Castlemartyr Roadworks

Bacchus

So, the time is coming. I spotted a screenshot on Facebook of a newsletter outlining the planned works for Castlemartyr. I'll summarize as best I can here...

Its starting on 22nd January 2018 and is expected to run to mid-August 2018.

There will be two phases...

1. From Knockane Cross roads to the entrance to the Maples estate (22nd Jan - end April)
2. From Eastern side of bridge to the entrance to the Maples estate (May - mid-July)

I presume mid-August is for final clean up or just a bit of leeway if (when) things run over.

Question though... where exactly is Knockane Cross? It says its about 2.2km east of the village but I don't know any crossroad there...

Anyway.... Traffic Management:

1: Two way traffic when possible, otherwise flagmen between 06:30 and 19:30 and traffic lights at night
2: Flagmen between 06:30 and 19:30 and (I assume, but it's not explicitly written) traffic lights at night

Work Description:

- Removal of failed sections of pavement
- Strengthening of those sections
- Resurfacing with bituminous macadam
- Storm water drainage
- Flood containment embankment work
- New footpaths and kerbs
- New watermain
- Undergrounding of overhead services
- Tree surgery
- Roadside drainage works
- Traffic signs, road markings, traffic management

All the above badly needed so that's great... it's just going to be a slog while they're doing it!

Nukem

I believe it’s the cross road on the road to killeagh marked here.

Very small one that cuts across to the coast road.

cantdecide

Just bumping this to say that it's well underway and moving closer to the village now.

The surface has been in an abysmal state for at least a decade. Even without the gashes filled in and sunken manhole covers, the surface has only been good for pummeling your suspension at any speed.

I'm frustrated at the delay but glad they're finally doing the village up to the bridge. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it turned out like Killeagh.

mordeith

cantdecide wrote: »

Just bumping this to say that it's well underway and moving closer to the village now.

The surface has been in an abysmal state for at least a decade. Even without the gashes filled in and sunken manhole covers, the surface has only been good for pummeling your suspension at any speed.

I'm frustrated at the delay but glad they're finally doing the village up to the bridge. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it turned out like Killeagh.

So far I think this crew are handling the traffic much better than Meic

Stugots

mordeith wrote: »

So far I think this crew are handling the traffic much better than Meic

Yes - far better job than was done in Killeagh. Delays are not at all that significant. Fixing the sunken manhole covers in the village was long overdue and they did that extremely quickly.

mordeith

Stugots wrote: »

. Fixing the sunken manhole covers in the village was long overdue and they did that extremely quickly.

I think they fixed those almost too quickly. You still see people who would be used to the road swerving to avoid them!

Bacchus

mordeith wrote: »

I think they fixed those almost too quickly. You still see people who would be used to the road swerving to avoid them!

That's settled down a bit now. People have gotten used to an even road.

Road works certainly getting closer to the village but traffic flow seems to be managed well so far.

mordeith

Bacchus wrote: »

That's settled down a bit now. People have gotten used to an even road.

Road works certainly getting closer to the village but traffic flow seems to be managed well so far.

I've noticed they are putting serious kerbing down. Can't understand why the same wasn't done in Killeagh. The speed of traffic outside the school there hasn't lessened a bit.

blindsider

Any idea when this is due to finish? Traffic is going to build again very quickly next week.....

Bacchus

blindsider wrote: »

Any idea when this is due to finish? Traffic is going to build again very quickly next week.....

Early October I hear. They've quite a bit left to do.

Gonna be a nightmare once schools come back. At least Castlemartyr NS has an extra week off due to the work happening in the school.

valoren

With schools back, the queues have been very manageable. Really good job being done with the traffic flow particularly for a national road.

Bacchus

valoren wrote: »

With schools back, the queues have been very manageable. Really good job being done with the traffic flow particularly for a national road.

For the last few days it's looked like nothing has been going on... as if all work just came to a halt (unless something is happening further up the road away from the village). With no stop-and-go in place, yeah it's been fine getting through the village. I believe they're back out doing work today so it'll be interesting/frustrating to see what traffic is like again this evening.

