part of the Irish Water upgrade works which was added to the contract during the Construction Stage. The contractor installed Traffic Management at Lambs Cross through the night, and the junction was on Stop/So operation from 6am to deal with the morning rush hour.
This did cause significant delays to traffic on Wednesday morning, which was not helped by the general seasonal increase in traffic. That said, the manhole is now built, and this
translates to a week saved to the project.
On foot of the serious traffic delays experienced yesterday, we held an emergency meeting with our DLR Traffic and Roads Control Sections. These Traffic Management meetings will be held weekly until the end of the scheme, particularly on the approach to the busy December period.
The contractors current programme shows the finish date mid-December 2023. However, it is agreed that the works at Lambs Cross need to be completed as soon as possible, to avoid the Christmas rush and traffic disruption at the junction.
There is an estimated 7 weeks work to complete at Lambs Cross. The major items include:
- completion of the road reconstruction of Sandyford Road (kerbing and footpaths will be able to be carried out with 2-way traffic)
- completion of the new foul sewer at Enniskerry Road
- kerbing and footpaths at Enniskerry Road, including in front of shops
- completion of road reconstruction at Enniskerry Road.
- Final wearing course on Sandyford Road, Enniskerry Road,
- Final Wearing Course at Blackglen Road (within 100mm of the junction)
The above works can in general be carried out using Stop/Go traffic management outside of peak traffic times. However, there will be some operations which will require longer
working hours. For these works the contractor is permitted to work up to 10pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The contractor has request two 24 hours working periods at Lambs Cross to allow the resurfacing works to be completed.
The first is planned for 16th, 17th, and 18th October, to get most of Sandyford Road
resurfacing completed. During this period two-way traffic will be maintained through the morning peak hours, subject to weather conditions and blacktop supply during the night.
The second will be in November, (dates to be confirmed) to get the road reconstruction and resurfacing completed at Sandyford Road and in the middle of Lambs Cross Junction. Again, we hope to alleviate traffic congestion by maintaining two-way traffic during morning peak hours, but in this case, it may not be possible to avoid long traffic delays at this time. We are working to mitigate delays, by reducing the stop/go during peak traffic.
Weather and supply chain issues may result in modification to the above planned works.
Additional traffic management operatives are stationed Enniskerry Road / Aikens Village Junction to push traffic through this junction during afternoons, to assist with traffic flow at school pick up times. The contractor has committed to improving temporary reinstatements along Blackglen Road on the approach to Lambs Cross Junction.
It is acknowledged that public information could have been better in terms of notifying the public with respect to the works and anticipated delay and disruption. We will improve this by:
➢ locating additional VMS signs on Sandyford and Enniskerry Roads. This should deter
some drivers from entering the works area, and detour through the surrounding road
network.
➢ The contractor will issue a letter drop, which will include this update to residents,
shops, schools, community centre etc.
➢ We ask that Councillors share this update through their social media channels.
➢ DLR comms office will also distribute through their social media outlets.
➢ AA road watch will be notified.
It is important to note that any prolongation of the scheme to ensure some improvement to traffic flows, will not deliver the level of improvement that would be expected by road users. Therefore, the consensus is to mitigate delays by completing the works as soon as possible.
A further update will be issued to give more detail on the scheme as we come closer to
completion.
