N8/N25/N40 - Dunkettle Interchange [open to traffic]

The Tunnel to M8 movement could be moved to the east sooner rather than later. The section at the north of the interchange looks ready for surfacing. Huge progress.

That can't happen because it would block off the overheight vehicle escape route to M8S traffic

It should be a single solid line right through the tunnel. The overheight vehicle escape route would then work. Stick up a camera or two and then if people are changing lanes when they shouldn't, or are breaking the 60kmh limit (or 80 when the scheme is done I'm guessing), then 3 points and a fine.

How about a double white lines with rumble strips under the watchful eye of a camera.

The section of road leading to the North portal of the tunnel is the last place where lane changing should be allowed

Could they set up the overheight detection for M8 South traffic before the exit for East Cork and route any vehicles off there? I assume that would be possible?

This absolute lunatic did it last April. Caused bloody mayhem.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/jack-lynch-tunnel-closed-as-tractor-tows-3-lorries-on-top-of-each-other/

Another superb video from the ever reliable Dronehawk.

Worth mentioning that in his latest Youtube posts, Dronehawk has provided a donation link to assist with the costs of making the videos. These videos have brought life and clarity to a number of construction projects ; the N22, Dunkettle and now the Foynes line rehabilitation project for example. I don't know Dronehawk and have no connection with him, but it seems like a request worthy of consideration.

Good morning. It's been a year or more since I drove to Cork (approaching southbound on M8) and tomorrow morning I'm heading for the airport. I intend to arrive there around 11.30am.

Would anyone care to advise if the current signage on the approach to the Dunkettle is as clear as day, or as clear as muck, for that journey please?

Also, Google Maps, leave it on, or switch it off for that bit of the journey?

Thanks in advance.

Had an interesting interaction with the Junction this morning I was joining via the city to tunnel loop and the person in front didn't even both to merge just drove over the white lines straight into the left lane! Some people I think are absolutely allergic to being in a right "fast lane" even for a few meters, the mind boggles. Then to cap it off the tunnel warning for overheight vehicle was ON with red lights and flashing lights. No one paid any attention to that either but there was no truck around and the barrier wasn't down.

I left Eastgate at about 3.45 and traffic on main n25 heading west was backed up bit past little island so assume there was something like that

Is it unfair to label the scheme an at least partial failure at this stage? We've had what, a month?, at this stage for the new layout to 'bed in' with drivers yet there are, in particular, still long queues coming from Midleton direction and Little Island every evening. Whilst acknowledging there are further merging lanes yet to open, it's not going to create any more space going through the tunnel from the east! Also long tailbacks from the Mahon side in the evening, particularly associated with the merge from J10 there. There may be morning problems as well - I'm coming in after them at the moment if so. It seems to me that there's simply a lot more E/W traffic than N/S and giving both 50% of the road isn't working too great.......but how else to make the tunnel freeflow I guess? Given lower traffic volumes at the moment, I fear a rainy November at 8am / 5.30pm may be little better than before, at least for those coming from the east.

To be a success or not you have to look at the before and after picture once the bollards are removed. Once we have that we'll know if it speeds up travel times sufficiently

Secondly, you mention the Mahon junction heading towards the tunnel. This scheme was doing nothing to that junction, to be successful you have to measure the scheme only on the impact of the before/after starting beyond that.

And finally, no interchange was going to be completely delay-free, there's still a huge amount of traffic going through that junction, many points that are two lanes into one (mainly going into the tunnel, the obvious restriction). Look at any "free flow" going on or off the m50, they always have traffic at peak times

Point taken re the bollards but I have my worries......

To be fair, pretty much every press piece re the opening forecast an end to delays - here's just one:

"Tailbacks at the notorious Dunkettle Interchange are set to become a thing of the past this weekend".

I'm not trying to say things haven't improved - they have from many directions. But we heard a lot of "give it a week and it'll be fine" - well it's been rather more than a week and things are far from fine! I don't travel N25E to tunnel / city in the evening but do frequently observe it and it seems little better than before the works, even at this time of year - it's also impacting N25 Junction 3 (Cobh / Carrigtohill) to a certain extent - IMHO due to more people turning off to take the 'back road' to avoid Dunkettle.

The tunnel is ok for now.

The problems are:

N25E - delays due to merging with the temporary Little Island West to Cork slip. That should dissipate once things are more finalised and the lane is open over the flyover.

N40N - There are no problems at all here in the morning as traffic doesn't seem to be leaving Mahon in the same quantities. In the evening, there is too much traffic joining at Mahon for freeflow. That plus the 60kmh limit is causing issues. Not sure what the solution to all of that is.

Ultimately, the only solution for the Mahon junction is better public transport between Mahon and Cork’s outer suburbs, and try to fix the mess caused by a long history of parasitic land-use planning by Cork County Council. Honestly, Mahon Point should never have been built where it was - putting a major traffic generator of this kind in a geographical “pocket” like this is a bad idea, but at the time this land was under Cork County Council, not the city, and the County saw it as a handy way to get some juicy commercial rates by piggybacking on Cork City’s infrastructure - see also Douglas, both of whose shopping centres were granted planning permission by Cork County, despite butting right against the city.