Nukem

Bacchus wrote: »

For the last few days it's looked like nothing has been going on... as if all work just came to a halt (unless something is happening further up the road away from the village). With no stop-and-go in place, yeah it's been fine getting through the village. I believe they're back out doing work today so it'll be interesting/frustrating to see what traffic is like again this evening.

Heard during the week from a neighbor in the know, that they were given a deadline of last Friday as per the tender. Since thats been and gone, they are scheduling to do the final road works at some stage over 2-3 nights in Sept and completely close the village.

In preparation of the road laying they're back doing the footpaths on the other side of the road, on the east side of the village working their way down towards the traffic lights.

mordeith

Nukem wrote: »

Heard during the week from a neighbor in the know, that they were given a deadline of last Friday as per the tender. Since thats been and gone, they are scheduling to do the final road works at some stage over 2-3 nights in Sept and completely close the village.

In preparation of the road laying they're back doing the footpaths on the other side of the road, on the east side of the village working their way down towards the traffic lights.

I wonder why they are so far off the deadline above? They seemed to be pretty on the ball from when they started. Maybe the builders holidays?

vicwatson

Is this seriously STILL going on?

waxmelts2000

Heading to cork tomorrow Saturday for a wedding is it free flow at weekends or should I go through Mogeely thanks

stayback

Valyawl wrote: »

Heading to cork tomorrow Saturday for a wedding is it free flow at weekends or should I go through Mogeely thanks

No stop /go at the weekends now.. should be no hold ups ..

Nukem

mordeith wrote: »

I wonder why they are so far off the deadline above? They seemed to be pretty on the ball from when they started. Maybe the builders holidays?

Latest from one of the signal men was that is now looking like November, before it’s fully wrapped up.

Paths are coming along nicely, but slowly. They won’t do the road surfacing, until it all the paths are complete, it appears

JupiterKid

I want to know when this nasty little bottleneck will be bypassed - which is about 15 years overdue...

Bacchus

JupiterKid wrote: »

I want to know when this nasty little bottleneck will be bypassed - which is about 15 years overdue...

Can't imagine that'll be any time soon. I don't think there's even any long term vision for the N25 that will follow on from the works on the Dunkettle Interchange. Whatever they do, it will need to be done right and consider the entire route from Carrigtwohill, Castlemartyr, Killeagh, and pretty much all the way to Youghal.

With work started on the new footbridges either side of the existing bridge, it will be interesting to see if they are able to improve the flow of traffic at that junction with the wider road. Most of the bottle neck is due to cars turning right for Ladysbridge/Garryvoe and there just isn't enough room for that queue of cars alongside those going straight through.

chalkitdown1

JupiterKid wrote: »

I want to know when this nasty little bottleneck will be bypassed - which is about 15 years overdue...

Surely these would be the easiest bypasses to ever be built? It's an almost straight length of road going through nothing but fields in both cases (with one bridge also required to go over Mogeely Road in Castlemartyr).





It's baffling that they haven't been built by now.

mordeith

chalkitdown1 wrote: »

It's baffling that they haven't been built by now.

Well you have the river and the railway line (proposed Greenway now) in Killeagh but you would think Castlemartyr would be relatively easy.

Bacchus

chalkitdown1 wrote: »

Surely these would be the easiest bypasses to ever be built? It's an almost straight length of road going through nothing but fields in both cases (with one bridge also required to go over Mogeely Road in Castlemartyr).

First image (of Castlemartyr), you literally put the road going through a bunch of houses You'd also be creating a crossroads in the middle of a bypass (put it a bit further north and you could have the space for a flyover and slip lanes on/off). I'd also object to putting the start of the west side of a bypass where you have. You're cutting right through the beautiful tree line along the road on the approach to the village. A bypass would need to start further back and rejoin further east. You have to consider also that the village will continue to expand east.

I'm all for getting a proper N25 built (with bypasses for the bottlenecks) but I think a bit more thought is needed than a quick Microsoft Paint job

chalkitdown1

I thought they did these things in MS paint?

Cork Lass

Are the roadworks finished? I have to go to Waterford on Friday so I’m wondering if I need to allow extra time.

mordeith

Cork Lass wrote: »

Are the roadworks finished? I have to go to Waterford on Friday so I’m wondering if I need to allow extra time.

No, not finished but not much of a delay most days. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes should be grand.

