Final hurdle to Dublin ring road is cleared with racecourse deal

The last major obstacle to the completion of the M50 Dublin ring road has been overcome with the resolution of a dispute between roadway developers and Leopardstown Racecourse over the transfer of land.

The Irish Times has learned the racecourse will receive some £20 million and 40 acres as compensation for losing a section of its sprint track to make way for the South Eastern Motorway.

The road will form the final leg of the C-ring route between Dublin Airport and Loughlinstown, completing a bypass of the capital which was first mooted almost 30 years ago.

Mr Matt O'Dwyer, manager of Leopardstown Racecourse, confirmed yesterday it had dropped its threat of a High Court action against Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the National Roads Authority (NRA).

"A deal has been done. It's only a matter of signing off at this stage," he said.

Neither side would reveal details of the settlement. However, it is understood the racecourse - owned by the Irish Horseracing Authority, which operates under the aegis of the Department of Agriculture - will receive the £20 million payment and lands off Ballyogan Road.

The racecourse is to lose 2 1/2 furlongs of its six-furlong sprint track, along with one of its larger car-parks. A new sprint track is expected to be built from the newly acquired lands, across part of the golf course in the centre of the racecourse, to a new finishing post in front of the grandstands.

In a separate development yesterday, the NRA revealed it plans to open the motorway on a phased basis to bring relief to southside motorists as quickly as possible. Its chief executive, Mr Michael Tobin, said, with construction starting in October, it hoped to open the Ballinteer to Sandyford section within 18 months.

Yesterday, the penultimate leg of the M50, the Southern Cross Route Motorway, was officially opened by the Minister for Environment and Local Government, Mr Dempsey. He said the £141 million motorway would inevitably create new traffic problems in certain areas. However, he rejected the claim that it was too little too late.