N4 - Mullingar to Rooskey [route options published]

marno21

Can't find any other thread on this, currently suspended, scheme.

Longford-Westmeath TD Peter Burke is calling on this scheme to be progressed to allow the Midlands to compete, in his words.

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/burke-says-midlands-must-given-fair-chance-compete/

road_high

marno21 wrote: »

Can't find any other thread on this, currently suspended, scheme.

Longford-Westmeath TD Peter Burke is calling on this scheme to be progressed to allow the Midlands to compete, in his words.

http://www.midlands103.com/news-centre/burke-says-midlands-must-given-fair-chance-compete/

There was talk about it pre recession. I've heard nothing since then at all. I'd say it's a good decade away, that's being optimistic. I often travel to longford and the N4 is at breaking point. Added to by very slow, frustrating driving habits along the route. Often been sat in rows and rows of traffic as you meet the M4 at Mullingar, I'd say ADDTs are very high

marno21

This scheme has been reactivated by TII. €400k allocation in 2018.

Will likely be part of the new Capital Plan.

The Dromod-Carrick section is in there also, which will mean continuous dual carriageway from north of Carrick to the M50

Kermit.de.frog

Will this be an actual motorway or a fudge?

marno21

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Will this be an actual motorway or a fudge?

It hasn't been decided yet but likely actual motorway, or motorway standard 120km/h dual carriageway, between Mullingar and Longford and 2+2 north of there

roadmaster

marno21 wrote: »

It hasn't been decided yet but likely actual motorway, or motorway standard 120km/h dual carriageway, between Mullingar and Longford and 2+2 north of there

If its going to be motorway and not Type 2 it will be a huge job. When you come to the end of the dual carriageway sligo bound the new motorway cant go to the left as lough owl is there so it will have to go to the right. The problem is its all hills heading to Multyfarnam so a lot of digging ahead. Also it will be a case of still having dual between the start of this job and the M4 as they wont be able to upgrade the current mullingar bypass.

marno21

roadmaster wrote: »

If its going to be motorway and not Type 2 it will be a huge job. When you come to the end of the dual carriageway sligo bound the new motorway cant go to the left as lough owl is there so it will have to go to the right. The problem is its all hills heading to Multyfarnam so a lot of digging ahead. Also it will be a case of still having dual between the start of this job and the M4 as they wont be able to upgrade the current mullingar bypass.

Route is published here:

http://www.longfordcoco.ie/Services/Roads/N4-Mullingar-to-Longford/

Mullingar bypass would be ok for motorway aside from the service stations which could be redesignated MSAs (the Lidl is still an issue westbound)

The stretch between the M4 and the Mullingar bypass would be a problem alright

roadmaster

marno21 wrote: »

Route is published here:

http://www.longfordcoco.ie/Services/Roads/N4-Mullingar-to-Longford/

Mullingar bypass would be ok for motorway aside from the service stations which could be redesignated MSAs (the Lidl is still an issue westbound)

The stretch between the M4 and the Mullingar bypass would be a problem alright

I may have got this very wrong but i taught you could not change a road to motorway unless you can provide an alternate route for vehicles not allowed travel on motorway?


just had a look at the drawings interesting route with alot of side roads and railway crossings. By going this way would you be looking at some buildings getting a cpo?

Middle Man

marno21 wrote: »

It hasn't been decided yet but likely actual motorway, or motorway standard 120km/h dual carriageway, between Mullingar and Longford and 2+2 north of there

That's what I'm seriously hoping for!

marno21

What I'll make clear is that the final alignment and route standard aren't decided yet - but the traffic levels near Mullingar are making a case for a motorway or motorway standard road.

What'd likely happen with the wide S2 stretches is they would be used in their entirety or else narrowed to 80km/h 6m wide S2 and the rest used as part of the route.

Freddypaccman

marno21 wrote: »

Route is published here:

http://www.longfordcoco.ie/Services/Roads/N4-Mullingar-to-Longford/

Mullingar bypass would be ok for motorway aside from the service stations which could be redesignated MSAs (the Lidl is still an issue westbound)

The stretch between the M4 and the Mullingar bypass would be a problem alright

From looking at the route drawings, if thats the route they take, it will sort out the N55 immediately south of Edgworthstown. That bit with level crossing is an ugly stretch imo. I'll be glad to see the back of it

Donegal Storm

I've driven this route quite a lot recently and it's a very frustrating drive from Longford to the start of the DC, 70kph bumper to bumper the whole way with frequent braking. Good to hear it's being reactivated, the sooner it's upgraded the better

marno21

According to tomorrow's Sunday Times, this has been included in the 10 year Capital Plan as far as at least Longford.

Detailed design will begin in 2019. 2022 start at the earliest.

