N52 Tullamore Bypass

DM_7

Any accidents on the road yet?

The amount of people driving in the hard shoulder and randomly pulling in to look at something is scary.

Scawgeen

Maybe they're looking to catch a glimpse of a certain persons house

thebman

jackncoke wrote: »

So,how long does the journey take from where the bypass begins before Mucklagh to where it ends in Gormagh (Durrow)?

Any rough ideas anyone?

Probably 10 minutes altogether on Friday for me. Not long anyway. Massive difference.

Brother was driving it on Saturday and was just saying jesus, we are at Charleville already lol.

Its a nice piece of road especially the Ballard woods part looks great during the day with autumn leaves on the trees.

There are deer around the area but I grew up there and went by Charleville everyday and never saw any deer on the road in my life. Its probably fenced now as someone else said as I've never heard any scare stories for years either where as you used to get the odd one of a deer jumping out in front of someone.

There are some dodgy round abouts on it I think where if someone approaches too fast they will end up in a bit of trouble. Easy way to avoid that though. Seems quite busy already.

If your going into far end of Mucklagh it is probably faster to use bypass to loop around Mucklagh and turn back as we discovered as it is faster to use the bypass to get to Screggan than pass through the village although not much but generally more pleasurable not to be doing 50KPH in a straight line that appears to be taunting you to go a little faster

I don't have pics because I had no camera and was too busy looking around to remember my phone has a camera. The sculptures are pretty nice on it too IMO. Its wide enough that it could be upgrade to duel carriageway if needed from what I could see.

smodgley

can someone please tell me at what junction/exit do i take when on this road travelling from athlone to portlaoise/carlow?

biffoman

take the n80.

smodgley

biffoman wrote: »

take the n80.

is that the tullamore one ?

thebman

smodgley wrote: »

is that the tullamore one ?

http://osm.org/go/es3N_a2S

zoom out to see rest of bypass

westtip

Just great news that this is another bottleneck removed, look forward to using when travelling from Sligo to Carlow in a couple of weeks, especially coming back on a Friday evening and not having to queue for 30 mins or more to get through Tullamore. Hurray, keep them coming.

TestTransmission

Used this the weekend travelling from Limerick to Durrow,drops me a mile from my house.Its perfect,deffo saves me time.

Ive seen some crazy driving already on it though,dangerous overaking,driving at 50kmph

offaly1

Scawgeen wrote: »

Maybe they're looking to catch a glimpse of a certain persons house

he he.... I know who you are thinking of!:D

channelsurfer

anyone notice there is no lights(street lights not traffic ones) at the ardan junction? its pitch black there at night time and in my view will lead to accidents. Nearly had a guy up on my back at the weekend as he didnt realise there was a junction there....who would one contact over this would it be the NRA or Offaly CO CO after spending over 100million on a road you would think they would have provided lights there.

offaly1

channelsurfer wrote: »

anyone notice there is no lights(street lights not traffic ones) at the ardan junction? its pitch black there at night time and in my view will lead to accidents. Nearly had a guy up on my back at the weekend as he didnt realise there was a junction there....who would one contact over this would it be the NRA or Offaly CO CO after spending over 100million on a road you would think they would have provided lights there.

Good Point! and i noticed they have lights at all the other junctions..well at the tinnycross one, cappincur one, tesco one and clonminch one..dont' know what its like the far side! I'd presume you should get onto your local councillors... and lobby them about it!

medoc

channelsurfer wrote: »

anyone notice there is no lights(street lights not traffic ones) at the ardan junction? its pitch black there at night time and in my view will lead to accidents. Nearly had a guy up on my back at the weekend as he didnt realise there was a junction there....who would one contact over this would it be the NRA or Offaly CO CO after spending over 100million on a road you would think they would have provided lights there.

I was suprised not to see any lights at that junction been installed in the last few weeks, they were installed at other junctions long before the construction was finished. Deffinately two or three at least needed here. On another related point, when the link to Collins lane is opened and with all the other ways in to town which way would you use most for say the Bridge Centre for example. Will many of you still come in at this Ardan junction or the Collins lane one?

Cherrycola

Have ye noticed much difference to the traffic in town as a result of the bypass been open? Has it eased off any?

dexty

when does the last bit open from the tinnycross roundabout to Scally's Centra?

medoc

dexty wrote: »

when does the last bit open from the tinnycross roundabout to Scally's Centra?

They are closing arden road from centra to the arden junction with the bypass and also collins lane for two weeks to build a roundabout in front of centra and resurface collins lane. I think the new section to Tinnycross will open when this work is finished.

donegaldude

scallys area will be closed from this evening until monday week, the tinneycross link onto the bypass is open to traffic.

Cherrycola

Traffic in town anyone?? Any lighter?? Or are you all using the bypass now!

