Minor schemes & realignments

cartoncowboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120304284#Comment_120304284

Im told this tender has been awarded (not sure who too yet), but the rough timeline is tenders docs to go out next year and construction to begin early '25. Despite ER comments on his recent visit to Sligo , on what he thinks is required here, i.e removal of cars and make it a bike and walking scheme only, the original plan is the one being progressed.

marno21

https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=2226264

N77 Ballyragget-Ballynaslee gone to tender. 2.44km of realignment.

KrisW1001

700 m will be offline new build according to the call for tenders.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968877#Comment_120968877

That’s weird because I was going to ask about this one-I’d assumed it had been canned like so many others. I’d say it’s a mix of online and off. A very busy road with a lot of HGV traffic and a link between some of the motorways across the midlands and south east

road_high

Very unlikely any time soon. While it’s very busy it isn’t a bottleneck as such and is fairly free flowing. It’s relatively wide

DumbBrunette

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2023/08/11/north-mayo-road-improvement-works-to-start-this-year/

Upgrade on the main R313 road to Belmullet to start this year. It's only a small realignment but every little helps. Most of this road isn't actually too bad for a regional road. It used to be a trunk road (equivalent of a national road) so that might be the reason why.

spacetweek

Should be a trunk road.

KrisW1001

It shouldn’t be a trunk road. It’s a spur that serves only one town.

But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a good road. After all, there are dual-carriageway Regional roads (Newbridge, Waterford Outer Ring) and there are National Secondary roads built as narrow single carriageways (N56, N59).

If this was given a national road number, it would still be built to Type 3 Single Carriageway standard. The only difference would be that TII, and not Mayo County Council, would then be responsible for its upkeep.

(.. and that explains why some counties seem to have a disproportionate number of N-roads...)

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120972730#Comment_120972730

The R335 to Louisburgh was a trunk road too, makes you wonder why they detrunked these but kept the likes of the N83 and the N86.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975542#Comment_120975542

The N86 was the R559 until the 90s

The N83 as you say shouldn’t really be a national route. The section north of Ballyhaunis carries <1k AADT

spacetweek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120975050#Comment_120975050

The N86 is also a spur that only serves one town.

KrisW1001

One bad idea shouldn’t make another.

marno21

CPO confirmed for N53 Hackballscross-Rassan

https://www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/case/312253

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120999634#Comment_120999634

More than 19 months to reach a decision on a 3km minor improvement scheme is worrying evidence of ABP's dysfunction. The N17 realignment at Milltown was lodged around the same time but that was granted within 9 months, so there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the delays.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002350#Comment_121002350

To be fair, no objections to the N17 EIS and the CPO objections were withdrawn 3 months after the N17 application was filed. The N53 scheme had 5 such objections and required an oral hearing. Still, less than 12 months is a more realistic timeframe. The M28 was decieded in 14 months and that was with mass objections and an oral hearing, and obviously a much bigger project to begin with.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002350#Comment_121002350

Sounds like a lack of resourcing. The 3km scheme on a secondary road gets long-fingered internally because there's nobody to look at it properly, but the N17 is on a primary route, so it takes priority.

Vicxas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120307268#Comment_120307268

Still no movement on this after the initial hedge clearing done back in March, was slated for "Summer" start but good ol MCC slow off the mark again.

ELCAT2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120550756#Comment_120550756

The ground investigating works are currently underway on n17 Realignment project. Initially we're to commence mid June but was more like August. Was hoping we would see hedge clearing contract so it could take place before March 1st 2024 but seems to be very slow progress. CPOs issued June 2022 and very little progress on implementing CPOs / agreeing compensation with land owners.

Pale Red

https://www.fingal.ie/planning/strategic-infrastructure/ongar-barnhill

Is this part of a bigger plan to provide a road parallel to the M50. Linking N3 to N4 and via Grange castle to N7 and N81.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121107313#Comment_121107313

No it's not.

cargo

Surprised this hasn't it's own thread as it's fairly substantial works (2.54kms) on a national route (and there's not a lot in construction at the minute). I believe work is flying on this and it's well ahead of timeline.

https://www.sligococo.ie/n16lugatober/ project website with details although it doesn't have construction updates.

https://www.sligococo.ie/News/N16LugatoberRoadScheme-ContractSigning/#maincontent Some more construction details.

