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

I usually take this rat run as well - it definitely knocks a couple of minutes off. Of course, it's more direct to go straight through town as I did for years (to Western suburbs) but given the new commuter - hostile road layout and traffic light timings along the quays, in tandem with the Dunkettle shenanigans, the longest route is actually the quickest - which would seem to fly in the face of the green agenda given the associated greater carbon emissions.

Agreed both N40E and N25W are big disappointments at the moment.

But both still have speed restrictions in place, while N25W also has 750m of a coned off lane - will need to wait until Feb before we can call it I think.

Extending the N25W coned off section will make SFA difference - in fact it may make things worse as it merges at almost the same location as the slip from Little Island. Don't forget the M8N / Dublin traffic also has yet to be routed down the 'tunnel slip'. Only a small number are obeying the speed restrictions as well. Basically, it's as good as it's going to get already. Should have spent the cash on another tunnel bore maybe!

I hope you're right re Mahon and the speed limit but I dunno TBH!

With the merging lanes you'll have three becoming one in the space of about 50 metres - can't see that being anything less than slow. At least with one merging earlier, it gets one lane going again somewhat before next merge. Again, hope I'm wrong!

I probably worded it poorly re M8N and slip etc. What I mean is that once they open Link....K is it?.... traffic for the M8 North (Watergrasshill and beyond to Dublin) will be taking the offramp from the N25W towards the tunnel and peeling off to the left - rather than continuing straight on to the Tivoli roundabout as present - meaning increased traffic on the offramp.

It was sold on reducing peak-hour queueing delays, not removing them... only a fool would promise elimination (yes, I know some local politicians made this claim; my point stands). It has reduced delays, but because traffic has been increasing since covid, and the works themselves are disrupting some flows it feels like things have got worse. There is definitely an element of induced demand at work here too, as people think the new junction is some kind of silver bullet, and so make decisions that involve using this more than they would have before.

This project was mainly sold on preventing peak hour queues on one movement from blocking traffic that was going in the opposite direction, which is what happened when the interchange was a roundabout. On that point it has definitely succeeded.

Very strange. Much better this morning, was all set to eat some humble pie re the newly extended merge towards the tunnel.........but it's coned off again! And yet there was zero queue whatsoever - straight through to the tunnel. In heavy rain at 8am on a Thursday in December. I'm confused! (but not complaining).

Maybe let the South Ring be the southern distributor altogether at this stage - that's what it is for a lot of traffic anyway - and be ambitious (!!!) and build an outer Ring Road as the actual bypass - Cobh to Passage to Carrigaline to Ballinhassig to Ovens to join to the new North Ring that we're going to get soon from Santa!!

If this was China they'd have got planning to rip up the tunnel, replaced it with a bigger one and rebuild the entire interchange properly - all in the space of 6 months.

Europe is ludicrous at infrastructure and Ireland is the worst. It's truly mind boggling.

Once again we get second rate that doesn't fulfill the objective of what it's intended to do because as usual we cheaped out and always looking for the least we can get away with.

It's me again to talk about signage. I believe the reason they didn't put City Centre signs here are due to the inclusion of multiple cities (I believe someone suggested this before too). TII are in the process of updating signage across the city at the moment and are using City Centre as normal for the N27 and other routes everywhere. However, all just have Cork as the only city on them. The inner city has been filled with new City Centre directional signage everywhere. However, Lower Glanmire Road by its junction with Water Street now has a new sign for straight to Waterford and Dublin, but right for Cork. In every other similar instance they said City Centre. This makes me think they're avoiding putting City Centre when there are multiple cities. This still doesn't explain not using Cork (Centre) like was there before but whatever

Where can you see the chaos happening?

"Keep watching, it'll happen.

If you keep watching long enough there's bound to be chaos on any road here at some stage. Then you can come back with "I told you so"

You know, if anything the M8 to City movement might help meter traffic hitting the lights at the Dunkettle roundabout.

Thats in the event of traffic growing enormously on this movement, which they won’t.