View source for Red Cow interchange

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox road junction
|country=IRL
|road_type=M
|name=Red Cow interchange
|image=
|image_caption=
|other_names=
|location= [[Dublin]], Ireland
|coord= {{coord|53|19|06.1|N|6|22|05.6|W|display=inline,title}}
|roads= [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50]]<br />[[N7 road (Ireland)|N7]]
|type=
|spans=
|lanes=
|const=
|contractor=
|opened= {{Start date|1990}}
|rebuilt= 2008-2010
|height=
|width=
|maint= 
|tolls=
|map=
}}
The '''Red Cow interchange''' is a major road junction in west [[Dublin]], [[Ireland]] on the [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50]], meeting the [[N7 road (Ireland)|N7]] [[Naas]] Road (to [[Cork (city)|Cork]] and [[Limerick]]) at a free-flow grade-separated junction which incorporates a tram line. The N7 route commences at this junction, junction 1 on the N7 and junction 9 on the M50, and the ''Naas Road'' from the city centre via [[Inchicore]] to the Red Cow interchange comprises part of the [[R110 road|R110]] and the [[R810 road|R810]]. The junction is the busiest road junction in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. In its original configuration, with traffic signals governing many movements, it frequently had tailbacks several kilometres long on the routes leading to it.

==Original configuration==
Opened in 1990 as part of the [[M50 motorway (Ireland)|M50]] Western Parkway project, the junction was originally a grade-separated interchange from the point of view of M50 travellers; however, for N7 motorists it was a [[signal-controlled roundabout]] with negotiation of traffic lights required for all movements. From 1994 onwards the roundabout became the terminus of the [[N7 road (Ireland)|N7 road]] following the decision to detrunk the road inside the M50 (becoming the [[R110 road]]).

The nickname ''Mad Cow roundabout'' was commonly used to refer to the junction, referring to the slang term given to cattle suffering from the brain disease [[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy|BSE]]. The actual name of the roundabout referred to the "Red Cow Inn", a landmark pub formerly in the vicinity. The Red Cow Moran hotel stands adjacent to the interchange today.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bielenberg, Kim |url=http://www.independent.ie/incoming/my-mad-cow-break-wish-you-were-here-1269382.html |publisher=Independent News & Media PLC |title=My Mad Cow Break (Wish You Were Here) |date=January 19, 2008 |accessdate=2009-04-09}}</ref>

==Upgrade==
The junction was upgraded as part of works on the M50 motorway. Congestion was alleviated by providing a third level of grade-separation, allowing Dublin&ndash;Cork/Limerick traffic to travel from the M50 to the N7 without having to navigate a roundabout. The [https://web.archive.org/web/20070512213439/http://www.m50.ie/pages/pressarea-n7-interchange2.htm junction upgrade] was substantially complete by December 2008, with only minor finishing works outstanding. A similar upgrade of the N4/M50 interchange was completed on 20 December 2007. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070102164301/http://www.m50.ie/pages/n4.htm].

The junction is now a rather tight spaghetti-style interchange, a variant of the partially-unrolled cloverleaf design. Following the creation of a grade-separated junction at [[Newlands Cross]] in November 2014, the last signal-controlled crossing on the N7/M7 route between the Red Cow interchange and Limerick was eliminated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/newlands-cross-flyover-opens-ahead-of-schedule-1.2005573|title = Newlands Cross flyover opens ahead of schedule}}</ref>

==Luas stop and depot==
{{Infobox station
| name               = Red Cow
| native_name        = An Bhó Dhearg
| native_name_lang   = GA
| symbol             = rail
| symbol_location    = dublin
| image              = IMG RedCowLuas1517c.jpg
| image_caption      = Luas Red Cow depot and ''Park and Ride''
| borough            = [[Dublin]]
| country            = Ireland
| line               = [[Red Line (Luas)|Red]]
| bus_routes         = 12
| bus_operators      = {{hlist | [[Dublin Bus]] | Dublin Coach | [[JJ Kavanagh and Sons]] }}
| connections        = {{hlist | 13 | 60 | 68 | 69 | 600 | 717 | 726 | 735 | 736 | 750 | G1 | L54 }}
| structure          = At-grade
| platform           = 2
| years              = 26 September 2004
| events             = Station opened
| owner              = [[Transport Infrastructure Ireland]]
| operator           = [[Luas]]
| zone               = Red 3/Red 4
| services           = {{Adjacent stations|system=Luas|line=Red|left=Kingswood|right=Kylemore}}
}}
{{Luas-Red Line|collapse=yes}}

The tram depot for the [[Luas]] [[Red Line (Luas)|Red Line]], a halt (Red Cow) and a ''Park and Ride'' are located at the interchange.
The interchange includes a [[Luas]] tram stop (Red Cow), the main depot for the [[Red Line (Luas)|Red Line]], a ''Park and Ride'' facility with 727 spaces,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://luas.ie/red-cow.html|title=Red Cow|website=Luas}}</ref> and the control centre for the whole system.
The Luas complex added extra traffic to the already-busy junction when it opened in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/0630/627453-luas-is-launched-2004/|title=Luas is launched - 2004|website=RTÉ Archives}}</ref> The tram line crossed the [[slip road]]s on the southern side of the junction, as well as crossing half of the road from the city centre before it met the junction (the tram line reaches this point by following the median of the road).  When leaving the stop, southbound trams run alongside the motorway until the next junction. The issue of the traffic disruption added by the tram system was seemingly ignored during the original planning of the Luas system. After an outcry over this, government ministers were involved in discussions about the system passing over the junction on "stilts", while the actual construction of the system was underway.

The new interchange keeps trams separated from all other traffic.

==See also==
*[[Palmerstown]] which lists Red Cow as a townland of the civil parish
*[[Roads in Ireland]]
*[[N25 road|N25]]: ''Kinsale Road Roundabout'' on the [[Cork (city)|Cork]] southern ring road is another notable junction in Ireland.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110720003756/http://www.m50.ie/uploads/images/n7_final-labels-large.jpg m50.ie: Photomontage of Red Cow Interchange]

[[Category:Transport in South Dublin (county)]]
[[Category:Roads in County Dublin]]
[[Category:Road interchanges in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Places in South Dublin (county)]]
[[Category:Luas Red Line stops in South Dublin (county)]]
[[Category:Railway stations in the Republic of Ireland opened in 2004]]