It is proposed to construct a new national primary route to motorway standards, separate from the existing N8, between Watergrasshill and Moorepark in County Cork. The new road would be 17.5 km in length. This part of a new N8 route between Cork and Portlaoise would be tolled and signed the M8. Following the environmental review of route options for the proposed road, an assessment of the environmental implications of the preferred alignment was undertaken by PCP in association with the National Roads Office team in Cork County Council and the NRA.
A review of route options considered for the Rathcormac Bypass is provided in a Route Option Analysis report, while a Preferred Route report has been prepared for the Fermoy Bypass. The areas addressed have followed the requirements for Environmental Impact Assessment of road proposals as specified in the Roads Act 1993. In addition the Advice Notes produced by the Environmental Protection Agency on current practice in the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements (EPA, 1995) in particular those relating to the construction of Motorways and others Roads have been taken into account.
The statutory process governing the provision of tolling on a national road involves a separate procedure from the motorway and environmental assessment process. The Roads Act (1993) as amended by the Planning and Development Act (2000) sets out the procedure for a Draft Toll Scheme which requires a separate determination from the other statutory elements. Consequently, the final section of the EIS (Section 15) considers the effects of the scheme in the absence of tolling.
To facilitate the comparison of the environmental effects of tolled and untolled projects, the interchange adjacent to Watergrasshill is included in the assessment. This results in references to minus chainages which refer to locations south of the start point (chainage zero) in the townland of Meenane. For clarity, the inclusion of the Watergrasshill interchange in the environmental assessment is for comparative purposes only. The Watergrasshill Bypass scheme had Minister for the Environment Approval in September 1998 and construction has commenced.
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