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St Stephen's Green will be the principal casualty of the
Government’s plans to go ahead with Metro North and Dart Underground
- it is now clear from the Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) on each of the projects.
The current construction cost estimate for Dart Underground,
which is planned as the central spine of Dublin’s commuter
rail services, is €2.5 billion. No figures are officially
available for Metro North - but, in 2005, it was estimated
to cost €4.58 billion.
The Dart Underground EIS says the construction of a shared
station below ground at St Stephen’s Green as well as ventilation/intervention
structures 'will introduce major changes to the landscape
and visual character and setting of the park'.
Describing these as the 'most significant townscape and
visual impacts' of the two projects, it says changes would
include the temporary removal of some sections of boundary
railings and park features, as well as the felling of dozens
of mature trees.
“The construction phase will result in significant impact
on the landscape and visual amenity of the park, particularly
from within the park, where the existing sense of ‘escape
from the city’ will be lost” - at least until new semi-mature
trees re-establish it.
The 'ventilation/intervention' structure, to be built
immediately behind the railings on the north side of the green,
would be up to 4.2m high and 23.7m long - it would be impossible
to provide screening for this building.
As the EIS on Metro North makes clear, most of the northwestern
quadrant of St Stephen’s Green would be directly affected
by the excavations for the two linked underground stations
- including the lake populated by ducks, swans and waterhens.
It is understood that an earlier proposal by the Railway
Procurement Agency to remove the Fusiliers’ Arch, facing the
top of Grafton Street, has been reconsidered. Instead, it
would be retained in situ while the area around it
is excavated to a considerable depth.
Hundreds of trucks would be needed to remove the spoil from
the excavations for underground stations at St Stephen’s Green
as well as O’Connell Bridge, Parnell Square East, the Mater
hospital and other locations along the route of Metro North.
In the case of Dart Underground, the existing open-air amphitheatre
at the Civic Offices on Wood Quay would be replaced by a “new
urban civic space” that would include the entrance to an underground
station north of Christ Church Cathedral.
This “will change the visual character and function of the
space,” the EIS says. “Nearby, a new ventilation structure
will be introduced to the south side of the Church of the
Immaculate Conception on Cook Street” - commonly known as
Merchant’s Quay Church.
During excavation works for each underground station, spoil
would be removed by a fleet of trucks - in the case of St
Stephen’s Green, there would be 198 truck movements per day
in each direction and this traffic would continue for 20 months.
It is also clear from the EIS that passengers seeking to
connect with the existing Dart line at Pearse Station, Westland
Row, would face a long walk as the new underground station
is proposed to be built at the junction of Boyne Street and
Sandwith Street.
The twin tunnels for Dart Underground, from Inchicore to
Docklands, would be be excavated by a tunnel boring machine
similar to that used in excavating the Dublin Port Tunnel.
Additional excavation work would be required for the five
underground stations.
'Significant works' are proposed within the historic
Inchicore railway yards, “with the demolition of many existing
buildings and the provision of a new station facility that
will open up the site to greater public access”. This is being
opposed by a local group.
August 18th is the deadline for making submissions to An
Bord Pleanála on CIÉ’s application for a Railway Order.
The 4-volume EIS is available for public inspection at -
- An Bord Pleanála, 64 Marlborough Street, Dublin 1;
- Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8;
- Heuston Station;
- Pearse Station - and
- Inchicore Works, Dublin 8.
To view online - Click
Here
Source - The Irish Times
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