Comment & Analysis: Fingal County Councils under-construction R132 Connectivity Project is facing heavy backlash over what the council calls teething issues, and what some motorists say will be a problem no matter how the traffic lights are changed. The dust will need to settle to find out whos right, but its 100% factual to say the project is interlinked with MetroLink.For the record: Im not blindly siding with the council here, and this article isnt just from an active-travel perspective; Ive written extensively about MetroLink, including many articles where active travel was not mentioned or was secondary. Theres also a lot of revisionism going on about traffic in Swords. Ive sat in cars and on buses on the R132, stopped or crawling along, enough times to know people who are implying there was always free-flowing traffic have very short memories. Of course, that doesnt mean it isnt worse now; theres still major construction ongoing, and not just on the R132.In any case, the roundabout removals are very much connected to MetroLink, and thats a fact, not just a view.Around Swords, MetroLink will mainly be built in two types of large trenches, a mix of cut-and-cover and what is called a retained cut. Both methods require digging from the surface, with the former being covered over afterwards and the latter left open with fencing or other barriers around it.This cross-section shows whats in the cut under the surface at stations away from stations the cut into the ground will be narrower, but this gives you an idea of the scale of the work to come:IMAGE: Cross-section example of a station along the road.This still from a MetroLink visualisation video is taken from the perspective of a passenger descending escalators into the station, and shows the ground level to the right and the platforms and trains in the cut:IMAGE: An artists impression showing the descent into a station.This MetroLink map shows how dominant cut-and-cover and retained cut is along the R132:Basically, MetroLink requires digging a large trench along the R132, stretching for about 3.6km before moving away from the road at both ends.When you zoom into the interactive map for MetroLink, youll see a recurring issue at all the roundabouts the trench goes through parts of the roundabouts and right through the footbridges. IMAGE: The former Estuary Roundabout, which is now a junction. IMAGE: The Seatown Metro Station shown as a blue outline.IMAGE: The Swords Central Metro Station shown as a blue outline.To be clear: If the MetroLink enabling works which have already been tendered for proceed as planned, the footbridges are likely to be removed within months, or at most within a year or so. Enabling works do not include the main digging, but they involve clearing the path for the main construction. Including utility diversion (see below) and removing anything in the way, such as the footbridges.Without the footbridges, where do people cross the R132? Before we get to how people are going to cross when MetroLink is up and running, how do people expect those on foot to cross while construction is ongoing?Unlike what some people think, the truth is that R132 is no longer the bypass of Swords that it once was; the urban area of Swords is now on both sides of it, and the M1 has long replaced it as the main motoring route for through traffic. The design of the R132 in the town is a legacy of when it was the main Dublin to Belfast road. It has long been outdated, but the idea that it could remain the same with three Metro stations dotted along it is not grounded in reality.This is a MetroLink artists impression visualisation showing Seatown Road Roundabout after it is transformed into a junction, and the Seatown Metro station entrance is right beside the junction: IMAGE: In this artists impression, Seatown Metro station is the larger structure with a green roof. I dont think the road revamp design is the best it could be, and, as I said, well see when the dust settles. But the idea that the road could remain the same which is being expressed quite a bit on social media is far-fetched. Were talking about a high-capacity railway that will be able to be scaled up to carry 20,000 passengers per direction per hour.The park-and-ride north of Swords is designed for people coming from further afield. Parking close to the stations along the R132 will be very limited. Walking, cycling, and connecting from local buses will be the main ways passengers get to these stations.Massive roundabouts or adding slip lanes to the current design isnt compatible with that. Slip lanes are a danger to people walking and cycling and have been advised against in guidance in urban settings for well over a decade.These two images show what the surface level of the other two stations along the road will look like:IMAGES: Swords Central Station and Fosterstown Station.And below, this is a sample map of utility diversions needed at Estuary Junction (formerly Estuary Roundabout) not only do water pipes, wastewater pipes, ESB cables, gas pipes, and telecoms cables from a number of companies have to be moved away from the railway alignment, but any of those crossing the railway will need new protective routes going under or over the railway cut.Click here for the PDF version of the above map not recommended on a slow PC or phone!MetroLink enabling works and full construction will likely cause far more disruption than the current project, or even the combined effect of any ongoing works. Given the location of the alignment, trying to build MetroLink with the roundabouts in place would be much worse for all road users.