Bogger77

Cherrycola wrote: »

Traffic in town anyone?? Any lighter?? Or are you all using the bypass now!

Will be there tomorrow, remind me Monday and I'll post a review

Cherrycola

fair play, will do.

medoc

donegaldude wrote: »

scallys area will be closed from this evening until monday week, the tinneycross link onto the bypass is open to traffic.

Passed in from Kilbeggan on saturday morning and it was still closed, the collns lane (Scally's Centra) area is closed also today.

Bogger77

Cherrycola wrote: »

fair play, will do.

It's still hard to say what the effect of the by pass is, with the arden road closure and diversions, but talking to people in shops, it seems that most shops are finding it easier for customers to get in to shop, and it's deffo going to improve the town in the long run. Maybe now, they'll sort out that mess at the canal bridge, even with the reduction in through town flow it was a mess on Sat eveining

Cherrycola

Bogger77 wrote: »

It's still hard to say what the effect of the by pass is, with the arden road closure and diversions, but talking to people in shops, it seems that most shops are finding it easier for customers to get in to shop, and it's deffo going to improve the town in the long run. Maybe now, they'll sort out that mess at the canal bridge, even with the reduction in through town flow it was a mess on Sat eveining

The Kilbeggan bridge? There at Eugenes pub? I dont think that will ever be anything other than a mess there. Its a disgrace and an accident waiting to happen with that stupid pedestrian crossing on the top of it! :rolleyes: Whatever town planner came up with that idea wants to be shot!

Depending on the time you were there, it could have been due to the holy joes coming from or going to mass that caused the problem there, or if there was a match on in town?

I know someone living on Arden rd and they have said they can can actually get out of their house now, and that traffic there has definitely eased off.

I'll be in Tullamore at Christmas, cant wait to take a drive on the bypass and see for myself if its made a difference.

Its possible there are still people thinking "sure we'll drive through the town and see if its less busy" and so not using the bypass yet, but im sure the novelty will wear off.
We used to do it going through Loughrea.....and it never seemed less busy!

mysterious

Is the bottleneck now moved to Birr?

TestTransmission

I've never found Birr to be a bottleneck travelling regularly from Limerick to Tullamore and vice versa.Tullamore was ALWAYS where the delay was.

Saint_Mel

A few signposts on how to get out of the estate the detour goes through would be handy. The flippen estate(s) is massive. Grand going through there to get on to the Arden Rd but the amount of cars detoured into the estate from the Kilbeggen side driving around lost in the estate at lunchtime was like a sketch from a Benny Hill show. Everyone going around and around the roundabouts looking for the estate exit

Bogger77

mysterious wrote: »

Is the bottleneck now moved to Birr?

Biggest issue with Tullamore wasnt so much the volume of traffic on the N52, but the number of and sequencing of traffic lights in the town center. Most of the junctions were backed up when there was anything above minor traffic. The issue with the Canal bridge and the 5 road junction really clogged up that end of town. Bad planning guidelines and even worse interaction between the CoCo who are responsible for roads, and the town council didn't help.

Birr rarely suffers traffic congestions, similarly with Kilcormac on the N52, apart from the day of the Tullamore Show, it's rare the traffic levels cause any levels of delay.

DM_7

Bogger77 wrote: »

Biggest issue with Tullamore wasnt so much the volume of traffic on the N52, but the number of and sequencing of traffic lights in the town center. Most of the junctions were backed up when there was anything above minor traffic. The issue with the Canal bridge and the 5 road junction really clogged up that end of town. Bad planning guidelines and even worse interaction between the CoCo who are responsible for roads, and the town council didn't help.

Birr rarely suffers traffic congestions, similarly with Kilcormac on the N52, apart from the day of the Tullamore Show, it's rare the traffic levels cause any levels of delay.

The fact so many people couldn't be bothered using the relief road never helped.

In saying that I can't Blame them, if took you miles out of the way to come back into town. There is a school on it ruling out use around 9-9.30 and 2.45 to 3.30 each day.

kimberworth

Visited Tullamore last weekend. Drove from Kilbeggan direction late Friday night - the turn off for Tullamore via Durrow was lethal!! No roundabout - no street lighting at the junction and its a sharp right turn. They've done the same at the opposite end too - turning off the Birr road for Mucklagh. Total madness at night - if you're sitting in the middle of the road waiting to turn right and a car coming towards you is overtaking another car they won't see you in time! Also crazy road makings from Mucklagh cemetery towards Screggan - in fog you wouldn't have a clue that the road bends to the left cos they've put a broken white line instead of a continuous white line.

Seems to be very popular - judging by the tyre marks on the road 'Doughnuts' are a regular event!!

Wild Bill

Are you saying they've goofed? :cool: