1. & interaction with other Authorities
National, Regional & Local Roads – Role of the DTTAS on Policy & Funding
& interaction with other Authorities
Dominic Mullaney
Department of Transport Tourism & Sport
Athlone Seminar – 8th November 2016

2. Local Authorities
Local Authorities are responsible for the administration, construction, and maintenance of Regional and Local Roads. They do so using the various general funding sources available to them which are supplemented by DTTAS allocations (except in the case of the Dublin Authorities). For regional and local roads on average the funding ratio is: 70% DTTAS to 30% LA (however the latter can vary from 5% to 62%)
In addition to these, Local Authorities are responsible, in partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, for construction and maintenance of the National Road network, comprising of National Primary and National Secondary Roads. Most works on national roads are funded 100% by TII (was called the NRA)

3. Roads in ireland – present
Public Road - Total - 100,000km approximately
Over 2 times EU average ....
Road Class
% Length
Length (km) N
5.4%
5,413 NP
2.7%
2,717 NS
2,696 R
13.2%
13,124 L
81.4%
81,293 LT
24.2%
24,138 LP
23.8%
23,789 LS
33.4%
33,366
Grand Total
100.0%
99,830

4. Roads Information Traffic Asset Value
National roads which comprise less than 6% of the network carry 45% of all traffic
Regional roads which comprise about 13% of the network carry 30% of all traffic
Asset Value
National Roads have an estimated asset value of €31.3 billion

5. Backlog on Regional and Local Road Network
In 2005 estimated backlog was in the order of €3 billion
In 2016 estimated backlog from limited data is in excess of €10 billion. More accurate estimates will be prepared using information from MapRoad as further condition ratings are input

6. Road Classification & Numbering
National Primary (N1 to N50) National Secondary (N51 to N99) Regional (R100 to R999) Local Primary (L1000 – L4999) Local Secondary (L5000 – L8999) Local Tertiary (L10001 – L89991 & first four digits are based on adjacent LP or LS)

7. Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport
Investment priorities framed by SIFLT recommendations
Identified key priorities and principles for future investment:
Restore transport capital funding to average 1.1% to 1.15% of GDP p.a. (0.5% in 2014)
Achieve Steady State maintenance
Address urban congestion
Maximise the contribution of land transport networks to our national development
The last sub-bullet point would include prioritising links to Ports and Airports, addressing bottlenecks and infrastructure which facilitates employment

8. SIFLT Steady State Requirements (annual)
Area of Expenditure
Gross
Net
National Roads
€573 m
€469 m
Regional & local Roads
€580 m
€480 m
Public Transport (including integration initiatives)
€429 m
€305 m
Total (rounded)
€1.6 billion
€1.3 billion
Difference between Gross and Net is essentially accounted for by tolls in the case of national roads, LA own resources in the case of RLRs and fare income in the case of Public Transport.

9. Funding & Agencies
DTTAS Roads Division - Deals with road policy & legislation - Regional & local road grants to local authorities - Allocation to TII (formerly NRA) for national roads; in turn TII allocates to local authorities
DTTAS Public Transport Investment & Sustainable Transport Division: - grants to NTA some of which it allocates to local authorities - direct grants to LAs (e.g. greenways)

10. Section of completed “Old Rail Trail” - Mullingar to Athlone Greenway
Mullingar to Athlone Greenway was completed in 2015 and is a 41km section of the flagship Galway to Dublin Greenway. The completed sections of the Galway to Dublin Greeneway will not realise the full tourism potential until the entire route is delivered.

11. Road Policy & Legislation
Tolling
PPP programme
Capital Plans
Road Classification
Road Standards (e.g. Design Manual for Urban Roads & Streets issued in March 2013, Best Practice documents)
Input to Speed Limits (principally Road Safety Division)
Roads Legislation (e.g. merger of NRA & RPA)

12. Capital Plan Approved by Government September 2015
Transport element of the Plan covers a 7 year period ( )
€10bn allocation for DTTAS of which €9.6bn is for transport investment
Roads €6bn; Public Transport €3.6bn
To be reviewed in 2017

13. Roads Investment Investment of €6bn over period of Plan
€2bn for national roads (steady state)
€2.4bn for regional & local roads (steady state)
€600m to develop PPP roads pipeline
€860m for new priority roads
€100m for smarter travel (including greenways)

14. Capital Plan & National Roads 2016-2022
Approximately €730 million for new national roads projects
Majority of funding to be made available for last three years of the plan
Additional Roads PPPs are not contemplated in the Plan
Shovel ready schemes cannot be progressed in the short term will see a ramp up of schemes, most likely procured as DB schemes.
Total of €860m available for new projects with €730m (see above) available for national roads and €130m for RLRs

15. National Roads
‘Shovel Ready’ Schemes ( i.e. approved by An Board Pleanála, lands acquired, some advance activities ongoing)
N4 Collooney Castlebaldwin
N5 Westport to Turlough
M7 Naas Newbridge upgrades
N8/N25/N40 Dunkettle Junction
N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom
N56 Dungloe to Glenties
N56 Mountcharles to Inver
N59 Moycullen Bypass

16. Pipeline National Road Schemes
N2 Slane Bypass
N6 Galway City Transport Project
N72 Mallow Relief Road
N21/N69 Adare to Foynes
N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy
Three of these projects (Slane, Galway & Adare) failed to get planning approval previously

17. — Progress to Construction
— Completed Majors
— Under Construction
— With Planning but not
on Capital Programme
— Progress to Construction
with Planning Approval
— Subject to Planning
Approval
Status of major capital projects on the national road network

