N22 - Macroom to Ballyvourney (Macroom Bypass) [open to traffic]

hondar

Yes it's true.it will be well on this time next year.

marno21

hondar wrote: »

Yes it's true.it will be well on this time next year.

Wasn't doubting you or anything, thank you for the post.

Delighted with that news now. Roll on the diggers.

marno21

Cork Trucker wrote: »

How long until the diggers break ground?

Within the next few months, hopefully October/November if all goes smoothly but there is Cabinet approval required first to approve the tender award, and no doubt there will be a sod turning by the usual suspects to get out of the way first.

Cork Trucker

marno21 wrote: »

Within the next few months, hopefully October/November if all goes smoothly but there is Cabinet approval required first to approve the tender award, and no doubt there will be a sod turning by the usual suspects to get out of the way first.

Coveney will be out in force then with Buttimer, Creed and a few others no doubt, all i can say is bring it on, travelled the N22 today and Macroom is not a nice place to travel from a traffic perspective.

marno21

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Coveney will be out in force then with Buttimer, Creed and a few others no doubt, all i can say is bring it on, travelled the N22 today and Macroom is not a nice place to travel from a traffic perspective.

Absolutely.

As soon as the diggers are out the focus will be moving onto the other Cork projects, lots on the to do list after this starts.

highwaymaniac

hondar wrote: »

Yes it's true.it will be well on this time next year.

Do you have a source for this? If it is true why haven't you mentioned their joint venture partner?

Roadrunner99

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Do you have a source for this? If it is true why haven't you mentioned their joint venture partner?

Does there have to be a joint venture partner for a project like this?

highwaymaniac

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Do you have a source for this? If it is true why haven't you mentioned their joint venture partner?

Does there have to be a joint venture partner for a project like this?

Depends on the size of the contractor, but it's usual to have JVs for this size of project. Roadbridge and Sisk are partnered on this one - just trying to see if
the "confirmation" that Roadbridge have it is anything more than speculation at this stage.

Cork Trucker

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Depends on the size of the contractor, but it's usual to have JVs for this size of project. Roadbridge and Sisk are partnered on this one - just trying to see if
the "confirmation" that Roadbridge have it is anything more than speculation at this stage.

Sisk? we won't even go there :rolleyes:

Roadrunner99

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Depends on the size of the contractor, but it's usual to have JVs for this size of project. Roadbridge and Sisk are partnered on this one - just trying to see if
the "confirmation" that Roadbridge have it is anything more than speculation at this stage.

I also see there partnered for the westport to turlough project as well so if roadbridge have won the tender for the macroom bypass you'd imagine sisk are joined with them as you say

Apogee

Irish Times wrote:

The Government is committed to delivering on a near €300 million piece of infrastructure on the N22 which will improve connectivity between Cork and Kerry and reduce travel times by around 15 minutes, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has pledged.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/government-committed-to-funding-280-million-macroom-bypass-minister-1.4000473

Irish Times wrote:

Once construction work actually commences on the project, it will take three and a half years to complete but it is expected the Macroom section, providing a diversion around the town, could be completed and opened earlier.

Is this likely?

marno21

Apogee wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/government-committed-to-funding-280-million-macroom-bypass-minister-1.4000473



Is this likely?

The build back near Ballyvourney will be tough, there is some bog, massive excavations required, and the terrain between the towns is quite difficult.

Sponge Bob over on SSC commented about the advance works and Kerry slug rehoming potentially delaying a start around Ballyvourney too, which may explain the delay.

What I'm having difficulty with is the €280m price tag. Are they planning on paving the road with gold tarmacadam? The N4 project in Sligo which is 2+2 also is coming in around €4m per km. That price suggests €12.7m per km for this scheme, some of which is on totally flat land.

Apogee

marno21 wrote: »

The build back near Ballyvourney will be tough, there is some bog, massive excavations required, and the terrain between the towns is quite difficult.

Sponge Bob over on SSC commented about the advance works and Kerry slug rehoming potentially delaying a start around Ballyvourney too, which may explain the delay.

I was wondering more whether it's likely the by-pass around Macroom town will be done as a standalone thing earlier than the final 3.5 yr deadline?

cantalach

marno21 wrote: »

That price suggests €12.7m per km for this scheme, some of which is on totally flat land.

The key word there is "some". As a cyclist married to a woman from Clondrohid, I can tell you the whole area is extremely challenging for road construction. Sure, the existing N22 between Macroom and the Halfway pub is mostly flat. But the new route runs to the north of the town and much of that flatter road. It is very undulating up there and the new route crosses the Millstreet road at a relatively deep glen ("the Glen"). There are then a number of km to the south of the existing N22 in boggy, boulder-strewn, flood-prone land by the Sullane before the new route crosses back over to bypass Ballyvourney on the north side. That's the side of Mullaghanish we're talking about there. Take a drive up the road by the side of the Mills and you'll see what I mean. Better still, cycle it! And throughout the whole length of the route, we're talking about a *lot* of rock. Hey there's a good reason for the saying, "east of Macroom for a husband, west of Macroom for a wife."

