Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

N4 - Collooney to Castlebaldwin [open to traffic]

1810121314

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 966 ✭✭✭riddlinrussell


    This road be8ng built is a radial route though.

    So you may get a few commuters if colloney to sligo got sorted too.

    Trailer bypass and R136 Dublin outer road are all circular ones that have feck all uptake for same reason.

    Agreed, at present cross country routes are seen as almost exclusively touristic, thus a path on a roadside is seen as crazy because theres little tourism value. But, if a network was built up you might get an increase in use of cycling both village to town and inter-village in the countryside, as well as towns to cities.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    The separate cycleway on this project is 3 km long:
    As part of the project a new 3km cycleway from Toberbride will be constructed and will join the existing N4 at Doorly.
    Source: https://www.n4realignment.ie/n4-project

    Total scheme length is 13-ish km of 2+2, but the first 2.8 km is an online upgrade - this is the part that coincides with the new cycle lane. I suspect that the old, bypassed, N4 road will be the designated cyclist/pedestrian route once the new alignment opens. Sounds like a cop-out, but if you take 90% of today's traffic volumes off it, that old road looks like a pretty safe route for cycling, with very few bad bends or blind junctions.


  • Registered Users Posts: 966 ✭✭✭riddlinrussell


    KrisW1001 wrote: »
    The separate cycleway on this project is 3 km long:


    Source: https://www.n4realignment.ie/n4-project

    Total scheme length is 13-ish km of 2+2, but the first 2.8 km is an online upgrade - this is the part that coincides with the new cycle lane. I suspect that the old, bypassed, N4 road will be the designated cyclist/pedestrian route once the new alignment opens. Sounds like a cop-out, but if you take 90% of today's traffic volumes off it, that old road looks like a pretty safe route for cycling, with very few bad bends or blind junctions.

    I've raised it before in the greenways thread, but I would like to see the design manual for these sorts of 'rural road' cycleways' updated to meet the current Dutch practice for such roads, making a number of psychological changes to the road layout to discourage fast speeds. and where appropriate still separate cars from vulnerable users.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,647 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    KrisW1001 wrote: »
    The separate cycleway on this project is 3 km long:


    Source: https://www.n4realignment.ie/n4-project

    Total scheme length is 13-ish km of 2+2, but the first 2.8 km is an online upgrade - this is the part that coincides with the new cycle lane. I suspect that the old, bypassed, N4 road will be the designated cyclist/pedestrian route once the new alignment opens. Sounds like a cop-out, but if you take 90% of today's traffic volumes off it, that old road looks like a pretty safe route for cycling, with very few bad bends or blind junctions.

    As I alluded to previously, I suspect what has happened here is that the design/planning of this scheme predates the requirement for the ped/cyclist way along 2+2 roads. I'd say the new single carriageway parallel road where the 2+2 is online is built to a road type which requires a ped/cyclist way (I think this is Type 3 SC) and hence why it only extends that length. The old, bypassed, N4 road may be the designated cyclist/pedestrian route but that would not be related to this project.


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    As I alluded to previously, I suspect what has happened here is that the design/planning of this scheme predates the requirement for the ped/cyclist way along 2+2 roads. I'd say the new single carriageway parallel road where the 2+2 is online is built to a road type which requires a ped/cyclist way (I think this is Type 3 SC) and hence why it only extends that length. The old, bypassed, N4 road may be the designated cyclist/pedestrian route but that would not be related to this project.

    Indeed. This project and the N5 2+2 under construction were approved for planning in 2014. They are quite old schemes and it was funding restrictions that held them back from construction until now.

    I’d expect the 2+2s in planning atm to take this into consideration. We’ll see next year when the 3 Donegal 2+2s go to ABP


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 966 ✭✭✭riddlinrussell


    marno21 wrote: »
    Indeed. This project and the N5 2+2 under construction were approved for planning in 2014. They are quite old schemes and it was funding restrictions that held them back from construction until now.

    I’d expect the 2+2s in planning atm to take this into consideration. We’ll see next year when the 3 Donegal 2+2s go to ABP

    I suppose its just the nature of how long schemes take to plan and come to construction. Similar to the issue with forestry, our current requirements are relatively good (always could be better) But the currently mature plantations people see are the particularly bad ones of the 70s/80s.

