Motorway from Dublin to Sligo Needed Badly

Mechatronical

londonred wrote: »

Another bad experience on Saturday afternoon someone decided to drive at 60kph between Mullingar and Longford serious tailback will caused some suicidal overtaking miracle there was not a serious accident .

Hi all,

Just browsing this and I really hope the news of the roadworks mentioned on this forum come to pass.

As the poster said above there are times that its really frustrating driving on the N4 (especially between Longford and Mullingar and Carrick to Roosky). 

I drive up and down the N4 nearly every week and also sometimes the N5.  I work up near Cellbridge half the week and it really is light and day in terms of the roads in the east to the west. 

As also mentioned it depends what time you pick to drive up, I usually leave early in the morning to get back to Sligo or leave later in the evening to head to Cellbridge (post 7pm). 

Making most of the N4 a dual-carraigeway (Collooney-Castlebaldwin, Carrick-Roosky, Longford_Mullingar) would easily cut travel time by at least 20 mins. 
I am up near Cellbridge and at the best of days it takes me 2 hours, light traffic/no delays and pushing it without stopping. The changes in the roads could make that drive 1 hour 45 mins (or even reduce it further). (This time is also using the Toll at Enfield, not going via Kinnegad)

Really hope they push on and get these projects started, would also make Sligo a more viable option for multi-nationals (employment for area) and also may bring more tourism in terms of the ease of getting to here from Dublin.

holystungun9

Any updates on these projects? I’ve been seeing ads looking for machine drivers for “big projects” in Sligo. Could that be what it’s about? It’s a long way for me to go and work but I’m considering contacting them. Not that I fancy moving to Dublin either as lots of work going on there and surroundings.

marno21

holystungun9 wrote: »

Any updates on these projects? I’ve been seeing ads looking for machine drivers for “big projects” in Sligo. Could that be what it’s about? It’s a long way for me to go and work but I’m considering contacting them. Not that I fancy moving to Dublin either as lots of work going on there and surroundings.

The tender award for the N4 Collooney-Castlebaldwin scheme was scheduled for Q4, it'll either happen before Xmas or fairly straight after it and work will begin then when the contractor is appointed.

The N17 Knock-Collooney, N4 Carrick-on-Shannon to Dromod and N4 Mullingar-Longford will all enter planning & design in 2019 but construction is some time away yet.

Nearby, the N5 Westport-Turlough scheme is to start in mid 2019 also.

marno21

The N4 scheme is now off the ground so that's one in the bag, to open by 2021.

Three projects will enter planning and design this year

N4 Mullingar-Longford - 52km of dual carriageway
N4 Carrick on Shannon-Dromod - 21km of dual carriageway
N17 Knock-Collooney - 55km of dual carriageway

The sooner they move along the better

A preferred route has been announced for the Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass also which will go to An Bord Pleanala in 2021

dingding

There are also a couple of roads commenced in Sligo town, The Eastern Bypass and the Western Distributor, this will make it easier to get around Sligo as well once you arrive.

redarmyblues

dingding wrote: »

There are also a couple of roads commenced in Sligo town, The Eastern Bypass and the Western Distributor, this will make it easier to get around Sligo as well once you arrive.

There is no plan for an Eastern Bypass, there are plans for a road from Cranmore Road, through Martin Savage/Doorly Pk crossing the Garavogue and then into Ballinode. Access to the road on the south side will be through Cranmore, along the Riverside, or down the Back Ave, most of the traffic will have also have to pass throgh Cemetery Road or Cairns Road to get onto the immeidiate access roads, all the aforementioned roads have speed bumps as they are residential.

Most of the users of the bridge will be local, the chief beneficiaries will be owners of land on the Northern side most especially the Grammar School who are getting an access road and roundabout build on the largess of the state to open up unused fields they own there for development. Property owners especially landlords on the south side are also in for nice little boost to values and rents as access improves for residents to all the major employers on the north of the river.

An Eastern Bypass connecting Carraroe, via Cairns Hill, down the Back Avenue, crossing the river at the boathouse and connecting into the Dromahair, Calry and Enniskillen Roads is the obvious and feasible route, but as usual in Sligo vested interests won over public interest.

lawred2

Surely a motorway to Galway or Athlone would make more sense

T-Bird

lawred2 wrote: »

Surely a motorway to Galway or Athlone would make more sense

Perhaps after. But Dublin is the hub "all roads lead to Rome".