There is a thread from 2016 here https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057586334/n16-sligo-to-county-boundary not sure if it should be updated with this info instead. It does date back to 2016? Perhaps a mod might make that call?

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121396170#Comment_121396170

There isn't a plan to provide a road parallel to the M50. The Ongar Barnhall Road is what it is.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120153912#Comment_120153912

Tender for Hedgerow/tree removal is out. Should be possible that the main contract moves to construction before the end of next year.

https://www.etenders.gov.ie/epps/cft/prepareViewCfTWS.do?resourceId=2704393

spacetweek

Re the N16, you can go ahead and post the updates on that thread, no need for mod permission.

spacetweek

There was originally a road from Ongar to Leixlip M4 junction planned, but it has proven to be incredibly difficult to get built. Ongar to Barnhill had been in planning for around a decade before starting construction a few months ago. Even then this was mostly only because of the impetus provided by the designation of the adjacent land bank as a new development area for housing connected to Hansfield station.

The southern part was planned to run through St Catherine’s park but Leixlip locals were furious so it went silent and I presume is now binned.

I wonder if it could be built near but not inside the park. It would be a very useful road.

veryangryman

Anything in or around a golf course, be it infrastructure, housing or anything the general public might make use of never gets built.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398943#Comment_121398943

Do you have any links for a plan fora road from Ongar to Leixlip M4 junction?

Such a road could run to the east of St. Catherine’s Park through farmland without affecting the park. I'd say there are many reasons that road hasn't progressed and the park isn't one of them.

spacetweek

What do you think the other reasons are?

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121403177#Comment_121403177

Primarily not wanting to create an alternative route for the Westlink bridge. That would pull huge volumes of traffic onto roads not capable of handling it, result in huge loss of toll revenue, etc.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121403340#Comment_121403340

They could also toll the new road to avoid such an issue cropping up. Perhaps at a lesser cost than the Westlink to avoid the type of toll dodging that would arise.

spacetweek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121403340#Comment_121403340

I've heard the toll revenue angle many times before, but I don't believe it for a minute.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121397523#Comment_121397523

Good to see progress, although I see to recall that 15 years ago or so there was hedge clearance in the Newtownbalregan area for several years before the main work started.

Hopefully, design work will now start on a tunnel under Cullaville!

DumbBrunette

Great round-up of all the minor projects planned and underway in Mayo in the 2024 council budget, from page 14 onwards - https://eagenda.mayo.ie/FilesUpLoaded/202311171726DraftAnnualBudget%202024.pdf

Westernview

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121440302#Comment_121440302

Great list indeed. Good to see the N26 is still progressing.

Wonder what stretch of the R312 at Glenisland is planned next.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121410158#Comment_121410158

That would be 8Km of entirely new road and make the journey longer. They would be better to just pay for the bypass at Cullaville as the the Monaghan section of the N53 is pretty decent.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121441799#Comment_121441799

A short connector from the N53 to the roundabout at the end of the 2+1 section on the N2 would suffice, to bypass the built up area in Blayney.

The important thing at Cullaville is to bypass the village, 2or 3 Km of new offline road would do that, something a bit like the scheme starting now.

spacetweek

I still think national roads shouldn't be passing through other jurisdictions. A whole new road to bypass NI and meet the N2, which will be a dual carriageway in the future.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121443821#Comment_121443821

Given the timescale required, it would be a waste of money building this expensive road when halfway through the project the border would be gone, and even if it were not the existing route would probably still be quicker owing to the shorter distance. If the N2 is improved then some of the traffic on the N53 end up on the N2 anyway. There are more deserving projects.

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121440353#Comment_121440353

It's definitely good that the county council have a decent pipeline of N and R road projects, even though they tend to progress at a glacial pace!

I've tried to find more info on Glenisland phase 2 online, but to no avail. Same with the R314 and R315 projects mentioned.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121443134#Comment_121443134

That would also benefit the golfists.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121445940#Comment_121445940

You're the second person to use the term "golfists" recently, are they not called golfers anymore?