    I would hope some of the bypassed routes of the last 20 years could see an 'Active mobility retrofit' scheme in the near future.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,322 ✭✭✭m17


    The last of the 87 beams going in to place on the seven overbridges
    uMlEOBa.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 788 ✭✭✭mistermatthew


    This may be of interest to you:

    Engineers Ireland NW host virtual site visit to the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin Road Scheme.

    This virtual site visit to the N4 C2C Construction site will give attendees an insight into the progress of the N4 design and construction works to date, detailing various aspects of the design and construction works such as alignment, geotechnical, structures and pavement. Some interesting topics being discussed include vertical band drains, use of cement bound granulated material, lime stabilisation, environmental mitigation measures as well as lined grass channels and SuD’s systems.

    Tis event is free and open to non-members of Engineers Ireland. Registration can be made at the following link: https://www.engineersireland.ie/Events/event/7191


  • Registered Users Posts: 226 ✭✭specialbyte


    Video of the Engineers Ireland event is now up on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXJGZI4vX78


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,663 ✭✭✭serfboard


    Video of the Engineers Ireland event is now up on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXJGZI4vX78
    Watched only a couple of minutes of it, but did glean the information that the opening is now scheduled for Q3 next year.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,379 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    The presenters talk through a flyover of the whole scheme at about 50 minutes in, which is interesting even for people like me who are not civil engineers, as they explain what's happening along the whole project.


  • Registered Users Posts: 310 ✭✭steeler j


    Video of the Engineers Ireland event is now up on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXJGZI4vX78
    A very informative video


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭MY BAD




  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    https://www.n4realignment.ie/newsletters/q3-q4-2020-newsletter/

    Q4 2020 newsletter. As can be seen in the video in the previous post, the majority of the offline work seems to be reaching completion. Just the online upgrade of the 3km outside Collooney to be completed.

    Q3 2020 looks very good for this to open.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Some photos taken approximately halfway along the route looking north and south, taken on Saturday 10th. There is still a lot of work to do on the tie-ins at both ends. I would expect this project might be completed by early to mid July.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭godskitchen


    Anyone know the story with the old stone 2 story house on the northern end that is being propped up at the gables?

    Could they not knock it?


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Some photos of the route at Cloonamahon, where the offline alignment meets the section being widened all the way to Toberbride.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Some more. I hadn't a chance to park and take photos at the roundabout in Castlebaldwin for obvious reasons, but I stand corrected on what I said last week. It's practically complete. It won't take much to finish the tie in to the roundabout which is only a bout 200 metres or so.


  • Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭BelfastVanMan


    A few pics of the Castlebaldwin end of the scheme, yesterday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭BelfastVanMan


    Near the roundabout.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭BelfastVanMan


    Same spot.


  • Registered Users Posts: 389 ✭✭scooby77


    Wonder when they expect to be finished?


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,917 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    scooby77 wrote: »
    Wonder when they expect to be finished?

    The last we heard was August. Seems achievable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭BelfastVanMan


    spacetweek wrote: »
    The last we heard was August. Seems achievable.

    I asked a Roadbridge fella on site yesterday if it was still on track for an August opening, and he said yes.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I asked a Roadbridge fella on site yesterday if it was still on track for an August opening, and he said yes.

    Has Roadbridge definitely got the contract for the Ballaghaderreen bypass to Scramogue project? If so, it'll be a very handy move of machinery only 45 minutes or so down the road.


  • Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭BelfastVanMan


    Has Roadbridge definitely got the contract for the Ballaghaderreen bypass to Scramogue project? If so, it'll be a very handy move of machinery only 45 minutes or so down the road.

    Completely forgot to ask. :-/


  • Registered Users Posts: 380 ✭✭ryanch09


    Noticed yesterday evening at the point where it splits off from the old road if you're heading castlebaldwin direction you can see they've the lines painted, so some sections of it are obviously ready to go


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,063 ✭✭✭dakar


    They are making good progress at the northern (Collooney) end. As mentioned above, road marking is done on stretches at Cloonamahon. They are now working on surfacing at the tie in to the N4 at the second roundabout at Collooney.

    These photos are from the new Tubberbride overpass 350 meters from the Collooney roundabout.

    Looking south towards Cloonamahon:
    555953.jpeg

    Looking north to the Collooney roundabout:
    555954.jpeg


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Some photos I took today of the new road.


  • Advertisement
  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I have to upload them bit by bit


Advertisement