[Article] Atlantic Corridor to start 3 years early (actualy its already late)

mike65 · 26-01-2007 5:09pm #1

THE Atlantic Corridor roads plan, linking key cities in the west and south, is to be brought forward by three years.

The 350-mile route will include a tunnel under the River Shannon in Limerick, at least five major bypasses and the upgrading of existing roads to dual carriageway status.

The aim is to link the gateway cities in the National Spatial Strategy - Letterkenny, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford - to drive economic growth in the regions.

Transport Minister Martin Cullen yesterday confirmed the Government is now accelerating the funding for the project to allow construction to commence on the N18 Ennis to Galway route.

Construction will start early next year - three years ahead of when originally planned.

Funding of €350m was being brought forward to facilitate the work.

He denied the money was being taken away from any other project. The NRA had reported the roads programme was going so well that up to €500m could be brought forward to advance such projects.

"The consequence of this is that the overall Atlantic Road Corridor will be completed significantly ahead of the original schedule," Mr Cullen promised.

Speaking in Galway, Mr Cullen also revealed that the acceleration of funding for the massive project would lead to the E330m Galway City Outer Bypass being constructed earlier than planned.

Construction work on the Galway project - aimed at freeing up the congested streets of the western capital - will begin in 2009 and is expected to be completed within three years.

"This all means that next year about 100km of roads will be under construction in the region around Galway, involving expenditure of around €1.5bn," Mr Cullen said.

Brian McDonald

Exellent.

Mike.

Chris_533976 · 26-01-2007 5:13pm

Thats excellent news. Glad they're starting them ahead of planned.

No news tho on N20 Cork - Limerick?? Thats still on the long finger

Flukey · 26-01-2007 7:07pm

"3 years early." A great soundbite. It seems wonderful. What you often have to ask in these situations is why can't they start it tomorrow? Of course come the scheduled start date, it may be delayed. You'll notice now too, that a lot of things are coming in "ahead of schedule." You'd have to wonder how many of those things were deliberately given longer scheduled times to begin with, so that they look like they've been finished early? Call me cynical, but there is an election coming up!

mike65 · 26-01-2007 7:17pm

I'm sure there's some of that, its like growth rates predicted by the CSO, they always get it wrong on the lowside so things look even rosier than we though!

Mike.

Chris_533976 · 26-01-2007 8:03pm

They can make an election hoopla about it if they want, but if it does mean the roads will be built early its worth all the spouting

fricatus · 26-01-2007 9:15pm

Chris_533976 wrote:

They can make an election hoopla about it if they want, but if it does mean the roads will be built early its worth all the spouting

What is the Atlantic Corridor anyway? I've seen diagrams with roads from Letterkenny, via Sligo, Galway and Limerick, down to Cork, and then turning towards Waterford and Rosslare. Surely though, anyone going from the west towards the continent (via Rosslare) would not head as far south as Cork - they'd take the N24 from Limerick to Waterford, and then on to Rosslare.

Navan Junction · 26-01-2007 9:38pm

Good. I'm not familiar with the route. Will it make much a difference between each stage/city?

Is it to be 2+1?

Chris_533976 · 27-01-2007 12:32pm

N24 (Limerick - Waterford) will eventually be 2+1. I mean eventually too, its quite low on the list of priorities.

mike65 · 27-01-2007 12:42pm

This route upgrade was first proposed for the 2000-2006 development plan only it was called the Western Corridor back then!

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=531992&issue_id=5442

Mike.

Schuhart · 27-01-2007 1:50pm

Chris_533976 wrote:

No news tho on N20 Cork - Limerick?? Thats still on the long finger

I'd agree that would look to be the immediate priority.

fricatus wrote:

Surely though, anyone going from the west towards the continent (via Rosslare) would not head as far south as Cork - they'd take the N24 from Limerick to Waterford, and then on to Rosslare.

You're not considering the psychological need to spend €1.5 billion drawing a line around Ireland that suggests Letterkenny and Waterford are part of the same region.

I don't really understand it either. It's like you start with a concept of Limerick Galway corridor, which might make vague sense in promoting scale by joining two locations in reasonable proximity. You add in improving connectivity between Cork and Limerick, which again seems no more than commonsense. Then, for no reason whatsoever, you lump in Letterkenny, Sligo and Waterford on the grounds that otherwise they'll feel left out. Why not bring it through Athlone while we're at it?

When does a 'Corridor' cease to be a 'Corridor'?

