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

I know, I saw that too! Where did they go! All moving again anyway.

Yep I think even basic/rudimentary things that could help take maybe 3% of people out of Dunkettle would be:

1. A small ferry near the tunnel (lots of space is available on both sides), slipways needed
2. A greenway from Carrigaloe Ferry to Carrigaloe Train, and shelters at both sides of the ferry

Believe it or not the Eastern Gateway bridge is very much back in vogue. It was recently cited as a reason for not putting in any busconnects infrastructure on the lower Glanmire Road. City council very much believe this one's going ahead. I personally think it should be foot/bike/bus only but they're intent on dragging cars through the new marina development. This will not work well for Dunkettle.

That should definitely help to shorten the queueing on the N40 eastbound, but it doesn't address the apparent lack of capacity of the single westbound lane after the merging of the N25/Link L into one lane before the northern tunnel entrance of the N40

If you think of the traffic flows like a tide which goes in and out twice a day. You have the flow and ebb of traffic between both sides of the river in pretty much equal volume, except the way things appear to have been designed the flow from north to south has been throttled by 50%, so there will inevitably be long queues on that leg when the tide in that direction is in full flow.

There's also talk of another bridge at Horgan's Quay, for tram/sustainable users!

Why is the overhead sign after Jct2 on the N25 indicating Lane 1 (left lane) is for Cork and Lane 2 (right lane) is for Limerick? The sign is about 6km in advance of the actual diverge at Silversprings, which is clearly signposted and which is in reality the opposite way round, Lane 1 for Limerick and Lane 2 for Cork. That sign on the N25 needs to be consigned to the metal recycling yard and if necessary replaced with one indication both lanes will take you to Cork etc.

All that's needed and it's spot-on https://goo.gl/maps/gZfeMzwA1w4Y85sWA

Is this the last junction heading west towards Dunkettle? Just guessing on this based on the fact that the sign you linked to is further in after Dunkettle so therefore segregation of Limerick traffic might be advisable so that they don't have to do a last minute lane change when they get to Dunkettle. So in effect Limerick (N20) bound traffic should stay right and go through the interchange whereas Cork (N40) traffic should get into the left lane?

But as I say without clearing indication of where exactly this sign is this could be pure speculation. I know it's easy to criticise signage but generally there are reasons behind it.

Especially when there is a roundabout half way along that 6km!

It should help but my guess is it won't have much of a positive impact as there's a good 50÷ of cars that use the right hand lane to go East already.

The only thing that may potentially help avoid traffic backing up towards the Kinsale flyover every day is the removal of the 60/km speed limit around Mahon/the tunnel, in my opinion.

How much the new M8 link and the removal of the speed limit help remains to be seen.

First of all, the M8 is two lanes so that’s what you must get down to north of the DKI. Secondly, the larger volume of M8 traffic comes from East Cork. If the link from the tunnel had two lanes, you’d have a single busy lane (from East Cork) merging into two quieter lanes (from the tunnel), and then another quieter lane (from the city) merging 200-300m up the road. Having two single lanes - one from tunnel and one from East Cork - avoids one of these merge points. I’m withholding judgement until it’s fully complete.

There’s room but it just makes no sense.

The apologists for below mediocrity have arrived.

There should be no lane reduction whatsoever on the N40/M8 here. None.

At this junction to get to Cork you have to do a detour through two roundabouts. Think about that.

This junction has actual pedestrian crossings on some of the slip roads.

The answer here was to build a fully free flow junction and a normal flyover to the tunnel like proper countries do.

Instead we are once again left with a substandard mess.

No amount of whataboutery changes the fact that this is the cheapest, most half-assed junction they went with in the end.

Instead of defending it we should be demanding much better than what we get.

A “normal flyover” from N8 to tunnel (and vice versa) was not possible. That was discussed years ago on this thread. Those links had to go under the existing N25 because of the very significant height difference between the M8 and the tunnel portals.

Also, if the M8<->N40 movements were to have “no lane reduction whatsoever” how on Earth would you handle the N25<->M8 and N25<->N40 movements, especially when they carry significantly more traffic? The traffic data shows that the M8 is the least important arterial route at the DKI, despite being the only one that’s a motorway.

I agree with you about the pedestrian/cyclist crossings being idiotic. And I think that the M8 to city centre movement is a dingleberry. But as regards lane reduction, it’s mathematics and topography rather than economics.

Idiot narrowly avoided causing a collision. Stick traffic cameras monitoring merging areas and prosecute anyone doing something as dangerous as that.

The onus is on to person in the lane that is finishing to figure it out. Somebody driving in a lane that is continuing has no obligation to allow somebody else to move into their lane. It’s not their problem.