BronsonTB

marno21 wrote: »

Three projects will enter planning and design this year
N17 Knock-Collooney - 55km of dual carriageway

Will we really ever see this materialise? I live in hope.

marno21

BronsonTB wrote: »

Will we really ever see this materialise? I live in hope.

It's difficult to give an accurate answer on the future of the project given the political nature of this stuff, but it has been reactivated and planning and design will commence in 2019. There won't be any shovels in the ground for several years though, but it is alive now and going through the motions.

worlds goodest teecher

marno21 wrote: »

It's difficult to give an accurate answer on the future of the project given the political nature of this stuff, but it has been reactivated and planning and design will commence in 2019. There won't be any shovels in the ground for several years though, but it is alive now and going through the motions.

In my opinion, if there is a return to a hard boarder with the North money should be sought from the EU to help upgrade the infrastructure from Cork to Letterkenny (which includes the above mentioned section of road) and the remainder of the N4 in order to protect the NW. Imagine if goods coming into Dublin port destined for Letterkenny. A four hour journey with another 1 or 2 hours at each of the border crossing,

Bebo stunnah

worlds goodest teecher wrote: »

In my opinion, if there is a return to a hard boarder with the North money should be sought from the EU to help upgrade the infrastructure from Cork to Letterkenny (which includes the above mentioned section of road) and the remainder of the N4 in order to protect the NW. Imagine if goods coming into Dublin port destined for Letterkenny. A four hour journey with another 1 or 2 hours at each of the border crossing,

Why Cork though? The only parts of the country that would need upgrading would be the border counties, Donegal moreso than any of the other as the only connection to the rest of the Republic is through a ~15km corridor to Leitrim.

worlds goodest teecher

Bebo stunnah wrote: »

Why Cork though? The only parts of the country that would need upgrading would be the border counties, Donegal moreso than any of the other as the only connection to the rest of the Republic is through a ~15km corridor to Leitrim.

This country is far to reliant on Dublin as its hub and the regional towns and cities need to absorb some of the pressure. A fair bit of the road to Cork has been up graded in the past 20 years. If the N15 was upgraded to Letterkenny, why not finish the rest of the route? I am not saying motorway but maybe dual carriageway. Would make Shannon airport a more accessible airport from these parts help attract more transatlantic businesses to the West and North West.

worlds goodest teecher

Bebo stunnah wrote: »

Why Cork though? The only parts of the country that would need upgrading would be the border counties, Donegal moreso than any of the other as the only connection to the rest of the Republic is through a ~15km corridor to Leitrim.

This country is far to reliant on Dublin as its hub and the regional towns and cities need to absorb some of the pressure. A fair bit of the road to Cork has been up graded in the past 20 years. If the N15 was upgraded to Letterkenny, why not finish the rest of the route? I am not saying motorway but maybe dual carriageway. Would make Shannon airport a more accessible airport from these parts help attract more transatlantic businesses to the West and North West.

marno21

A decent road between Cork and Letterkenny/Derry would connect Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo and Letterkenny/Derry. Which is 5 of the 10 places named for development in the National Planning Framework.

The M17 and M18 provide physical proof of how transformative these road improvements are. With the M20 and N17 which is 85km of motorway and 55km of dual carriageway, along with the Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass which is also being advanced, the journeys along this route will be transformed.

For the minute, the only N15 improvement proposed is the Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass. Sligo-Cliffony & Stranorlar-Letterkenny will be considered post 2027.

worlds goodest teecher

marno21 wrote: »

For the minute, the only N15 improvement proposed is the Ballybofey/Stranorlar bypass. Sligo-Cliffony & Stranorlar-Letterkenny will be considered post 2027.

This is my point. Depending on its outcome Brexit it is unlikely to have a positive on the NW and a hard Brexit would be a nightmare for all border counties but especially Donegal. In order to minimise the damage I think the N15 and N16 should now also be considered priorities for upgrades, and maybe money can be sought from the EU.

Bebo stunnah

Don't get me wrong, I'd be a massive supporter of improving the infrastructure in the West, but given the fact that certain sections of the N4 don't even justify a DC (think it was South Sligo?) I'd imagine it's even less likely that the western corridor would reach the required AADF either.
My guess is that even with the additional traffic that travels the A5/46 now, the extra flow using the N15/16-N4 following a hard border it probably wouldn't reach it.