MLM · 27-01-2007 2:39pm

Schuhart wrote:

I'd agree that would look to be the immediate priority.You're not considering the psychological need to spend €1.5 billion drawing a line around Ireland that suggests Letterkenny and Waterford are part of the same region.

I don't really understand it either. It's like you start with a concept of Limerick Galway corridor, which might make vague sense in promoting scale by joining two locations in reasonable proximity. You add in improving connectivity between Cork and Limerick, which again seems no more than commonsense. Then, for no reason whatsoever, you lump in Letterkenny, Sligo and Waterford on the grounds that otherwise they'll feel left out. Why not bring it through Athlone while we're at it?

When does a 'Corridor' cease to be a 'Corridor'?

A dual carriageway/motorway between Cork and Waterford is badly needed. The busiest road out of Cork is the N25 as far as Youghal. Its not much further on to Waterford. Sure might as well go the whole way to Rosslare. They're by-passing Waterford and New Ross anyway. If they're doing that they might as well do the whole lot.
Also if they're going as far as Letterkenny they might as well go as far as Derry. At least that way you will be linking a major population centre to the roads network, and also help justify the Galway to Letterkenny section. To be honest I haven't been that far up the country so I don't know how bad the traffic is.

MLM · 27-01-2007 2:44pm

fricatus wrote:

What is the Atlantic Corridor anyway? I've seen diagrams with roads from Letterkenny, via Sligo, Galway and Limerick, down to Cork, and then turning towards Waterford and Rosslare. Surely though, anyone going from the west towards the continent (via Rosslare) would not head as far south as Cork - they'd take the N24 from Limerick to Waterford, and then on to Rosslare.

The shortest Ferry crossing from Ireland to the continent is actually from Cork. I think Brittany ferries do it in about 10 to 14 hours.

Zoney · 27-01-2007 2:45pm

Good news.

But it's simply not acceptable that there's still a goat track for a significant amount of Limerick-Cork. It is dangerous, poor for the economy of the regions, and an embarressment to the country. The mind boggles as to what anyone from elsewhere in Europe must think as they swerve round HGVs on a twisting narrow two lane road around a quarry at Buttevant.

And that's before we even broach the question of wide two lane road (and oh yes, the junction-peppered 2+1 retrofit) between Mallow and Cork where the 1979 Road plan for the 1980s even had dual carriageway earmarked for the route.

As to what they were playing at having the dual carriageway on the N20 Raheen-Patrickswell bypass continue on as the N21, while the N20 Croom bypass involves a TOTSO onto merely wide two lane road... Grade separated wide two lane - it's not remotely sensible. Look at the Nenagh bypass - same deal, and that is already planned for ripping up and replacing with DC.

Chris_533976 · 27-01-2007 2:58pm

In fairness to them the Croom bypass has enough land on either side and is wide enough to easily be upgraded to DC. I think it was planned with that in mind.

Buttevant is a total and utter joke. That bit of road is abysmal and very dangerous. Mallow - Cork (albeit wide S2) and Croom - Limerick is ok and drivable , but Mallow - Croom is apalling.

What bugs me is that they dont seem to be interested in this route. Yes, Ennis - Galway does need doing, especially the railway bridge S bend at Crusheen. Will be interesting to see how that and Gort change now that the Ennis bypass is open. But they keep ignoring Limerick - Cork and pushing just about everything else forward. I dont get it. Limerick to Cork should be DC and thats all there is to it. Even the plans I have from a few years ago only go from Croom to Newtwopothouse village, leaving some S2 floating about between Newtwo.... and the bit of DC at Blarney.

Atlantic corridor will get done, there are long(ish) term plans for DC from Midleton to Youghal, bypassing Castlemartyr and Killegah... Ennis - Galway, Galway - Tuam and Tuam - Letterkenny (Probobly not all DC in the latter). But no pushing for Limerick - Cork

That said, Youghal to Waterford had a bit of a retrofit a few months back, which is not nearly good enough quality.

MLM · 27-01-2007 3:41pm

Chris_533976 wrote:

In fairness to them the Croom bypass has enough land on either side and is wide enough to easily be upgraded to DC. I think it was planned with that in mind.

Buttevant is a total and utter joke. That bit of road is abysmal and very dangerous. Mallow - Cork (albeit wide S2) and Croom - Limerick is ok and drivable , but Mallow - Croom is apalling.

