The sod has been turned on a new €20m hub to connect bus services across south and west Dublin.
The interchange at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is the first major piece of infrastructure as part of the BusConnects project.
Construction is due to begin shortly, and will take 12 months to complete, creating six bays for buses.
It will connect south and west Dublin, north Kildare and the city centre and will be located in the Liffey Valley car park just yards from the main entrance to the Centre.
The new interchange will include a feature canopy with six bus bays along with a fully accessible set down area, street furniture, passenger waiting areas, real-time passenger journey signage and new public lighting. Buses will use the interchange for set down and pick up, with park-up facilities located to the rear of the Centre.
Work is to begin on a new €20m bus interchange at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, the first major piece of infrastructure as part of BusConnects pic.twitter.com/9zGjd8Lb3Y
— Emma Tyrrell (Ní Riain) (@EmmaNiRiain) October 22, 2021
Anne Graham from the National Transport Authority says its part of plans to overhaul Dublin’s bus network: "BusConnects will be a game-changer for public transport across the city and here in west Dublin. By investing in new services and infrastructure, we can encourage as many people as possible within the Greater Dublin Area to use sustainable transport modes.
"Today is an important milestone in making BusConnects a reality for communities here in west Dublin and beyond. Located at the very heart of Liffey Valley, this bus interchange will raise the profile of the bus as the transport-of-choice for those travelling to the Centre. But this vital piece of infrastructure is also much more than that.
It is about creating a hub that increases connectivity between suburbs and town centres, without having to travel into the city centre. In doing so, we are ensuring that we deliver a high quality and equitable bus system for all our communities into the future. I look forward to returning next year to see the new hub being unveiled."
Here’s what it will look like when it’s finished in a year’s time pic.twitter.com/wE2xagWobO
— Emma Tyrrell (Ní Riain) (@EmmaNiRiain) October 22, 2021
Managing Director with Hines in Ireland, Frank Martin, says: "Liffey Valley is delighted to be collaborating with the NTA on this project at a time when the Shopping Centre continues to go from strength to strength. We are equally delighted to be playing our part in improving public transport connectivity for commuters within the wider area. BusConnects will contribute greatly towards making Liffey Valley an even better connected, future proofed and sustainable Centre. It will greatly enhance the accessibility of the Centre for communities within south and west Dublin."
The C spine of BusConnects, that will feed into the shopping centre, will begin operating on November 28th.