The remainder beyond Longford to the start of the 2007 Dromod-Roosky scheme is another 10km. You'd hope they'd include that too for the sake of 10km.

L1011

If this is built to a sensible route it is implausible to stop at Longford as you will be stopping in open countryside before sending traffic down a link road to the existing Longford bypass and through Newtownforbes.

The modern naming of schemes by the bigger towns near the ends rather than the actual ends may be at play in the reports - "Gort to Tuam" bypassed Tuam for instance.

marno21

L1011 wrote: »

If this is built to a sensible route it is implausible to stop at Longford as you will be stopping in open countryside before sending traffic down a link road to the existing Longford bypass and through Newtownforbes.

The modern naming of schemes by the bigger towns near the ends rather than the actual ends may be at play in the reports - "Gort to Tuam" bypassed Tuam for instance.

I agree, given the DC further up they may as well continue to Roosky.

This scheme has been referred to as N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) in the past so maybe it's just poor reporting. All will become clear on Friday anyway

marno21

Confirmation from RTE that this scheme is in the Capital Plan

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0216/941116-govt-project-2040-plan/

marno21

This was included in the National Development Plan in a list of 24 suspended schemes which would be prioritised accordingly due to lack of funding.

Of the 24 schemes, 3 schemes have been fully reactivated (N13, N14 and N15 in Donegal). Of the remaining 21, 18 of these received funding of 25k in 2018 and three received 400k: Two N2 schemes in Monaghan and this scheme.

If precedent is correct, this scheme will be restarted shortly as the funding of 400k is sufficient to get this started on Phases 1-4 (feasibility, route selection, design & statutory process) by the end of 2018.

Watch this space.

marno21

According to the TII website, this project has now moved into the pre-appraisal stage where the project will be assessed to see if it merits prioritisation for funding under the National Development Plan. I fully expect this to enter full planning by the end of 2018.

roadmaster

marno21 wrote: »

According to the TII website, this project has now moved into the pre-appraisal stage where the project will be assessed to see if it merits prioritisation for funding under the National Development Plan. I fully expect this to enter full planning by the end of 2018.

Marno do you think they would include the upgrade of the mullingar N4 Bypass in it to Motorway and the necessary new roads back as far as the Downs to allow non motorway traffic in to Mullingar or would that be a separate project if it went ahead ?

annfield1978

marno21 wrote: »

According to the TII website, this project has now moved into the pre-appraisal stage where the project will be assessed to see if it merits prioritisation for funding under the National Development Plan. I fully expect this to enter full planning by the end of 2018.

Movement coming shortly

marno21

roadmaster wrote: »

Marno do you think they would include the upgrade of the mullingar N4 Bypass in it to Motorway and the necessary new roads back as far as the Downs to allow non motorway traffic in to Mullingar or would that be a separate project if it went ahead ?

I would like to see this happen but it's too early to tell.

Kermit.de.frog

Should be motorway from the Downs to Roosky.

Or else we'd have another "Athlone gap"

L1011

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Should be motorway from the Downs to Roosky.

Or else we'd have another "Athlone gap"

It'll be mostly T2DC, as Roosky already is.

Drifter50

I guess some of the posters here don`t travel this road that much but I do several times a week. To say the N4 is 70 kph along this is stretching it, I find it to be 90/100 kph most of the time so I don`t see the huge issue. Also the road strengthening that took place from Edgeworthstown to Longford that took place recently has improved speed on this part in the last month

Surely the most important part of the N4 that must be tackled is Carrick on Shannon. Crazy at this stage that we all queue into Carrick and wind over the tiny bridge.

This has added back 30 mins at busy times to the Dublin Sligo route over the last few years negating any progress made.

roadmaster

L1011 wrote: »

It'll be mostly T2DC, as Roosky already is.

I am probably took this up wrong from someone but are they putting hard shoulders on the roosky bypass?

L1011

roadmaster wrote: »

I am probably took this up wrong from someone but are they putting hard shoulders on the roosky bypass?

No. Some locals have asked for it but it isn't going to happen

D Trent

L1011 wrote: »

No. Some locals have asked for it but it isn't going to happen

Intermittent lay-bys were completed on the bypasd earlier this year.

L1011

Additional ones? There were already some

Kermit.de.frog

L1011 wrote: »

It'll be mostly T2DC, as Roosky already is.

So you're saying this scheme from Mullingar will not be an extension of the M4 then?

Marno seemed very confident it would be.

BelfastVanMan

I think it's to be HQDC as far as Longford, 2+2 thereafter.

L1011

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

So you're saying this scheme from Mullingar will not be an extension of the M4 then?

Marno seemed very confident it would be.

There would be expensive CPOs required to extend the M4 to the end of the Mullingar BP to begin with which would not bring safety benefits.

Traffic levels do not justify HQDC to Roosky either.