Bacchus

mordeith wrote: »

No, not finished but not much of a delay most days. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes should be grand.

Yeah, they seem to be just working the odd day a week on it now which is most frustrating. The whole thing is just dragging on now, I wish they'd just go at it 5 days a week and get it done already instead of the drip feed works.

Also, the road just before the crossroads (coming from east) is a disgrace. It's more pothole than road at this point and it is really slowing down traffic as everyone (rightly) is crawling over that surface for fear of wrecking their suspension/wheels.

Cork Lass

Thanks for the responses, I’ll make sure to allow some extra time.

boring1205

Cork Lass wrote: »

Thanks for the responses, I’ll make sure to allow some extra time.

15 minutes would be more than enough...5 minutes most mornings and evenings at peak time these days, less off peak.

Bacchus

Update: They've patched up that bit of road at the crossroads so it's now resembles a road surface.

I've no idea what they are at this morning. They seem to be digging up the road again by the footpaths. Could they be undergrounding the power lines? I noticed that they put in new (rather nice) street lights so I would assume the old (ugly) ones are going, and with them the power lines that they support.

mordeith

Bacchus wrote: »

Update: They've patched up that bit of road at the crossroads so it's now resembles a road surface.

I've no idea what they are at this morning. They seem to be digging up the road again by the footpaths. Could they be undergrounding the power lines? I noticed that they put in new (rather nice) street lights so I would assume the old (ugly) ones are going, and with them the power lines that they support.

Almost certainly burying the cables but would have thought that would have been done already as the cabling is fed from underneath. They would have to dig the footpaths up again otherwise.

Cork Lass

Well, I made the journey to Waterford yesterday in what had to have been the worst conditions I ever drove in. They were working when I passed through about 10.30 am but the delay was literally a couple of minutes. On the way back the workers were gone (about 3.30 pm) but, My God, the road surface at the junction as you approach from the East is dreadful.

Bacchus

mordeith wrote: »

Almost certainly burying the cables but would have thought that would have been done already as the cabling is fed from underneath. They would have to dig the footpaths up again otherwise.

Word over the weekend is that the ESB are holding up the progress. They're not available to underground the power lines until December! So it's limbo land until then.

That patch of road before the junction is a wreck again. Cars crawling over it resulting in unnecessary tailbacks.

boring1205

Just drive through the village.. Zero delay - let's hope this will be the case permanently once they finally finish.

Bacchus

boring1205 wrote: »

Just drive through the village.. Zero delay - let's hope this will be the case permanently once they finally finish.

11:45 isn't peak traffic though so I wouldn't be expecting much/any delays at that time. Try it between 8-9am or 5-6pm. Or on a sunny weekend when everyone's off to the beach. As wonderful as the new road surface, footpaths and lamp posts will be, traffic through the village will continue to be a bottle neck at busy periods. My only hope is that the new footbridges will mean a wider road over the bridge itself which might (somehow) improve the flow of traffic at the junction... if even just to make it easier (and therefore quicker) for large vehicles to make the corner.

boring1205

Yeah, I agree...I have written off the peak hours until a bypass is built, if ever. I'm will be happy enough to get it back to some bit of normality for the other times of the day.

Will be interesting to see how the works on the Mogeely to 2 mile Inn road impact Castlemartyr. Lots of cars using this at the moment - when that road is down to 1 lane for a pipeline from the cheese plant, back to the main road I presume.

And there is talk of traffic calming in Mogeely when the new plant opens, and of course the greenway, if and when that goes ahead.

The case for the bypass will surely raise its head again?

Bacchus

New traffic lights are in place since yesterday evening. I really hope it's just some teething issue that will be ironed out because traffic was so backed up coming from Waterford side this morning. It felt noticeably longer for the lights to turn green for me this morning. My wife was on the road an hour after me and said the exact same. I'm not sure what benefit all the new filter lights will be either (for traffic turning left/right). Maybe we'll see the impact of that over time but right now it feels like an over-engineered solution. I can see how it might help with traffic turning right to Mogeely, but that will also have a knock-on effect in evening for cars heading east through the village as they will have to wait that little bit extra on each sequence before they can proceed.

mordeith

There was queue into Castlemartyr at 6.00 yesterday evening. First time in ages I've experienced that aside from when the roadworks were actually happening.

