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

hans aus dtschl

marno21 wrote: »

There's €200m for BusConnects, and funding for greenways. I will agree that it's not enough, but it won't be spent if people keep objecting to planned measures.

Agreed on all points.

It's just depressing to see government bodies harp on about DMURS and then do the exact opposite, ploughing most of the funding and effort into roads. Parity of priority is even a long way off. There's zero chance of us meeting climate targets while we're investing in the opposite.

Regardless, I'll be glad of this scheme, and the Macroom-Ovens section can't come soon enough either.

pawdee

KOR101 wrote: »

Disappointing...

Once construction work starts, it is expected it will take three-and-a-half years to complete.

Yes very disappointing! How can it possibly take that long? Everyone know these roads come in a big roll like a carpet, with all bridges, underpasses, drainage, signage, retaining walls, fencing, lighting, surfacing and road markings complete. They just roll it out along the route and that's it. I'd have thought it could be done in a morning.

marno21

hans aus dtschl wrote: »

Agreed on all points.

It's just depressing to see government bodies harp on about DMURS and then do the exact opposite, ploughing most of the funding and effort into roads. Parity of priority is even a long way off. There's zero chance of us meeting climate targets while we're investing in the opposite.

Regardless, I'll be glad of this scheme, and the Macroom-Ovens section can't come soon enough either.

To be honest, the main obstacle to the sustainable projects at the minute is NIMBYs. They've scuppered the Metrolink plan, and I stopped following BusConnects as the level of discourse had gone below what is acceptable for anyone with reasonable patience.

On a side note, it's now 5 months since the CMATS draft was published and we've heard nothing. And that's aside from the downright pathetic timelines in it.

Macroom-Ovens is becoming a major issue. There are lengthy delays along the route in the mornings and the evenings are becoming a joke at the EMC exit all the way past Srelane Cross. There was a major crash at the EMC exit on Monday evening and these will become more frequent.

FishOnABike

Hibernicis wrote: »

Great news.

From TII website......



what is a "compact" grade separated junction ?

A compromise between cost/space and safety. Shorter off + on ramps, needing greater deceleration / acceleration when leaving / joining the main line and tighter curves on ramps + roundabouts.

hans aus dtschl

marno21 wrote: »

To be honest, the main obstacle to the sustainable projects at the minute is NIMBYs. They've scuppered the Metrolink plan, and I stopped following BusConnects as the level of discourse had gone below what is acceptable for anyone with reasonable patience.

On a side note, it's now 5 months since the CMATS draft was published and we've heard nothing. And that's aside from the downright pathetic timelines in it.

Macroom-Ovens is becoming a major issue. There are lengthy delays along the route in the mornings and the evenings are becoming a joke at the EMC exit all the way past Srelane Cross. There was a major crash at the EMC exit on Monday evening and these will become more frequent.

I think that Metrolink and BusConnects won't happen in my lifetime.

Actually, I have heard something on CMATS, direct from the NTA. They've explicitly said that they have done absolutely nothing whatsoever on CMATS.

Hopefully Macroom-Ovens will be such an obvious issue that it will be funded sooner rather than later.

marno21

FishOnABike wrote: »

A compromise between cost/space and safety. Shorter off + on ramps, needing greater deceleration / acceleration when leaving / joining the main line and tighter curves on ramps + roundabouts.

This. The main motivation behind this is the lower volumes along the route, which don’t need high spec junctions. Lower mainline speeds are a factor too

Hibernicis

FishOnABike wrote: »

A compromise between cost/space and safety. Shorter off + on ramps, needing greater deceleration / acceleration when leaving / joining the main line and tighter curves on ramps + roundabouts.

As in J22 on the M7 ? They can be a bit hair-raising, given that the mainline continues to operate at 120kmph and traffic joining has little room to accelerate.

Water John

Heard there was a customs excise station going in at Srelane. Only one source, so wonder had anyone else heard?
Great news on the bypass. 30 years, in the pipeline. If some in Macroom hadn't opposed it, it might have been much sooner.

Quackster

Water John wrote: »

Heard there was a customs excise station going in at Srelane. Only one source, so wonder had anyone else heard?
Great news on the bypass. 30 years, in the pipeline. If some in Macroom hadn't opposed it, it might have been much sooner.

Yeah, but it wouldn't have been a dual carriageway if it was built twenty years ago!

These schemes are of major benefit to public transport too. Just look at the success of all the express-bus services to/from Dublin along the motorways that have sprung up in recent years since that network was rolled out. The key is to have a decent road network but make the private motorist pay handsomely for it, while strongly subsidising public transport.

hans aus dtschl

Quackster wrote: »

Yeah, but it wouldn't have been a dual carriageway if it was built twenty years ago!

These schemes are of major benefit to public transport too. Just look at the success of all the express-bus services to/from Dublin along the motorways that have sprung up in recent years since that network was rolled out. The key is to have a decent road network but make the private motorist pay handsomely for it, while strongly subsidising public transport.

Yep. That's exactly how I see it.

As it stands, buses and trucks get snarled up in the same horror traffic as the rest of us. It's no good for tourism or industry. Macroom could be properly connected to the city with this road and could get some more industry. It might also help develop Ballyvourney as a proper country town (let me dream!)

theguzman

Quackster wrote: »

Yeah, but it wouldn't have been a dual carriageway if it was built twenty years ago!

These schemes are of major benefit to public transport too. Just look at the success of all the express-bus services to/from Dublin along the motorways that have sprung up in recent years since that network was rolled out. The key is to have a decent road network but make the private motorist pay handsomely for it, while strongly subsidising public transport.