Despite all the hype I've heard about locals wanting a motorway all the way to Sligo, I've never once heard anyone looking/wanting the introduction of high speed rail, which would be a far better thing to have than a motorway. As much of a pipe dream that would be (given it would cost ~€8bn), it would essentially make Sligo a commutable city to live in.

(When I say high speed rail, I mean the lower end one ~250km/h which is barely regarded as HSR anymore and not the 350km/h+)
And yes, I'm aware that the route doesn't reach the minimum population density size for it.

worlds goodest teecher

worlds goodest teecher wrote: »

This is my point. Depending on its outcome Brexit it is unlikely to have a positive on the NW and a hard Brexit would be a nightmare for all border counties but especially Donegal. In order to minimise the damage I think the N15 and N16 should now also be considered priorities for upgrades, and maybe money can be sought from the EU.

Just to point out I am not suggesting a motorway. A mix of 1+2 and 2+2 carriage ways would be sufficient.

Andy From Sligo

so, driving back from Boyle to Collooney yesterday. - see they are doing some sterling work there now, achieved quite a bit already on the project. But (because I am no expert or road engineer ) it looks very hilly and not flat like the original road. Is that because they still have a lot of digging out they still have to do to bring it down to the level of the existing carriageway or is it likely to have inclines when its finished?

Strange to see a couple of houses still standing there in the middle of it they are yet to demolish. - they were taking out windows the other day out of one of the houses.

Mint Sauce

Driving from Sligo to Cork recently showed me more proof, that motorway from Sligo all the way to Dublin is NOT needed.

Day time, and I met 5 cars from Trum/ Clairegalway to the M6/17/18 junction outside Galway. When I say 5, I mean I passed 3, and seen 2 more total on my side of the carriage way. For amount of money spent, you wonder where need was. If I was only driving as far a Galway, I would still use the old N17, or what ever the road is called now.

I would even go as far as move away from my orriginal HQDC comments to Castlebalwin, and go with the planned DC in place.

By all means, still improve the roads around Carrick on Shannon, it is a right bottleneck, and motorway from Longford. Even whilst I would like to see the road from Sligo to Colloney upped to 120, it is capable of it, is it even worth it for the extra couple minutes saved.

rizzodun

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Driving from Sligo to Cork recently showed me more proof, that motorway from Sligo all the way to Dublin is NOT needed.

Day time, and I met 5 cars from Trum/ Clairegalway to the M6/17/18 junction outside Galway. When I say 5, I mean I passed 3, and seen 2 more total on my side of the carriage way. For amount of money spent, you wonder where need was. If I was only driving as far a Galway, I would still use the old N17, or what ever the road is called now.

I would even go as far as move away from my orriginal HQDC comments to Castlebalwin, and go with the planned DC in place.

By all means, still improve the roads around Carrick on Shannon, it is a right bottleneck, and motorway from Longford. Even whilst I would like to see the road from Sligo to Colloney upped to 120, it is capable of it, is it even worth it for the extra couple minutes saved.

I regularly drive to Limerick, and was in West Cork last week, the M17 was very much needed, the drive from Tuam on the old N17 was a nightmare, one slow driver could cause disruption, you don't see that on the motorway because of the way the traffic flows. Off peak the traffic may look light but from 7am to 9am there's plenty of traffic heading towards Galway and onwards to Shannon.

The DC from Collooney will allow the same, but I agree, Carrick and a couple of other places along the N4 need to be rectified.

Andy From Sligo

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Driving from Sligo to Cork recently showed me more proof, that motorway from Sligo all the way to Dublin is NOT needed.

Day time, and I met 5 cars from Trum/ Clairegalway to the M6/17/18 junction outside Galway. When I say 5, I mean I passed 3, and seen 2 more total on my side of the carriage way. For amount of money spent, you wonder where need was. If I was only driving as far a Galway, I would still use the old N17, or what ever the road is called now.

I would even go as far as move away from my orriginal HQDC comments to Castlebalwin, and go with the planned DC in place.