Bacchus

mordeith wrote: »

There was queue into Castlemartyr at 6.00 yesterday evening. First time in ages I've experienced that aside from when the roadworks were actually happening.

At least yesterday evening can be put down to the installation of the new lights still going on, so that may have caused some disruption. If it happens again this evening now that the lights are installed... then I'd be a bit worried that they've royally fcuked up with the new traffic light system.

Bacchus

Just gone through them there now (going east). Traffic already backed up in village. They change back to red so quickly, not green for long which is causing the queues.

waxmelts2000

I hope they change the sequence back to what it was, I was late for work today because of it!

mordeith

Came through going east at 6.20. Same queue as the same time last evening. Took 9 minutes to get from the bend outside the woods to the end of the houses on the eastern side of the village. I kept an eye on the lights going through and they seemed to stay green for a reasonable amount of time as far as I could tell so not sure what the story is. Still loads of traffic turning right towards Ladysbridge so presumably a big contributing factor.

waxmelts2000

On Facebook today

Proposed Road Closures Mogeely (2 Mile Inn) L3809 & L3627 from 11th March to 23rd May to facilitate installation of ductile iron pipe. Detour to apply


Here we go again more delays . Will it ever stop!! Castlemartyr was a disaster again yesterday evening trying to go through.

boring1205

Valyawl wrote:

Proposed Road Closures Mogeely (2 Mile Inn) L3809 & L3627 from 11th March to 23rd May to facilitate installation of ductile iron pipe. Detour to apply

Valyawl wrote:

Here we go again more delays . Will it ever stop!! Castlemartyr was a disaster again yesterday evening trying to go through.

That's the road from Mogeely to the 2 Mile Inn.... Road to be closed off completely with local access only for that period....Was also told that there is going to be stop-go roadworks on the road for a few weeks before the closeure for exploratory works.

Then after the pipeline is finished and before the plant opens, Mogeely village itself will be totally resurfaced with traffic calming measures put in place.

Time to get the light sequence sorted in Castlemartyr.

Muttley79

Surely the n25 is nearly wide enough for dual carriageway upgrade most of the way between Waterford to cork and bypass the towns of killeagh and castle martyr.

Bacchus

Muttley79 wrote: »

Surely the n25 is nearly wide enough for dual carriageway upgrade most of the way between Waterford to cork and bypass the towns of killeagh and castle martyr.

A conversation that crops up a couple of times a year here. We all can dream but don't see it happening for a long long time.

The new traffic light system is a mess BTW. Queues into the village when there hasn't been any in recent months (since the main works completed). It's very notable how the new filter light prioritizing traffic turning right to Mogeely (what little there is) is slowing down traffic moving through the village in the evenings (going east). If this is the new norm, I despair.

boring1205

Bacchus wrote:

The new traffic light system is a mess BTW. Queues into the village when there hasn't been any in recent months (since the main works completed). It's very notable how the new filter light prioritizing traffic turning right to Mogeely (what little there is) is slowing down traffic moving through the village in the evenings (going east). If this is the new norm, I despair.

Surely be to Christ they can/will adjust the lights after some sort of trial period??

Or am I being naive?

waxmelts2000

You would think they would however they are still long delays after a week. I wonder how much longer they will wait before reviewing them...

Roanmore

Came through this morning at 6.30 from the Youghal side.
I was about 9th car back, big lorry at the top of the queue.
Lights go green, three arrows. Expected the right turn to go off, nope all three went red. Only the lorry at the front got through, this leads on to a big queue behind. This was at 6.30:eek:

This issue here may be there was no traffic at the other side of the bridge going east. The rubbish collection lorry had prevented all traffic from moving but was parked well back from the bridge. If that's the case then there is a serious bug in those lights.

Bacchus

Simple solution... take a sledgehammer to the filter light allowing cars to turn right to Mogeely

Also, WTF is the point of the left filter light to go towards Ladysbridge?? It all looks like an over-engineered solution where a simple single green light could do the job better.

Who does one complain to about this? The problem won't rectify itself if no-one's alerting the proper authorities that there is a problem.

Roanmore

The Council, I've done it previously when the Pedestrian light use to come on every cycle even at 6 in the morning.