Roadrunner99

Will the whole project still be done inside the 3 and a half years as there saying or will the ballyvourney side be outside of that time frame?

imangry29

The undulating, rocky nature of a lot of the new route will definitely inflate price, plus there's a considerable number of structures - 18 road bridges (over and under), 24 accommodation structures and culverts galore. The eastern end of the new road at Coolcour is not so far away from landing in water. Better to see a relatively high price now so Cabinet aren't spooked later and ensure we're not in Dunkettle territory. Given how overdue this scheme is, €280m would be a worthy (if expensive) price tag for the benefits it will bring to Cork and Kerry.

Did not see the updated Cork RDO website previously. Links to EIS and route map better advertised than before.... roll on a dedicated project website!
https://www.corkrdo.ie/news/forbairt-bothair-n22-baile-bhuirne-maigh-chromtha/

highwaymaniac

marno21 wrote: »

The build back near Ballyvourney will be tough, there is some bog, massive excavations required, and the terrain between the towns is quite difficult.

Sponge Bob over on SSC commented about the advance works and Kerry slug rehoming potentially delaying a start around Ballyvourney too, which may explain the delay.

What I'm having difficulty with is the €280m price tag. Are they planning on paving the road with gold tarmacadam? The N4 project in Sligo which is 2+2 also is coming in around €4m per km. That price suggests €12.7m per km for this scheme, some of which is on totally flat land.

€280m will be the total budget for the project incl. vat design costs,advance works, land purchase, risk and contingency are all included in this, for N4 Colloney Castlebaldwin job the total is €150m so that is €10.7m per km. As Imangry29 has said, a very high number of structures on this one plus being a year later construction inflation will have impacted and no doubt the Kerry Slug will have added a few million direct and indirect cost etc. No gold pavement or anything like it, it is an expensive scheme but to be expected given the terrain.

highwaymaniac

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

Will the whole project still be done inside the 3 and a half years as there saying or will the Ballyvourney side be outside of that time frame?

The whole project will be scheduled to be done within that time frame. 9km approx out of the 22km could get Macroom bypass sorted - could certainly have advantages for eastbound traffic, getting this section open in 2 years would be very doable.

Sixsandsevens

Funding not yet secured according to Mr Creed..before cabinet in a few weeks so cannot be awarded until then.

Water John

Hoping we won't feel Brexit wobbles.

marno21

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/153552/0/0?returnUrl=ctm/Supplier/publictenders&b=ETENDERS_SIMPLE

Tender out for site clearance along the route.

Cork Trucker

marno21 wrote: »

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicPurchase/153552/0/0?returnUrl=ctm/Supplier/publictenders&b=ETENDERS_SIMPLE

Tender out for site clearance along the route.

How soon after the deadline passes will these works be expected to begin? will it break ground by Christmas as a result or is that far too optimistic?

marno21

There is a road running parallel to Main Street in Macroom on the other side of the river, Google Maps has it down as the Mill Road. It’s often used by rat runners (including me) to avoid the town Centre at peak times.

Does anyone local know what’s happening this roadafter the bypass is built? The bypass seems to run on top of the road near the Mill and there doesn’t seem to be much room for both

Water John

Don't know, its the Coolehane Rd. This branches off the road to Aghinagh and that will have to be accommodated as well, also crossing the Sullane at the same point.
A bridge overpass would be the most logical, sweeping down from the hill west of Bealack Mill and over the whole lot.

Rows Grower

I use that short cut all the time, there's a good few houses on that route so the road will have to be left open.

Cork Trucker

I think i know the road in question, as mentioned above there are houses there. It's a bit similar to the old Mallow Road just by the bridge where the Sunset Ridge is, the old road runs next to the new road due to houses but is a cul de sac, again in a similar fashion the same thing is done in Ovens where the Lakewood soccer club is/ old meets new but the old is a cul de sac having had a section of it taking to incorporate into the new road while still giving local access.

Roadrunner99

Anyone know when the contractor who won the tender for this project will be announced? Thought it was going to be this month?

Water John

Wouldn't know, but my hunch would be that Brexit 31st Oct would have to be dealt with first. I know Creed could do with some good news as the beef strike is doing him a lot of damage.
Off topic, heard a question being posed a few days ago of, would Danny Healy Rae's daughter run in Cork NW? She teaches in Bandon.

serfboard

Water John wrote: »

Off topic, heard a question being posed a few days ago of, would Danny Healy Rae's daughter run in Cork NW? She teaches in Bandon.

The child of an existing politician? Check. A teacher? Check.

The Dail is full of either. If she's both, it sounds like she can't lose.

dmcsweeney

Water John wrote: »

Wouldn't know, but my hunch would be that Brexit 31st Oct would have to be dealt with first. I know Creed could do with some good news as the beef strike is doing him a lot of damage.
Off topic, heard a question being posed a few days ago of, would Danny Healy Rae's daughter run in Cork NW? She teaches in Bandon.

Another generation or two and they'll have enough seats to form their own majority government