18. 25 years post Operations Commencement
Roads PPP DBFO Portfolio
Scheme
Contract Award
Operations Commence
Contract Expiry
N7/M11 Arklow Rathnew (incl Newlands Cross)
April 2013
Q3 2015
2040
M17/M18 Gort to Tuam
April 2014
Q1 2018
25 years post Operations Commencement
M11 Gorey - Enniscorthy
October 2015
Q4 2019
N25 New Ross Bypass
January 2016
Q2 2019

19. Regional & Local Roads Investment
Some schemes are also targeted at facilitating industry & employment:
Sallins By-Pass along with M7 widening & Osberstown Interchange (the latter is to be funded from development levies)
Improved roads to Grange Castle Business Park (funding of €2m provided this year)

20. Other RLR Proposed Schemes
New Bridge over Shannon at Killaloe/Ballina
Sligo Eastern Garavogue bridge (Cranmore)
Portlaoise Southern Relief road
Dingle Relief road - phase 4
Bettystown to Laytown Link road
Athy Relief Road – subject to planning approval

21. RLR Funding Programme 2015 2016 € million Restoration Maintenance 41.0
Restoration Improvement
145.6
148.0
Discretionary Grant
62.5
63.8
Urban Grants
4.4
0.0
Specific & Strategic
16.1
10.1
Severe Weather
10.0
Safety
7.8
7.6
Bridge Rehabilitation
7.7
Miscellaneous
9.0
9.8
Additional allocations
24.0
80.0
TOTAL
318.1
378.1

22. National Road Programmes
Major Projects
Minor realignment works
Pavement Works
Bridge Rehabilitation
HD 15 works - from collision cluster analysis
HD 17 works – from road safety inspection
Signing & Lining & ITS

23. National Road organisation
Previously listed programmes (except for major projects) are essentially drawn up following a regime of inspections & analysis
NRA has recently introduced a “GeoAPP” which allows LAs to seek funding to address a range of defects including: - drainage - road pavements & footways - safety barrier and fences - road sweeping / litter removal - Signs / Lines - verge / median maintenance
It is in the interests of LAs to maximise their use of this system

24. New contracts exclude the PPP sections of road (in red)
New contracts exclude the PPP sections of road (in red). New strategic Salt barns are also under construction.

25. Road Maintenance Road Maintenance can be divided into:
Routine Maintenance,
Periodic Maintenance and
Urgent Maintenance.
Routine Maintenance would typically include activities such as roadside verge clearing, grass cutting, cleaning of silted ditches and culverts, patching, pothole repair and repair of edge defects. Periodic Maintenance aims to protect the structural integrity of the road (e.g. by surface dressing). Urgent Maintenance is undertaken for repairs that cannot be foreseen but require immediate attention such as collapsed culverts or landslides.

26. Importance of Maintenance
The following extract from the World Bank Transport Note TRN-4 illustrates the importance of road maintenance: “Postponing road maintenance results in high direct and indirect costs. If road defects are repaired promptly, the cost is usually modest. If defects are neglected, an entire road section may fail completely, requiring full reconstruction at three times or more the cost, on average, of maintenance costs. The South African National Road Agency Ltd. (SANRAL) estimates that repair costs rise to six times maintenance costs after three years of neglect and to 18 times after five years of neglect. To avoid such escalating costs, SANRAL first “allocate(s) its available funding resources to ideal maintenance actions (e.g., reseals and overlays), and thereafter to more extensive maintenance actions (e.g., rehabilitation), and finally to new construction” (SANRAL 2004).”

27. Maintenance & Rehabilitation
On rural network of regional & local roads
Minimum length of Surface Dressing required per year is 4,700 km (about 5% of network)
Minimum length of strengthening required per year is 4,700 km (about 5% of network)

28. RMO Structure (Shared Service)
CCMA
Road Management Board
(Local Authority Chaired)
Road Management Office
(led by host LA)
Pavement Management Support Unit
Roadworks & Licencing Support Unit
Technology & IT Support Unit
(LGMA Led)

29. Management of Regional & Local Roads
MapRoad system
Works & Pavement Condition are recorded
Centralised road opening licensing system which is operated by a Road Management Office (shared service)

30. Pavement Surface Condition Index

31. Guidance and Standards
Department Guidelines
Guidelines on the Rehabilitation of Roads over Peat
Guidelines for the Opening, Backfilling and Reinstatement of Trenches in Public Roads (Purple Book) - Updating
Guidelines for Road Drainage
Guidelines on the Depth of Overlay to be used on Rural Non National Roads - Updating
or LGMA Extranet
Road Schedule
On DTTAS Website / RMO Website / LGMA Extranet

32. DTTAS Documents
Memorandum on Grants for Regional and Local Roads – April 2012
Procurement Procedures for Non-National Roads – June 2012

33. IFA Agreement
Agreement in February 2016 to pay €3,000 per acre “goodwill payment” for lands acquired on national roads subject to co-operation from land owners
Agreement does not apply to regional and local roads or to greenways

34. Information sought each year
Projected works for RI, RM and DG once grants are notified
Outputs at year end
Applications for Bridge & Safety works

35. Speed Limits Review 2013 Actions
10 Lead Actions and 8 Support Actions

36. Guidelines – March / April 2015
Speed Limits
Guidelines for Setting and Management of Speed Limits in Ireland
Department Circulars RST 1 / 2015 – 23rd April 2015
Directions of the Minister

37. Speed Limits Review 2013 Collision Risk

38. Guidelines
New criteria for setting Speed Limits for Rural Roads
Impact on Road Network

39. Summary Critical emphasis on maintenance due to funding constraints
Memorandum on Grants is a crucial document
MapRoad (& the RMO) are important in terms of - having a standardised record of works on RLRs - the management of road openings
Department grants are pitched at county rather than municipal district level
Current challenges include maintaining roads, embedding MapRoad & reviewing speed limits

40. Thank You