N22 - Macroom to Ballyvourney (Macroom Bypass) [open to traffic]

As I said above, a Contour map explains a lot about this part of Cork.

Here's your proposed routing (red) and the actual (black) on a contour map - each line is 20m. I've put a green blob for every +20 m of altitude gained, and a blue one for every 20 m lost. Look how high your road goes compared to the actual design. And look how rarely the actual design changes altitude. That’s the key to keeping costs reasonable.

Even if you avoid changes in altitude, height itself is bad because it increases risk of fog, and cold weather in general. Also, your eastern leg would need a huge dig to stay within the 5% gradient limit for this type of road.

There was no option but to do a deep cut north of Baile Mhic Íre, but everywhere else, the designers kept the amount of cutting and embankment needed to a minimum.

Carrigaphooka

As you can see there are roads on either side of the bypass. They could have easily put junctions/sliproads if planned right

The bypass will be a fabulous road when finish, it was badly wanted. But it was badly planned. No hard shoulders, no merging lanes at Millstreet, Tun lane and Silieveragh. Also no junctions at Carrigaphooka and none at Silieveragh for west of Ballyvourney/Coolea. People won't be able to get on/get off at the west end. They will have to get on/get off at Tun lane and go through Ballyvourney. They can get on/get off for Killarney

Cos of no merging lanes at Millstreet Cross, there has been a few accidents. People assumed there are merging lanes despite stop signs. More will happen at Tun lane and Silieveragh.

Ideally I think the bypass should have been built like Mitchestown bypass. It's a great road.

Road development is proportionate to traffic volumes:

• The M8 Michelstown Bypass averages 13,984 vehicles per day of which 12.3% are HGVs.
• The N22 Macroom Bypass averages just 8,276 vehicles per day of which only 6.4% are HGVs.

Looked ready when I passed it earlier, they were putting the lines down.

with the distance between junctions it’s going to be a drag strip. I wonder will they look at average speed cameras on it eventually.

cantalach

It wasn't about the volume of traffic. Just the way the bypass is built. For example, there's no merging lanes on Macroom bypass but is on Mitchelstown Bypass or any other bypasses that I know of in Ireland.

KrisW1001

On the N73 bypass, you're right about the single lane and there are also dual lanes on hills

But I can tell you, it's going to be a great road for boy racers on the Macroom bypass!

With respect, you’ve completely missed my point. The Macroom Bypass is built to a significantly lower specification than full motorway bypasses because it has a lower volume of traffic. The projected traffic volume determines what gets built. That’s how engineering works.

To be clear, are you saying that it should have been a 1+1 with climbing lanes, and roundabouts for junctions and private property directly accessing it and no slip lanes like the Mitchelstown N73 bypass? I don't follow you fully but I'm very glad that wasn't done.

Okay, now I’m confused. The Mitchelstown bypass part of R639/N73 has no private entrances on it - there’s a couple of gates for farmland access, but that’s all. It also has no hard shoulders, because it’s three lanes for its whole length (with the climbing lane swapping sides). There is one side junction along its length, but that is a straight T-junction with no merging or run-off lanes, because the main road has no hard shoulders.

Here’s a typical section: https://www.google.com/maps/@52.2601953,-8.2929964,3a,75y,150.53h,75.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7fPqSoK7743z7UkILLgixQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

So, basically, that road has all the “downsides” of N22 (no access, no merging lanes, no hard shoulders), plus it doesn’t have two lanes each way for its whole length, plus it doesn’t have a divider to stop traffic crossing over to the wrong side of the road.

I don’t know how this would be a “better” road.

We are live in Waze since an hour or so:

A bit early for videos from the new section yet, but Aindrias Moynihan TD posted this a few days ago (I'm guessing these are made by DroneHawk)

Yeah I avoid the area on the bike at the moment but for the first time (probably ever) I'll probably cycle on that road. The route West for me up to now was N72, which wasn't a great option either. Now it'll be R618 and the old N22!

Just got a message, 10 minutes to go from Cork side of Ballyvourney to the end of Macroom.

I'd imagine there will be big pressure for the Macroom - Ovens section to be pushed on now when this road fully opens. Years away we all know but perhaps it can be proritised.