Currently 70,000 has being sanctioned to install a ‘second’ lane on the St Patrick’s Roundabout and we recently received a report to the effect that WSP Consulting Engineers were engaged to examine traffic congestion on the Rochestown Road. They looked at several options for reducing congestion and produced recommendations for each option. WSP concluded that the best option for reducing traffic congestion on the Rochestown Road is to remove St. Patrick’s Roundabout and to signalise the junction. As a precursor to signalising the junction, a second lane around the existing roundabout coming from Passage West is recommended.
The removal of the roundabout and the signalisation of the junction (phase 2 of the proposal) is a large project and will require a Part 8 procedure. Phase 1 on the proposal – to provide an addition lane around St Patrick’s Roundabout does not require a Part 8 procedure as it is under the expenditure threshold. We have given the go ahead for the first phase and I will let you know shortly the timeline for same.
I hope this is of some assistance. In addition, we have recently commenced the Douglas LUTS (land use and transportation study) submissions will be invited from the general public and I would urge you to make a submission to same in due course as traffic in Douglas and its management is naturally linked to commuters coming from Passage West.