The Core Bus Corridors project involves the development of continuous bus priority infrastructure and improved pedestrian and cycling facilities on key radial corridors across the Dublin region. Its objectives are to enhance the capacity and potential of the public bus system by improving bus speeds, reliability and punctuality through the provision of bus lanes and other measures to provide priority to bus movement over general traffic movements and to enhance the potential for cycling by providing safe infrastructure for cycling, segregated from general traffic wherever practicable.
The project encompasses the delivery of approximately 230km of dedicated bus lanes and 200km of cycle tracks in 12 separate schemes across five different local authority areas, as shown in the map below.
Progress Update
At present, planning consent applications for all 12 schemes, together with associated compulsory purchase orders, have been submitted to An Bord Pleanála. Planning consents have now been granted for the first four schemes, marking a significant milestone in the BusConnects Dublin Programme. The Belfield/Blackrock to City Centre scheme, the Ballymun/Finglas to City Centre scheme, the Liffey Valley to City Centre scheme and the Clongriffin to City Centre scheme have been confirmed by An Bord Pleanála.
Following receipt of planning consents for the initial schemes, the focus of activity has now moved to the construction stage. The NTA are currently establishing a panel of contractors to build the schemes, with tender requests in respect of the first two schemes to be issued in June 2024. It is expected that the first two contracts will commence construction in the first half of 2025, followed subsequently by the award of an additional two schemes for construction. Given the traffic management impacts during construction, it is considered that a maximum of four schemes can be built concurrently, requiring three tranches of four schemes to deliver the full construction programme.
Timeline
The Environmental Impact Assessment Report for each Scheme, Chapter 5; Construction, provides an overview of construction timelines once the construction commences. This can be found on each of the schemes websites, links to the 12 websites are on each of the scheme pages which can be accessed by clicking on the down arrow beside the “12 Core Bus Corridor Schemes” tab above.
Liffey Valley Bus Plaza
As part of the BusConnects Dublin infrastructure works, the Liffey Valley Bus Plaza was opened in February 2023, providing high quality facilities to support bus services running from the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre serving the surrounding areas and the city centre. For more information on the Bus Plaza click on the following link – New €20m Bus Plaza opens at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre
