N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

DumbBrunette · 16-07-2022 7:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119339448#Comment_119339448

This is from the design report. You can get the chainage locations on the maps at n5w2t.com

DumbBrunette · 30-07-2022 8:20pm

Official completion date is now 18 April 2023, which ties in with the Q2 2023 date reported earlier. Below is from TII board minutes.

DumbBrunette · 08-08-2022 5:56am

Drone video of the Castlebar bypass section from Jack Walsh drone photography:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg-G-k0KbRa/

DumbBrunette · 09-08-2022 7:41am

I went for a drive to check out progress on the scheme yesterday. Most of the activity is along the N59 section, where surfacing works are now underway. Earthworks appear to be largely complete.

Along the rest of the scheme (Knockranny to Castlebar East), progress is much better:

View from Belcarra road bridge.

Keelogues road bridge looking north.

Keelogues road bridge looking south to the N60 bridge.

Bridges- all are open except Drumneen and Islandeady. Drumneen bridge is nearing completion. The Islandeady bridge and approach roads are complete but still closed off to traffic for some reason, see below.

Pavement: This is largely complete on the mainline except for gaps at Drumneen bridge, Sheeaun bridge and the N60 bridge. There's no sign of the centre median barrier or road signage being installed anywhere just yet.

UsBus · 09-08-2022 9:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119409459#Comment_119409459

More chance of Mayo winning an all Ireland before this road gets completed. Maybe they are planning on getting through it in the last few months but progress appears incredibly slow.

A lot of the bridge junctions around Castlebar have been ongoing for a couple of years with very little movement. Traffic lights on bridges with no work going on. Anyone suggest night shift work during the good summer months.? Sure no rush with it...

Whether it's the contractor or other issues I don't see another project like this happening for a long time. The appetite for it will be well soured by this experience.

Cosmo Kramer · 09-08-2022 11:27am

The main scheme now seems like it is going to be held up for months because of delays to the N59 section and link which was only ever really an add on to the main DC scheme anyway.

Someone needs to make a case for the focus to be put on the completion of the DC section from east of Castlebar to Knockranny so it can be wrapped up and opened this autumn - then go back and finish off the N59 section after that.

Total Control · 10-08-2022 1:04pm

Noob here. I'm wondering why is the existing/new N5 junction on the Westport side of Castlebar a roundabout instead of a GSJ? I figure here is a good place to ask for an answer. Thanks

marno21 · 10-08-2022 3:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119453998#Comment_119453998

Open to correction here but in general for 2+2s roundabouts are provided at junctions where there’s a considerable amount of traffic leaving the mainline (to go to Castlebar instead of continuing on the N5 eastbound for example), equal priority is given between the mainline and the side road via a roundabout. Where a larger proportion of traffic is continuing along the mainline instead of exiting a compact GSJ is provided.

DumbBrunette · 11-08-2022 7:36am

Some pics from the N59 section and the Westport relief road:

Progress on the piled section of the Westport relief road, with Greenway underpass in the background.

Tarmacing the Greenway at the new N59 underpass.

Newly finished section of the N59 beside the Slaugar road junction. This looks like it will be taking traffic very soon.

thomas385 · 11-08-2022 6:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119457250#Comment_119457250

I took a spin that way today. The bottom picture has now been opened to traffic.

DumbBrunette · 14-08-2022 6:41am

Some pics from the Sheeaun overbridge near Westport, which opened to traffic recently.

Looking north along the bridge.

Looking west and east from the bridge, work is ongoing here to complete the mainline.

The old road is well and truly blocked off now.

DumbBrunette · 18-08-2022 5:18pm

The old N59 at Barleyhill was being excavated today. Hopefully this means the next section of the realigned road can open soon!

DumbBrunette · 19-08-2022 1:14pm

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChcSLsXoyOv/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Nice new pic of the Drumneen overbridge in Islandeady nearing completion.

pjordan · 19-08-2022 2:31pm

As a cyclist , very disappointed to see the completion works ongoing on the N84 Ballinrobe crossover towards Aughadrina. Tons of topsoil being laid down on the vast verges over tons more of hardcore, with absolutely no provision for a footpath or a cycle land, or more significantly given the vast swathes of land CPO'd for a segregated pedestrian/cycle lane along where the topsoil is being placed. Very much sends out a message that this €220m project is totally focused on motor vehicle use with absolutely no consideration for other road users.

Mother Trucker · 19-08-2022 4:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119494302#Comment_119494302

Use the old road.

This is a dual carriageway.

Its no place for cyclists or pedestrians.

Cosmo Kramer · 19-08-2022 5:38pm

I presume he means on the new bit of the N84 around the overbridge, not the new N5? Would have been helpful to include bike and foot links there, surprised if they haven't.

Mother Trucker · 22-08-2022 12:14pm

Back on topic, It would be nice to see the N59 element of the scheme open to traffic at the same time as the N5 part.

I won't hold my breath, though; it will probably be phased openings, especially considering the delays there's been, so far.

pjordan · 22-08-2022 2:25pm

Grand address the issue so. I was talking about the N84 approach and overbridge, not the N5 itself. However, in this day an age of supposedly sustainable transport infrastructure, when €220m is being spent on major road projects, it would only seem logical that all such projects incorporate a segregated cycle lane/pedestrian path into their design. Such a provision could be easily accomodated at minimal additional cost relative to what it cost to retrospectively engineer such facilities.

[Mod: removed offensive quote - please read the charter before posting and leave the offensive language out]

KrisW1001 · 23-08-2022 8:45am

it would only seem logical that all such projects incorporate a segregated cycle lane/pedestrian path into their design.

This is exactly the case now, but N5 was planned before the requirement for segregated cycle and pedestrian space became part of the acceptance criteria for any new road design.

N5 itself will have an alternative cycle and pedestrian route, even if that's just “use the old alignment” because the road-type being used is limited to motor-vehicles.

Regarding N84, I haven't seen the new stretch, but if there's just topsoil going down over hardcore, it will be pretty quick and easy to install a cycle-lane there - cycleways are actually pretty cheap to build, given that they don't have to be engineerd to support 20-tonne vehicles, and if there's trunking material already in situ, most of that work is done already. I really have no idea why it's not there now, but one reason may be that the plan for the future N84 is not yet defined, and so the location of that cycleway may need to change once that has been decided; another may be that right now there's nowhere safe on either end of this link for cyclists to go, and providing a cycle-lane may draw cyclists toward using a road that is actually less safe than alternatives.

yew_tree · 24-08-2022 10:37pm

It would be ridiculous if the N59 part holds up the entire dual carriageway from Turlough to Westport. Should be opened as soon as possible and if that means phased then go for it.

Green Peter · 24-08-2022 10:48pm

A complete overkill of a project and an abuse of public funds, no problem with re alignment and major works to improve the old road. No one politician should have access to this amount of funding and influence. So much more could have been done with the total funding within the county.

irishgeo · 25-08-2022 5:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119518238#Comment_119518238

Its one of the busiest sections of road in the country. The old one is dangerous. Way too many junctions on it and houses near it for it to be realigned.

Allergan and other companies complained constantly about the state of the N5.

TII build roads not politicians. I'm personally and looking forward to the reduction of traffic on the old road.

prunudo · 25-08-2022 7:35am

Its amazing that even after all these years people can't see the safety benefits of having an off line national road network. Interurban roads should not have private entrances onto them, this simply isn't possible with cheapskate realignment projects.

yew_tree · 25-08-2022 5:30pm

Agree 100%. The 2+2 dual carriageway is now standard build across the network for the traffic volumes on this road. The current one is a donkey track. Safety being the number one priority. There is literally no way the current alignment could have been upgraded with a hard shoulder each side due to the number of houses along the route and topography.

On a side note it took me 40mins to travel between the town towns yesterday. I think idiot drivers breaking through red lights is an issue. Wait until the schools feature it will be carnage but when it’s all done it will be worth it.

DumbBrunette · 26-08-2022 2:55pm

The Islandeady overbridge is due to open next Friday. The lengthy delay appears to be because they were waiting for a section of crash barrier to be installed.

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2022/08/26/council-responds-to-concerns-over-new-n5-issues-causing-mayo-traffic-problems/

spacetweek · 27-08-2022 2:21pm

Description in the Insta post not quite right. Should say Westport-Castlebar. The scheme was truncated from Turlough back to Castlebar upon construction start.

irishgeo · 27-08-2022 6:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119529332#Comment_119529332

Its still technically starting in Turlough just not at the far end of turlough as originally planned for.

prunudo · 27-08-2022 7:22pm

Off topic to the thread but still relating to Westport. Did they ever look into providing a southern ring for the town to link the r335-n59-r330-n5 as part of the project? Would have thought a lot of tourist through traffic could be eliminated from the town with a southern route.

thomas385 · 27-08-2022 7:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119530599#Comment_119530599

The route corridor for a potential southern relief road is protected in the (former) Westport Local Area Plan, which is dated 2010-2016 and is due to be updated soon.

Bit hard to make out as the colours are faint, but it's marked on the above map as IO-02.

Definitely something that should be pushed for as although the current N5 project will alleviate Kilmeena/Newport/Achill-bound traffic from going through town, I would estimate that the majority of traffic coming from the Castlebar side is in fact heading for the western and southern sides of town.

prunudo · 27-08-2022 7:58pm

Looks good, seems shortsighted not to have included this in the current project

KrisW1001 · 28-08-2022 12:01pm

Well, there wasn’t (and isn’t) an unlimited budget available: If the choice was between bundling the N59 safety improvements into the N5 works, or providing a southern link road, then the N59 had to be the priority, given how poor that stretch of road is.

prunudo · 28-08-2022 2:18pm

True, but as sure as night follows day, when they do build it, it will be more expensive than if it had of been bundled with the main project. For a few extra km's it does seem short sighted. But when we have a history of penny pinching on infrastructure projects it is to be expected.

DumbBrunette · 28-08-2022 3:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119533302#Comment_119533302

Agreed, but timing was the problem here. The N59 Barley Hill section was added on to this project at the last minute after ABP refused permission for widening the N5 to type 2 DC all the way to Turlough. The Barley Hill upgrade already had planning permission and the land had already been CPOd as part of the Westport to Mulranny scheme, so it was ready to go. The Westport southern relief road doesn't even have a detailed preferred route (only an approximate corridor), let alone planning permission or CPOs, so it couldn't have been done with the N5 scheme.

My family home is out the Leenane Road so I would love to see it built, but it will take years to go through all the TII project phases.

spacetweek · 28-08-2022 5:46pm

It's better to limit size and complexity of construction projects to avoid scope creep and cost overruns. Keep it simple.

prunudo · 28-08-2022 5:49pm

Thanks for the replies, was just curious. Appreciate the complexity of trying to get projects across the line.

DumbBrunette · 03-09-2022 10:30am

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2022/09/02/mayo-community-welcomes-reopening-of-n5-access-route-and-new-overbridge/

Islandeady overbridge finally open.

DumbBrunette · 04-09-2022 2:30pm

Newly opened Islandeady overbridge from above courtesy of Jack Walsh drone photography.

RogerThis · 07-09-2022 1:43pm

What is the purple pipe being layed for the past few weeks, from Islandeady to Westport, causing extra delays?

KrisW1001 · 08-09-2022 7:17am

Purple ducting is used for traffic control communications (signage, traffic counters, etc.) and sometimes lighting. It is definitely part of the original project, not “extra” work.

irishgeo · 08-09-2022 8:55am

I'm pretty sure it's not related to the N5 work considering it's on the old road. National broadband plan is my guess.

DumbBrunette · 11-09-2022 8:28am

Little video here of the new Greenway underpass at Barleyhill. Not officially open yet but looks nearly finished.

https://irishcycle.com/2022/08/31/underpasses-are-needed-for-irelands-cycling-and-walking-networks-but-design-is-key/

RogerThis · 11-09-2022 10:48am

I cycled it last week, and it is the only route open on the greenway. I don't remember path being that dirty. In the video, there is a metal barrier blocking under a bridge, that wasn't there either.

irishgeo · 13-09-2022 6:18pm

A drone video of the whole route is available on the wills linked in page. Looks class.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wills-bros-ltd_willsbamjv-n5w2t-mayo-ugcPost-6973678362615582720-2nkA?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

RogerThis · 13-09-2022 10:23pm

The Castlebar side it pretty much finished by that drone footage. Westport side not so much.

I heard a local rumour about opening before Christmas. Do you think that they could open part of the Castlebar part before Christmas?

UsBus · 15-09-2022 4:52pm

They'd want to really pull their finger out on the Castlebar side from what I've seen. Traffic lights again on the N84 ballinrobe overpass for one digger doing a small bit of groundwork the last couple of weeks.

Never seen a job being dragged out so long as this junction has been. Queue the Covid excuses and weather issues. Been a total embarrassment for the town getting this bypass done.