Mitchelstown Relief road

Fool 5000

This road will open on the 3rd of july 4 months ahead of schedule.This is yet another town bypassed on the N8 with the Fermoy soon to be added to that list.

Chris_533976

Nice Granted, its a temporary measure, but it'll do the job well enough for the time being

nordydan

beggars cant be choosers, it'll do a job for a while!

spacetweek

Chris_533976 wrote:

Nice Granted, its a temporary measure, but it'll do the job well enough for the time being

This is well planned because the N8 Fermoy-Mitchelstown HQDC is going to be the last section of new N8 opened, so this mini bypass will be an adequate stopgap until 2010. After that it will serve as the new N73, so it's still very useful.

dmeehan

is there a map anywhere on the interweb of this new road?

Fool 5000

http://www.nra.ie/News/DownloadableDocumentation/file,1449,en.pdf

It goes well out of its way doesnt it? Maybe it allows for expansion to the west for Mitchelstown.

Chris_533976

Yeah. I think its kinda being done as a northern bypass too. It should never have been built as a relief road (main bypass should have been done years ago), but I gotta hand it to them, they're building it with both temporary bypass and permanent northern bypass in mind. Its not going to go to waste once the motorway is done.

Our man in Havana

Is it still going to open tomorrow?

1huge1

wonder why they just didnt start the fermoy bypass before mitchellstown that way both will have a dual carriage way would have made way more sense

corktina

1huge1 wrote:

wonder why they just didnt start the fermoy bypass before mitchellstown that way both will have a dual carriage way would have made way more sense

not all traffic goes Cork to Dublin....us folk in North Cork and no doubt the Tiperary residents and those heading for Limerick would have no use for a bypass on that side of town....there will be a motorway on that side of town quite shortly but the relief road was need as well to cater for other traffic....

Bards

Will definately be opened later today

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0703/roads.html

edit:==== Road now Open=======
http://www.transport.ie/press/pressrel/2006.asp?lang=ENG&loc=1887

curiosity

Yup, road now open:D . Took a walk through town a little while ago and the difference is unreal. Way less traffic, almost no HGVs, no Dublin to Cork drivers silently seething in stationary traffic. Granted, it's a Monday in July, but still, it's great.

nordydan

CULLEN OPENS MITCHELSTOWN RELIEF ROAD
Break line image
3 July 2006

"Ahead of Schedule& within Budget& removing 20,000 vehicles a day from the streets of Mitchelstown"

Transport Minister, Martin Cullen, T.D., today (Monday, 3rd July, 2006) officially opened the Mitchelstown Relief Road on the N8/N73, a national primary route that forms part of the South West Strategic Road Corridor and the Mitchelstown Fermoy project. Work on the project commenced in May 2005, and has been completed ahead of schedule and within budget.

It is just under two months since Minister Cullen turned the sod on the N8 Cashel-Mitchelstown road project and under two years since he opened the N8 Cashel Bypass. This, he said reflects the huge progress that this Government is making in transforming our national road infrastructure connecting Dublin with the regions and equally importantly, creating a balanced and sustainable growth right across the country.

Minister Cullen said: "The successful and dramatic upgrading of road quality seen under this Government's investment programme is not unique to the Cork Dublin route. It is part, albeit a critically important part, of a planned transformation of our national, inter-urban road network, which will see the completion of the five major inter-urban motorways by 2010. In targeting the main inter-urban routes and, particularly, traffic bottlenecks on these routes, as well as gateways and hubs such as Sligo and Ennis, the national roads programme is underpinning the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy."

The Mitchelstown Relief road consists of the construction of 4.1km single carriageway that incorporates 4 at-grade roundabouts and 3 structures (2 road bridges and 1 machinery underpass). The route starts on the existing N8 south of Mitchelstown and heads west where it crosses the Glanworth road. It continues north before crossing the N73 in the townland of Stagpark. From there it heads northeast where it crosses the R513 and re-connects with the existing N8 to the east. RoadBridge Ltd were the contractors on the project, which was completed three months ahead of schedule.

The Minister spoke of the major steps being taken in Transport 21. "Building on the good work done in upgrading our transport infrastructure in recent years, Transport 21 represents an intensification and strengthening of the Government's commitment to ensuring that Ireland has a transport network to match and support its buoyant economy. The objective of Transport 21 is nothing less than transformation of Ireland's transport network to support and enhance of life and economic activity right across the country."

Road safety was highlighted by the Minister as a major concern as we move into the second half of 2006. Every county and every community, he said, is now benefiting from improved and safer roads. "However, to bring about positive change on road safety in Ireland requires a combination of initiatives by a number of people and organisations. The Government, road users, the Gardai, the National Roads Authority along with local authorities and, of course, the Road Safety Authority, all have a vital role in road safety. The most important of all is to win over the hearts and minds of all road users and change drivers' attitudes. The Road Traffic Bill, which I am hopeful will be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas this week, will provide for the introduction of mandatory breath testing, the privatisation of up to 800 speed cameras and the ban of holding a mobile phone while driving", he concluded.

Mr. Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority said: "I'm confident that the Mitchelstown relief road will deliver, as advertised and offer residents and businesses alike "relief" from the congestion within their town centre. The Mitchelstown relief road is an important component of the overall 37km-N8 Cashel to Mitchelstown project, which began in May. This entire project will deliver the much needed travel time savings between Cork and Dublin."

Alun

And all for a measly €6 million per kilometre ... a bargain

Chris_533976

I wonder why Cullen has to come and bleat about a 'major N8 upgrade route' when the whole bloody thing is a temporary measure until the full DC bypass is complete.

dowlingm

the relief road goes through open country but the bypass to the east has always been a tricky subject, not least because of a religious site in the area (St. Fanahan's Well). Has that bypass reached final route selection yet? Don't see it on nra.ie.

1huge1

corktina wrote:

not all traffic goes Cork to Dublin....us folk in North Cork and no doubt the Tiperary residents and those heading for Limerick would have no use for a bypass on that side of town....there will be a motorway on that side of town quite shortly but the relief road was need as well to cater for other traffic....

got to love seeing it from someones elses point of view
my apologies