Dublin Port has opened public consultation on its 3FM project, the third and final Masterplan project needed to "complete the development of Dublin Port and bring it to its ultimate and final capacity by 2040".
The 3FM project focuses on Dublin Port lands on the Poolbeg Peninsula, on the south side of the bay and will deliver 20% of the capacity required by 2040. This project follows on from the first two Masterplan phases which focused on the Port lands north of the bay, the Alexandra Basin Redevelopment which is nearing completion and MP2 which has recently commenced construction.
There are seven main elements involved with the project. The first is the construction of a new 2.2km road called the Southern Port Access Road (SPAR).
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This road will link the north and south port areas, and will include a 190m bridge, with a 45m lifting section to the east of the Tom Clarke Bridge. Dublin Port says the new road will take heavy goods traffic off local roads by providing a dedicated route for port traffic as well as other heavy goods traffic on the Poolbeg Peninsula.
They also said the SPAR will have a "substantial active travel" provision comprising cycle and pedestrian ways, as well as capacity for public transport to Poolbeg.
The project also includes the development of the largest container terminal in Ireland in front of the ESB’s Poolbeg Power Station. The terminal will have the capacity to handle 353,000 units (600,000 TEU) annually – more than twice the number of containers handled in all other ports in the country last year.
The construction of a major new Ro-Ro terminal just north of the Sean Moore Roundabout is also planned and will be facilitated by relocating container traffic to the east of the Port.This 12.6 hectare site will take trucks with containers (Roll On / Roll Off) for the increasing volumes of traffic coming directly from Europe post-Brexit.
.A new 325 metre ship turning circle in front of Pigeon House Harbour will be part of the development. Dublin Port said this has been the subject of extensive simulation modelling and will allow safe and efficient turning of 240m long ferries, the largest class of vessels.
The 3FM project includes a new "Maritime Village" which is described as "a modern sailing and rowing campus which will provide enhanced facilities for a range of users including sailing and rowing clubs, sea scouts, the Nautical Trust and local boat owners". The Maritime Village has been developed in consultation with local groups and will replace the current much smaller facilities as well as improving opportunities to view Port activities from the new waterside public plaza area.
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A utility area of 1 hectare to accommodate services provided by others including the district heating system is also in the plans. This will be provided from the Covanta waste to energy plant and other services for the proposed residential developments in Poolbeg.
And finally, Dublin Port outlined "extensive Community Facilities" as part of the 3FM project, including a 2.8 hectare Port Park and adjacent landscaped area, with 5G floodlit playing pitches and dog run.
It will also see the provision of 5.5 km of active cycle and pedestrian paths throughout the Poolbeg peninsula which when linked to the planned active travel routes on the north side of the river will provide over 16km of cycle & pedestrian paths.
This period of public consultation will be open until Friday, April 28 and will include a number of Public Information Days in Poolbeg, Ringsend and Clontarf where the Dublin Port team can discuss the plans with members of the local communities.
Dublin Port Chief Executive Barry O’Connell said they are taking a "generational approach" to the development at the Port as "large infrastructure projects take up to 20 years from inception to completion".
He added: "We know what we have to deliver on to enable Ireland’s growth up to 2040 and beyond and our expert team has been actively engaged in delivering the Masterplan for more than 10 years now. The ABR project is coming close to completion and we are pleased to have recently commenced the MP2 project on our northern lands.
“The Masterplan would be unable to progress without the support of all of our stakeholders and the early conversations in 2021 on 3FM, particularly with the statutory agencies, the major utilities already in Poolbeg and our local communities were extremely important in shaping our plans to this stage. We look forward to even greater engagement in the weeks ahead.
“Enhanced amenities for local citizens are central to our planning and the wonderful amenities at Port Park, the Maritime Village and all along the additional 5km of active travel routes will open up the waterside in new ways to Dubliners and help deepen understanding of the huge contribution the everyday work of the Port brings to enable all of our work and home lives.
"Port-City integration is a major objective of Dublin Port Company and 3FM will link in seamlessly with our other important projects in strengthening that vital connection between the Port and the people it serves”.
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