By all means, still improve the roads around Carrick on Shannon, it is a right bottleneck, and motorway from Longford. Even whilst I would like to see the road from Sligo to Colloney upped to 120, it is capable of it, is it even worth it for the extra couple minutes saved.

the Sligo to Collooney could never be increased to 120km/h - thats the problem with N-roads they are just urban roads and not really motorways (even though people call them motorways) - motorways have no roundabouts, traffic lights , pedestrians , learner drivers, buses , bicycles , hitch-hikers and are 100km/h maximum not 120km/h

I guess when a decision is made to make a motorway they the developers / the government for transport dont just look at how many people would use it presently but predit a projection to how many people will used it in the future. - it would be silly to just build a motorway for today's volume of traffic and then years down the road decide that the motorway they built was not sufficient for the future and have to upgrade it again. Traffic will only get heavier and heavier as the years roll on and the population increases ... and part of the population increase could be because there is a good infrastructer of roads/motorways across the country to get to all points around the country as fast as possible with as little obstacles as possible when driving...

blackwhite

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

the Sligo to Collooney could never be increased to 120km/h - thats the problem with N-roads they are just urban roads and not really motorways (even though people call them motorways) - motorways have no roundabouts, traffic lights , pedestrians , learner drivers, buses , bicycles , hitch-hikers and are 100km/h maximum not 120km/h

I guess when a decision is made to make a motorway they the developers / the government for transport dont just look at how many people would use it presently but predit a projection to how many people will used it in the future. - it would be silly to just build a motorway for today's volume of traffic and then years down the road decide that the motorway they built was not sufficient for the future and have to upgrade it again. Traffic will only get heavier and heavier as the years roll on and the population increases ... and part of the population increase could be because there is a good infrastructer of roads/motorways across the country to get to all points around the country as fast as possible with as little obstacles as possible when driving...

Summerhill to Collooney is built to MW standard, so nothing prevents them increasing the limit to 120 if they wished.
N25 in Cork has this on stretches

Andy From Sligo

blackwhite wrote: »

Summerhill to Collooney is built to MW standard, so nothing prevents them increasing the limit to 120 if they wished.
N25 in Cork has this on stretches

thats an interesting one , never heard of any N-road having the facility of 120lm/h - not saying it cannot, but I just thought 120 was reserved for proper motorway, one where it has to meet certain conditions and exemptions of certain vehicles etc .. you know like with an 'M' in it rather than 'N'

Mint Sauce

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

thats an interesting one , never heard of any N-road having the facility of 120lm/h - not saying it cannot, but I just thought 120 was reserved for proper motorway, one where it has to meet certain conditions and exemptions of certain vehicles etc .. you know like with an 'M' in it rather than 'N'

There are different specs of N Road. The Dual Carriageway from Summerville is built to HQDC, meaning High Quality Dual Carriageway. It is almost motorway spec, other than the signage and road markings. Even the lanes are wider than those in places on the M50.

Yes it still is an N road, but has the capability of being re catergorised, maybe if was a few K longer, if it did not have the Caltragh turn, and if the yellow lines were solid, rather than broken.

blackwhite

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

thats an interesting one , never heard of any N-road having the facility of 120lm/h - not saying it cannot, but I just thought 120 was reserved for proper motorway, one where it has to meet certain conditions and exemptions of certain vehicles etc .. you know like with an 'M' in it rather than 'N'

Yes - I’m fully aware of the difference - and I’ve even given you an example - the N25 - where it has happened

ryanch09

blackwhite wrote: »

Yes - I’m fully aware of the difference - and I’ve even given you an example - the N25 - where it has happened

Also happens on the N1 just before the border where the M1 ends and before it becomes the A1

Tombo2001

The population of Sligo is less than 20'000. There are no major towns en route to Sligo from Dublin.

I have no doubt there is a hinterland with population etc etc but as a non-native of Sligo who is also a taxpayer, I would be most definitely see this - from a national infrastructure perspective - as low priority.

blackwhite

Tombo2001 wrote: »

The population of Sligo is less than 20'000. There are no major towns en route to Sligo from Dublin.

I have no doubt there is a hinterland with population etc etc but as a non-native of Sligo who is also a taxpayer, I would be most definitely see this - from a national infrastructure perspective - as low priority.

The Collooney-Castlebaldwin section currently being done is certainly more than overdue, from a safety point of view if nothing else.

Rooskey-Mullingar is also being planned, so once those two sections are done the road should be at a decent standard for the levels it gets, and is likely to get in the medium term

marno21

blackwhite wrote: »

The Collooney-Castlebaldwin section currently being done is certainly more than overdue, from a safety point of view if nothing else.

Rooskey-Mullingar is also being planned, so once those two sections are done the road should be at a decent standard for the levels it gets, and is likely to get in the medium term

Roosky-Mullingar is at least 10 years away from opening, important to keep that in mind. It's also not committed to beyond getting it to An Bord Pleanala by 2022 or so.