New national route: extend the N75 from Thurles to New Ross?

fricatus

I've often wondered why this route has never been built (see image below). It seems to me like an obvious gap in the national roads network. I can think of plenty of reasons why it should be built:

- connect mid-Tipperary with the ports of Rosslare, New Ross and Waterford
- provide a safer route for New-Ross Kilkenny commuter and cargo traffic, which currently crawls along a dangerous, narrow road through Thomastown and Inistioge.
- allow Waterford-bound commuters in the Callan area, who currently use backroads to Carrick-on-Suir, to use the new M9/N9 as an alternative.
- give Waterford hurling fans a more direct route to Thurles! This will be more and more important in years to come

I'd envisage it crossing the M8/N8 at the planned junction 5, crossing the N76 somewhere near Callan, and crossing the M9/N9 at junction 10 (the current R699) which is currently under construction.

As for the New Ross end, I know there's a new bypass going to the south of the town, so it would make sense to link up with that and have a link road connecting into the Rosbercon area (on the Kilkenny side of the existing bridge).

Any thoughts?

mike65

Hardly makes any sense bearing in mind the money that will eventually be spent on the N24. Its not like anyone would want to travell from the SE to Thurles is it?

Mike.

JupiterKid

I think that, along with a new national route linking Dundalk to Sligo, that this suggested N75 extension is a very good idea. This route IS indeed a gap in the road network. It would hardly need to be of dual carriageway standard though - I'd reckon a wide S2 would suffice.

fricatus

JupiterKid wrote: »

It would hardly need to be of dual carriageway standard though - I'd reckon a wide S2 would suffice.

Oh absolutely... the thick line in the image I posted is just because I'm fairly ham fisted with MS Paint

road_high

Good idea Fricatus, but can't ever see it happening unfortunately...Not with the N24 upgrades on paper at least and N25 Waterford and Ross bypasses coming onstream.
KK- New ross traffic will more than likely in future go via N9 to Mullinavat and then across to New Ross or else go to Waterford and N25 out to New Ross..

Also the terrain of proposed route isn't that aminable to road buidling- it would cost an absolute fortune, money I would much rather see spent on the N24 or the abysmal N77 KK-Durrow link...

mike65

The Thomastown - New Ross road needs an upgrade but as mfitzy says it would cost a huge amount. You could never justify the cost for the volume of traffic thats uses it. Its a great drivers road if its empty though!

Mike.

serfboard

Sorry, fricatus, have to agree with all the other posters. That route will be taken care of by N25/N24/M8 improvements, which are main arterial routes and much more justifiable in terms of cost.

My $0.02 - AFAIK the current plans for the N24 are single-carriageway. Since it links West/Mid-West to South East (and more specifically the cities of Limerick and Waterford), then make that a dual carraigeway. IMO any road leading to/coming from Rosslare should be dual carriageway anyway, to allow other vehicles to pass all the trucks.

A dual carriageway N24 would make your journey quicker as well

road_high

N24 all the way!! Pity plans are so far behind on the route

King Kelly

While you could argue the merits or otherwise of Fricatus's route suggestion (and as someone who used to regularily drive from Enniscorthy to Thurles I think it would be a great addition) the bigger picture is that almost all the current wave of road building consists of routes radiating out from Dublin to the four corners of Ireland. While we all welcome these developements, and long may they continue, if you want to travel across the country say from south east to west or north east to south west or north to south through the centre of the country, you have very few options other than zig zagging from one road to another.

I travelled from Enniscorthy to Galway a few times in the summer and the best option appears to be to drive to Dublin (M50) and take the main road to Galway adding to the capitals traffic woes. The direct line cross country route is slow, twisty single carrage roads through the midlands and the bogs. Its a nice drive if your not in a hurry and want to stop a few times but non stop its 4+ tiring hours.

I think a bit of lateral thinking in road planning is called for.

BTW Fricatus hows that great bridge coming on in Waterford.?

D.L.R.

King Kelly wrote: »

While you could argue the merits or otherwise of Fricatus's route suggestion (and as someone who used to regularily drive from Enniscorthy to Thurles I think it would be a great addition) the bigger picture is that almost all the current wave of road building consists of routes radiating out from Dublin to the four corners of Ireland. While we all welcome these developements, and long may they continue, if you want to travel across the country say from south east to west or north east to south west or north to south through the centre of the country, you have very few options other than zig zagging from one road to another.