(Not having a go, I just never heard the term "golfists" before)

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121446234#Comment_121446234

I used in phrase in response to the first person who used it, I wouldn't have it in my usual vocabulary.

marno21

Updates from the Kingdom

N70 Sneem to Blackwater Bridge (Ankail to Doon)

• Land acquisition is ongoing – approx. 45% Complete.  

• Project to be constructed in two phases commencing with a 3.1km section from Tahilla to Doon (Contract 1).  

Contract 1

• Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd has been appointed to undertake Site Clearance and Fencing Contract. Works are ongoing and due to be complete in October 2023  

• Ground Investigation and Archaeological Investigations currently being procured. 

• Detailed design is ongoing and Tender Documents are being prepared for the Main Construction Contract. Tender publication in Q4 2023 subject to necessary approvals

N70 Glanbehy Bridge 

• Environmental and Topographical surveys have been undertaken and Ground investigations were completed in Q2 2023 where access was permitted. These will inform the Design of the scheme in Q3-Q4 2023. Environmental screening will then be progressed in Q4 2023 followed by the Statutory Consent application in Q1/Q2 2024. 

• Archaeo-geophysical surveyors have been appointed and surveys were undertaken where landowner access was permitted.  

• There is ongoing consultation with Landowners as the scheme progresses

N70 Creamery Cross

• Environmental and Topographical surveys have been undertaken and Ground investigations were completed in Q2 2023. These will inform the Design of the scheme in Q3-Q4 2023. 

Environmental screening will then be progressed in Q4/2023 followed by the Statutory Consent application in Q1/Q2 2024.

• Archaeo-geophysical surveyors have been appointed and surveys will be complete later this month.  

• There is ongoing consultation with Landowners as the scheme progresses. 

N70 Waterville to Ballybrack 

• The draft Statutory Documents have been prepared and are being finalised. 

• The statutory application to An Bord Pleanála will be made in Q4 2023 subject to the necessary approvals. 

N70 Tinnahalla to Stealroe

• Archaeological and Ecological surveys are currently being undertaken. Topographic survey is complete 

• Preliminary Options are being prepared having regard to the constraints identified along this road section. 

• Engagement with the landowners is ongoing as the proposals along this section of the N70 are being developed. 

spacetweek

N60 Heathlawn still not drawn on OpenStreetMap. Anyone got a map?

marno21

I hadn't realised this job had even been tendered let alone started

https://www.corkcoco.ie/en/news/contract-signed-for-n73-annakisha-road-improvement-scheme

Well advanced works underway now a few km east of Mallow.

The 3km section further east was simply transformative. The absolute worst sections of the N73 will soon be the best.

nordydan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121499365#Comment_121499365

Map here

Jayuu

Drove the Piltown bypass a week or two back but forgot to post. It looks decent and will make for a much safer junction once it comes fully onstream.

However driving the 2+1 section from Mooncoin to Carrick-on-Suir did once again make me realise what a mess was made of the 2+1 road type trials (well this one definitely - but I assume the others were similar). It's an awful section of road with a poorly implemented central median and the minor road junctions are terrible for the most part because the junctions themselves almost protrude out on to the mainline making for a really unnerving driving experience. I was driving it duriing the day and it was poor so I can only think how bad it must be a nighttime or when visibility is limited. It was clearly done on the cheap and the result shows. It's such a pity because in theory 2+1 properly implemented might have been a viable imporovement option for many secondary routes but that option has now been abandoned due to the negative reaction to the original trials.

Also have to say that the amount of road traffic furniture (bollards, polls, etc) really makes the approach to Carrick-on-Suir from the Waterford side very unattractive which is an awful pity for the town. Really there should be some effort made to soften the landscape here without compromising on the safety aspect of the road.

roadmaster

Link in road in navan finally starting. Will this long term become the N51?

https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2024/01/16/construction-of-new-navan-link-road-to-commence-shortly/

spacetweek

That's good. Now they just need to build the part from Proudstown Road to Donaghmore Road (N51 east of Navan) and a whole new N51 routing is possible.

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121440353#Comment_121440353

Took a while but this is the route of the Glenisland phase 2 realignment. I'm not sure I agree with prioritising this bit, the section directly south of the recently opened realignment is much worse IMO.