What bugs me is that they dont seem to be interested in this route. Yes, Ennis - Galway does need doing, especially the railway bridge S bend at Crusheen. Will be interesting to see how that and Gort change now that the Ennis bypass is open. But they keep ignoring Limerick - Cork and pushing just about everything else forward. I dont get it. Limerick to Cork should be DC and thats all there is to it. Even the plans I have from a few years ago only go from Croom to Newtwopothouse village, leaving some S2 floating about between Newtwo.... and the bit of DC at Blarney.

Atlantic corridor will get done, there are long(ish) term plans for DC from Midleton to Youghal, bypassing Castlemartyr and Killegah... Ennis - Galway, Galway - Tuam and Tuam - Letterkenny (Probobly not all DC in the latter). But no pushing for Limerick - Cork

That said, Youghal to Waterford had a bit of a retrofit a few months back, which is not nearly good enough quality.

The Croom to Mallow secton is at planning stage to be upgraded to dual carriageway. I agree with you Cork to Limerick needs work right away, but then again so does Ennis to Galway. I can't understand why Cork to Mallow wasn't upgraded to DC when they were building that road only ten years ago. Perhaps they're embarassed at having to rebuild the same stretch of road twice over a ten to fifteen year period. A lot of lives have been lost on that stretch of road which could have been saved if it had been built properly in the first place.

Chris_533976 · 27-01-2007 4:11pm

Yeah, Croom to Mallow is at planning, but dont expect it to be thought about until after 2010

Schuhart · 27-01-2007 4:24pm

MLM wrote:

If they're doing that they might as well do the whole lot.
Also if they're going as far as Letterkenny they might as well go as far as Derry.

Why not keep going to take in Belfast, Newry, Cavan and back down as far as Balbriggan. Then, on the far side, we could continue on up through Arklow and on to Bray.

Do you see where I'm coming from? This just doesn't strike me as anything more that the usual approach to regional development of slapping stuff out there without any real thought about what's actually useful. If the current mantra is 'we want to be seen building roads that don't have Dublin at one end', you get this project that extends the length of the so-called 'corridor' until its starts looping round on itself.

Zoney wrote:

But it's simply not acceptable that there's still a goat track for a significant amount of Limerick-Cork.

I'd agree. Its utter nonsense, and I'd say intuitively should be the first inter-city regional route to get attention.

Bards · 27-01-2007 8:31pm

before they do the Cork Waterord section of the Atlantic Corridor they should do the Waterford Limerick N24 route and Dual it... take in Tipperary, Cahir, Clonmel Carrick-on-suir etc. certaintly has a population and would link two ports and also give good access to the Western Seaboard...

I mean who in their right mind would go to Limerick/Galway from Waterford/Wexford via Cork..

mike65 · 27-01-2007 11:08pm

The N24 is one of the most annoying roads, esp between Tipp and Limerick with a one horse town every 4 miles.

Mike.

Navan Junction · 27-01-2007 11:53pm

Anyone got a link to a map of the proposed road?

Am I right in thinking it is basically joining each city to the one closest to it rather than providing, and in the case of Limerick Waterford, selling it as a corridor between the 2 cities when it is anything but?

Is Waterford/Limerick (and consequently Waterford and the other cities) the only problem with it?

Zoney · 28-01-2007 11:52am

Bards wrote:

before they do the Cork Waterord section of the Atlantic Corridor they should do the Waterford Limerick N24 route and Dual it...

I agree this route also urgently needs attention, but quite simply, the N25 Cork-Waterford is higher priority and carries more traffic. Not to mention that the other roads mentioned here, N18, N20 are more urgent too.

The current plans are for offline replacement of the N24 with 2+1. Certainly for the traffic volumes there this would be adequate. However, as a strategic route, it is perhaps the type of route that would get DC as a result in other countries. Still - I would not argue vehemently for DC on the N24 - 2+1 the whole way would be miles better than what's there at present.

Mind you - does anyone else find the lack of hard shoulder on 2+1 rather worrying? Apparently this is standard for the NRA's version of 2+1; it's not just specific to the retrofitted 2+1 on wide two lane.

Bards · 28-01-2007 1:28pm

Navan Junction wrote:

Anyone got a link to a map of the proposed road?

Am I right in thinking it is basically joining each city to the one closest to it rather than providing, and in the case of Limerick Waterford, selling it as a corridor between the 2 cities when it is anything but?

Is Waterford/Limerick (and consequently Waterford and the other cities) the only problem with it?

yes.. this is the only problem... everything else makes sense.

[Article] Atlantic Corridor to start 3 years early (actualy its already late)

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