I travelled from Enniscorthy to Galway a few times in the summer and the best option appears to be to drive to Dublin (M50) and take the main road to Galway adding to the capitals traffic woes. The direct line cross country route is slow, twisty single carrage roads through the midlands and the bogs. Its a nice drive if your not in a hurry and want to stop a few times but non stop its 4+ tiring hours.

I think a bit of lateral thinking in road planning is called for.

Yeah very few options for traversing the midlands, unless you live in Dublin. The region could definitely use one or two new N routes in the near future, to make the system less 'Dublin-centric'.

fricatus

King Kelly wrote: »

I travelled from Enniscorthy to Galway a few times in the summer...

Lucky you... sure you'd nearly be better off going via Waterford and Limerick... :rolleyes:

King Kelly wrote: »

BTW Fricatus hows that great bridge coming on in Waterford.?

Some pictures of the pylons taking shape on this thread: http://www.upthedeise.com/waterfordmessageboard/viewtopic.php?t=101&start=435

By the way, have a look at the entire thread by PBR on Up the Déise. It's a phenomenal pictorial record of Waterford city in 2007-8. No joking - historians will treasure this.

Makes me wonder too... here we have the biggest bridge in the country being built in Waterford (a bigger one is planned eventually for just south of New Ross... lucky Enniscorthy-Waterford travellers!!!), but there's no pictorial record of this magnificent structure taking place, bar one wonderfully commited individual posting on a local discussion board.

Is it just a Waterford thing, that we live in one of the best places in the country, but constantly hide our light under a bushel?

BTW, big up and max respect to Enniscorthy, strawberry town extraordinaire. Knew loads of Esc lads (immigrants!) here in Waterford back in the day, so to speak... soundest people ever... and I owe them my logon name too

Carawaystick

Enniscorthy, Carlow, Portlaoise, Roscrea, Birr Portumna, Loughrea, Galway

is way shorter and faster.
Only Birr to Portumna is not national road.

Most of this route is as good as or better than sections of the N6 was in 2006

Danno

Portlaoise has the new N80 western bypass open now - good job too - Coming from the south - head for O'Moore Park, turn right and keep going to the next R'about. Turn R, then L halfway down the hill. Keep going straight to rejoin the old N80 road at Fairgreen.

spacetweek

Nice idea for a new road. I think at the very least the New Ross-N9 at Thomastown section should be built. There are many gaps in the non-Dublin-radial road network in Ireland. Another obvious one in the same area is the N81, which inexplicably ends at the N80 instead of continuing on to New Ross.

Victor

spacetweek wrote: »

Another obvious one in the same area is the N81, which inexplicably ends at the N80 instead of continuing on to New Ross.

You can have the choice of the N9 (motorway) or N11 (dual carraigeway).

fricatus

spacetweek wrote: »

Another obvious one in the same area is the N81, which inexplicably ends at the N80 instead of continuing on to New Ross.

I think when the Enniscorthy bypass is built, it will take care of that requirement. I know it will be like driving two sides of a triangle, but New Ross will be served well enough by the N11 and N9 (especially if New Ross-Knocktopher could be built).

Bards

When the New Ross bypass is built along with the section between this and the Waterford City bypass you will be able to get through New ross and onto the new M9 fairly quickly

King Kelly

fricatus wrote: »

Lucky you... sure you'd nearly be better off going via Waterford and Limerick... :rolleyes:



Some pictures of the pylons taking shape on this thread: http://www.upthedeise.com/waterfordmessageboard/viewtopic.php?t=101&start=435

By the way, have a look at the entire thread by PBR on Up the Déise. It's a phenomenal pictorial record of Waterford city in 2007-8. No joking - historians will treasure this.

Makes me wonder too... here we have the biggest bridge in the country being built in Waterford (a bigger one is planned eventually for just south of New Ross... lucky Enniscorthy-Waterford travellers!!!), but there's no pictorial record of this magnificent structure taking place, bar one wonderfully commited individual posting on a local discussion board.

Is it just a Waterford thing, that we live in one of the best places in the country, but constantly hide our light under a bushel?

BTW, big up and max respect to Enniscorthy, strawberry town extraordinaire. Knew loads of Esc lads (immigrants!) here in Waterford back in the day, so to speak... soundest people ever... and I owe them my logon name too

Just checking that great thread by PBR on up the deise and those pylons have more then doubled in height since January. ( http://www.upthedeise.com/waterfordmessageboard/viewtopic.php?t=101&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=465 ).

That thread is an amazing archive of a cities development and will be a boon to social historians in 50 years time - it we still have a way of viewing digital images then! Think I'll have to start getting up at 5.00am and do the same for strawberry town.!

BTW meant to come back to you about that logon name. Tell us more.....