The long-awaited Liffey Cycle Path plan is set to be shelved after estimated costs have increased five fold.
The development of "safe, continuous and segregated" cycle lanes on either side of the river from Phoenix Park to the Tom Clark Bridge has been in planning for 10 years. The project, which was designed by Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority, was costed at €20 million in 2019 which has since skyrocketed to €100 million.
The plans included the construction of board walks over the river at "pinch-points" along the road were there isn't enough space for separate car, cycle and bus lanes. Council Chief Executive Owen Keegan said the "gold-plated" scheme was unlikely to go ahead.
Read more: Dublin weather: Met Eireann update on arrival of snow on Christmas night
He told the Irish Times: "I think if we were to go with what was proposed, which was extensive use of boardwalks, it would be very expensive." The local authority boss acknowledged there were "pinch-points" along the route that could not accommodate separate bus, cycle and car lanes.
He added that this could be addressed with "traffic management measures". Mr Keegan did not say whether these measures would amount to car-bans along the narrow sections of the route.
“We have put a significant degree of cycling priority on the quays without any grandiose scheme. I’m not sure if we will ever build the gold-plated scheme.”
He added: “I am confident that we will be able to address the sections on both quays [that are] without dedicated cycling priority through traffic management measures. If this is the case, there may be no need for the ‘gold-plated’ scheme that was previously proposed.”
Meanwhile, Mr Keegan doubled down on controversial comments around homeless people living in tents around the city. A councillor blasted the comments as "deeply insulting".
Read next:
East Wall office block refugees 'cried for four days' when they arrived
Attacks on Gardai 'quite bad' but guns aren't the answer, says Dublin MEP
'I travelled through Dublin Airport during cold snap mayhem - here is what you need to know'
Government issue statement on schools opening amid 'bitter' cold snap
To get the latest news to your inbox, sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter
