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National Roads 2040

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Foreword

National Roads 2040 (NR2040) is TII’s strategy to enable Project Ireland 2040, responding to evolving national policy and aligning to the Department of Transport’s National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland (NIFTI). The National Roads network is essential for all sectors of society and communities, serving public transport, freight and personal travel. The network facilitates access to a wide range of destinations including health, education, employment, tourism and services. NR2040 builds on the importance of the network to local communities across Ireland, improving connectivity and accessibility to support sustainable economic growth.

NR2040 addresses the needs of current and future users across Ireland ensuring a connected and efficient transport system. It expresses TII’s understanding of and response to environmental challenges such as the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss.

TII’s vision for the strategy is that National Roads support an evolving transport system which has safety, innovation and accessibility at its core. The strategy includes over thirty commitments to address issues such as population growth, decarbonisation, climate adaptation, safety and congestion. TII aims to support the way people and goods move along the National Roads network, supporting the economic growth of Ireland in a sustainable manner.

Through the development of the NR2040 vision, TII has set several objectives which will be closely monitored over the coming years. Of utmost importance is to continue to deliver a safe and efficient transport network for people and goods. TII also understands that the Roads network needs to be tailored for different users in different localities. With European and national transport policy focussing on sustainability, TII will work to ensure that the National Roads network is a key public asset that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.

National Roads are essential to the delivery of Project Ireland 2040’s National Strategic Outcomes, particularly of enhanced regional accessibility, strengthened rural economies and communities and sustainable mobility.

NIFTI directs TII’s investment in National Roads. One of NIFTI’s Investment Priorities is ‘Decarbonisation’, reflecting the Governments Climate Action Plan, which sets a 51 percent reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and setting Ireland on a path to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.

In developing the NR2040 strategy TII recognises that the customer of the future may have different expectations of the National Roads network and different travel behaviours. Vehicles will increasingly be electrically powered, more journeys may be undertaken by public transport, cycling and walking. National Roads will need to cater for all users and facilitate more sustainable travel.

Changing travel patterns, demographics and new technologies make it hard to forecast future travel demands on National Roads. NR2040 is not a ‘predict and provide’ exercise, but a proactive policy-led strategy to maintain and develop a network that creates opportunities for the country, supporting economic growth whilst supporting our important goals around carbon reduction.

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary v

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Purpose of National Roads 2040  1

1.2 Scope and Role of National Roads 2

1.3 NR2040 Report Structure 3

2 Policy Context 4

2.1 Project Ireland 2040 4

2.2 Climate Action Plan 2023 6

2.3 National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland 7

2.4 National Sustainable Mobility Policy 7

2.5 Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) 8

2.6 TII Climate Adaption Strategy 9

2.7 Redesigning Ireland’s Transport for Net Zero: Towards Systems that Work for People and the Planet 10

2.8 National Ports Policy 10

3 Long Term Strategic Issues for National Roads 11

3.1 Future Demographic Growth Trends 12

3.2 Road Transport Decarbonisation 13

3.3 Climate Adaptation & Resilience 15

3.4 Sustainability 15

3.5 Air Quality 17

3.6 Noise 17

3.7 Road Safety 17

3.8 Movement of People 18

3.9 Movement of Goods and Services 19

3.10 Urban Congestion 20

3.11 Technological Change 21

3.12 Asset Management and Operations

3.13 Integrated Mobility

3.14 Customer Experience

4 NR2040 Vision and Key Objectives

5 National Roads Investment Priorities and Portfolios

5.1 Decarbonisation 26

5.2 Protection and Renewal 28

5.3 Mobility of People & Goods in Urban Areas 31

5.4 Enhanced Regional and Rural Connectivity  33

6 Implementation 37

6.1 NR2040 Commitments 37

6.2 NR2040 Implementation Structure  41

6.3 Project Development Process 42

6.4 Environmental Assessments  44

6.5 Collaboration 44

7 Monitoring Framework 45

Appendix A National Policy Actions for National Roads 46

Appendix B Assessment of Alternatives Summary 50

Appendix C Response to Public Consultation Comments for Draft NR2040 52

Glossary 76