Bus Eireann will probably never use it, you should see the absolute mess they make of the No. 40 Tralee - Cork Service coming out through the city servicing UCC and the CUH when every second bus at least should be an express and head straight out the South Link Road to the Kinsale Road Roundabout. The Bus often takes 30-50mins just to reach the N40/N22 outside at the Bandon Road Roundabout when the bus would be 3/4 way to Macroom had it gone out the South Link Road in comparison. Unions who control Bus Eireann would probably see the lazy rude drivers want an extra €5k a year for such a route change.

hans aus dtschl

theguzman wrote: »

Bus Eireann will probably never use it, you should see the absolute mess they make of the No. 40 Tralee - Cork Service coming out through the city servicing UCC and the CUH when every second bus at least should be an express and head straight out the South Link Road to the Kinsale Road Roundabout. The Bus often takes 30-50mins just to reach the N40/N22 outside at the Bandon Road Roundabout when the bus would be 3/4 way to Macroom had it gone out the South Link Road in comparison. Unions who control Bus Eireann would probably see the lazy rude drivers want an extra €5k a year for such a route change.

Some of route change issues are nothing to do with drivers or unions, rather they're shot down by DTTAS, some for no real reason, bizarrely enough.
Unions/drivers aren't faultless, just saying there's plenty blame to go around!

Cork Trucker

hans aus dtschl wrote: »

Yep. That's exactly how I see it.

As it stands, buses and trucks get snarled up in the same horror traffic as the rest of us. It's no good for tourism or industry. Macroom could be properly connected to the city with this road and could get some more industry. It might also help develop Ballyvourney as a proper country town (let me dream!)

Ballyvourney? Jasus if you’re going through there it’s a case of blink and you’ll miss it. There are opportunities for development of the village into the future though.

marno21

Work to begin on the project "within weeks"

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/minister-hopes-construction-of-macroom-bypass-will-begin-within-weeks-957890.html

Water John

I'd say there is more industry in Ballyvourney than Macroom. Some good factories in the Ind Est. In the Gaeltacht.

Cork Trucker

marno21 wrote: »

Work to begin on the project "within weeks"

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/minister-hopes-construction-of-macroom-bypass-will-begin-within-weeks-957890.html

I note the word "hope"

Also where will the sod be turned/work start? the coolcower end?

Quackster

theguzman wrote: »

Bus Eireann will probably never use it, you should see the absolute mess they make of the No. 40 Tralee - Cork Service coming out through the city servicing UCC and the CUH when every second bus at least should be an express and head straight out the South Link Road to the Kinsale Road Roundabout. The Bus often takes 30-50mins just to reach the N40/N22 outside at the Bandon Road Roundabout when the bus would be 3/4 way to Macroom had it gone out the South Link Road in comparison. Unions who control Bus Eireann would probably see the lazy rude drivers want an extra €5k a year for such a route change.

I would think that once complete, there would be a good chance of Dublin Coach launching a Tralee-Killarney-Cork route. Would be a good fit with their existing services.

steeler j

Will there be a website for this project?

Cork Trucker

Quackster wrote: »

I would think that once complete, there would be a good chance of Dublin Coach launching a Tralee-Killarney-Cork route. Would be a good fit with their existing services.

Dublin to Kerry via Kilkenny/Waterford/Cork

marno21

steeler j wrote: »

Will there be a website for this project?

Yes in a few months time

theguzman

examiner.ie wrote:

It will include some 22km of type-2 dual carriageway; three compact grade-separated junctions; six roundabouts; four river bridges and 17 road bridges.

Compact Grade Seperated Junction? Would these be similar to the junctions as seen on some sections of the M18?

https://goo.gl/maps/2HLQdKeZsqzSMmFC7

BelfastVanMan

theguzman wrote: »

Compact Grade Seperated Junction? Would these be similar to the junctions as seen on some sections of the M18?

https://goo.gl/maps/2HLQdKeZsqzSMmFC7

Similar, yes.
A better comparison would be the one halfway up the N17 Tuam Bypass.

theguzman

https://goo.gl/maps/afECC9re8ERomJMC7

Yes, I believe the Macroom bypass will have that Cheese-wire barrier or will it be concrete barrier? I don't understand why they don't go full Motorway status on it? I read somewhere before that it will be 100km/h but surely a new 110km/h limit would be more appropriate for those Dual carriageways.

Water John

I thought cheese barrier was no longer used.

Chris_5339762

Cheese Barrier or a crash barrier is likely. Probably the former. Its a 2+2 road, only HQDC or motorways get the concrete jersey barrier.

Water John

Thought it was all crash barrier now because of risk to motor cyclists from cheese wire?

Cork Trucker

The cheese wire on the Mallow Road was replaced with more cheese wire in 2015/16. A Garda actually hit the wire since then after coming off his bike and was badly injured. How is it even legal to use it? Concrete barrier all the way

Water John

My memory is that the Mallow Rd cheese wire was put in as a Pilot Project, first in country. Was tied in with the new dump proposal, since dead.
As you say, barrier or concrete is a preferred solution.

tonc76

Cork Trucker wrote: »

The cheese wire on the Mallow Road was replaced with more cheese wire in 2015/16. A Garda actually hit the wire since then after coming off his bike and was badly injured. His is it even legal to use it? Concrete barrier all the way

https://www.towardszero.vic.gov.au/news/articles/flexible-barriers-how-they-work-and-the-cheese-cutter-myth#Information For Motorcyclists

The "cheese wire" story is a myth as per the link above. The safety barrier posts are the real issue when impacted and products are available such as http://www.barriersystemsinc.com/dr46-motorcycle-safety to provide protection for motorcyclists in the event if a collision. In saying that coming off a bike at say 100 km/h is always going to have serious consequences no matter what the barrier type is.

cantalach

Hibernicis wrote: »

what is a "compact" grade separated junction ?

One that isn’t large or medium sized.