N8/N25/N40 - Dunkettle Interchange [open to traffic]

niloc1951

Decent cycle routes separated from vehicular traffic plus a decent e-bike at up to 51% discount under the cycle-to-work scheme. Put that package together and it would make cycling to work a very predictable no sweat journey. Proper rain gear would sort out the wet days.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41176807.html

In 12-24 months a City to Dunkettle route may be available.

But end users will then arrive at Dunkettle where a token half-solution has been put in place. To get to Little Island the route will be: railway overpass (artificial hill), 2* N25 beg-button crossings, uphill detour, L2998 beg-button crossing, factory hill zebra crossing (good), L2998 zebra crossing (good), North Esk Depot no crossing (!), N25 slip-ramp beg button crossing, N25 slip-ramp beg button crossing.

I can accept compromises at Tivoli as a lingering effect of past bad planning, but the above is all brand new. That's the route that the designers thought would be reasonable when the Dunkettle Interchange opens in February 2024.

wexcap

Are the speed vans still at the tunnel ?

kub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957944#Comment_120957944

I did N40 to N25 East this morning and nothing there, usually its parked under the new M8 flyover.

I did N25 West to N40 this evening and nothing there either.

I did spot one on the N40 before the first Douglas Exit monitoring N40 East traffic, this morning

wexcap

Looks like there going be a permanent fixture at the tunnel as they have built the parking area's

xabi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958968#Comment_120958968

2 full stops, lose one.

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958968#Comment_120958968

You joined boards.ie nine days ago and in your 5-6 posts to date you've corrected somebody's punctuation in this thread and written the following a few hours ago over in the N22 thread:

"Can someone answer my question please?? Or have you all gone simple, again?"

Why the aggression?

flexcon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959354#Comment_120959354

Probably thought they logged into Twitter.

Honest mistake we can all make /s

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120958401#Comment_120958401

I thought those parking areas had a more benign use, namely for trucks that activate the overheight vehicle detectors. But you might be right!

KrisW1001

Where are these areas? Are they visible on the traffic cams? If they’re long, then they’re more likely to be escape-parking for over-height vehicles.

wexcap

No there marked for gaurda use only

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959788#Comment_120959788

Ah...well that settles it then. Though I guess that also means that speed vans shouldn't be parked there given that they're not Gardaí. I wonder if anyone ever challenged the validity of a speeding fine on the basis that a speed van was illegally parked :)

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959573#Comment_120959573

The space I was talking about is marked in red below and, yes, it's fairly long.

KrisW1001

That could be a “last resort” lay-by for over-height vehicles, although I don’t know how you’d be able to escape the interchange from there. Still, it’s better than striking the top of the tunnel portal.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956741#Comment_120956741

A better and more direct route to/from Little Island would appear to be, over the north portal of the runnel via the road past the Tunnel Management Building, then along the embankment between the N40 and the slob, followed by a section running parallel to Link B to the existing/proposed cycleways at the Dunkettle (Glanmire) Roundabout. The only real obstacle to overcome on that route might be the little space between the West portal of the railway tunnel and Link B.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120960703#Comment_120960703

You’d take the escape into where the tunnel management building is on the left just before the tunnel entrance.

Interesting to know how that exit will work. Will there be a barrier there which will be lifted during emergencies?

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120960833#Comment_120960833

Yeah, they said in one of the newsletters way back that it would be used for emergency purposes so presumably there will be a barrier.

niloc1951

When travelling from the N25 to the N40 this morning I noticed a new set of permanent looking traffic lights at the end of Link L, 🤔

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120962197#Comment_120962197

Possibly emergency lights to bring traffic to a stop in the event of an incident in the tunnel? Just guessing...

Chris_5339762

Today showed up a sideline benefit to the Dunkettle upgrade.

The weekly crash happened at the N40/N28 westbound merge because people can't seem to properly join traffic there without crashing. It backed up well beyone Dunkettle to Little Island. But because the roundabout isn't there anymore, it didn't block traffic coming from the N40E and that was freeflowing. Before, the roundabout would block up and the N40E would come to a halt.

Also in good news - the speed limits eastbound have been changed, its now 120kmh from halfway between Dunkettle and Little Island.

I'm due to start a new job at Cork Airport in the coming weeks, travelling from North Cork. What is Dunkettle like in the mornings currently? If I had to be at the Airport for 9, would I need to be hitting Dunkettle by 8?

-Toppy-

I travel every morning to drop someone to work from Ballincollig to Little Island and back every morning. I leave usually around 7:40 and usually am in Little Island by 8 and am back home usually by 8:20 or so. Traffic around 8am is pretty ok that I can see

Hope that helps

-Toppy-

mcburns07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120976593#Comment_120976593

You can put your trip into Google Maps and the Date + time you want to arrive, it'll give the earliest time you need to leave based on avg traffic / journey time.

niloc1951

Is the dedication of the right-hand lane of the N40 to the M8 only a good idea? As currently signposted it is resulting in tailbacks on the left lane due to the volume of traffic heading to the N25 East.

Looking at the beginnings of the M8, under construction, as it heads to the Eastern underpass of the N25, should it not diverge off the right lane of the N40, this would make both N40 lanes available to traffic heading for the N25, reducing the tailback effect of confining it to the lefthand lane.

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977831#Comment_120977831

Think that makes sense to do if its possible, but would it require some re-aligning of existing lanes?

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977831#Comment_120977831

No, and I really hope it changes. It should solve some of the current issues as you say.

In the tunnel it should be:

Left lane: N25E and N8 Tivoli

Right lane: N25E and M8 Dublin

Leaving two N25E lanes going through Dunkettle. I think that is what they're going to do eventually, based on the gantry signage at the tunnel exit northbound.

Of course the stupid sign before the tunnel shows only the left lane as N25E, but then all of the signage - like every single gantry, needs to be ripped down and redone. They're poor, confusing and downright wrong.

Hibernicis

Will finishing off that N40N to N25W curve improve things by allowing traffic in the left lane to flow more freely ?

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120978778#Comment_120978778

N40 North to N8 West? I would think it would have to help a bit.

cork_south

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977831#Comment_120977831

I've brought this issue up many times on this thread.

It seems it's not public knowledge yet whether you'll be able to use the right hand lane for East Cork.

Padraig Mor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977831#Comment_120977831

Have mentioned this recently as well. Generally, going through the tunnel northbound in the evening, the left (N25E) lane is 'full' with slow moving traffic while the right (M8) only has a few cars swishing through - and a good 50% of those are skipping the N25 queue and hopping back in after the tunnel!