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

Roadrunner99

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Typically for a D&B you are looking at 4 months tender period minimum as the bidders and their designers will have to develop the design in enough detail so that they can price it accurately. So that would be the end of April, when tenders are back, this is a v tricky scheme so more likely mid May.

Tender verification can take time I would say at least a month. The prequal docs on etenders indicate 70/30 price/qaulity as the award criteria. Therefore an independent assessment board required for the quality assessment. All going well say end of June.

However this will have to go to govt for final sign off before the tender is awarded. Bear in mind The N4 Collooney Castlebaldwin hasn't been awarded yet. I understand tenders are back since late summer. Reading between the lines it looks like the price is over budget and minister for anything but roads Ross is holding it up. Timetable has slipped from construction start late sept/early October, to November, to signing the contract in 2019.

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/news/late-autumn-starts-likely-for-major-sligo-road-works-37175894.html

https://www.oceanfm.ie/2018/10/10/budget-measure-means-n4-can-go-to-construction-early-next-year/


https://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php/news/28169-contractor-expected-to-be-appointed-in-new-year-to-n4-collooney-to-castlebaldwin-road-project

"However Minister Ross pointed out that Government approval is required prior to the award of the project, as it will cost in excess of €100m"

Construction inflation is rising, I hope all the approvals are sorted so the N22 can get going as soon as.

Going by that there should be a contractor in place by august? thanks for all the information

Chris_5339762

highwaymaniac wrote: »

this is a v tricky scheme so more likely mid May.

Out of interest, why is this scheme deemed tricky? There are no major bridge structures, no complex junctions, and the terrain, whilst rocky and probably needing a good bit of dynamite, doesn't seem terribly hilly compared with some.



I am coming from an utterly uninformed position, apart from having driven the N22 less than 10 times however.

Rows Grower

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Out of interest, why is this scheme deemed tricky? There are no major bridge structures, no complex junctions, and the terrain, whilst rocky and probably needing a good bit of dynamite, doesn't seem terribly hilly compared with some.



I am coming from an utterly uninformed position, apart from having driven the N22 less than 10 times however.

I drive it regular, there are a lot of hills and there will be two new bridges built from what I heard.

highwaymaniac

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Out of interest, why is this scheme deemed tricky? There are no major bridge structures, no complex junctions, and the terrain, whilst rocky and probably needing a good bit of dynamite, doesn't seem terribly hilly compared with some.



I am coming from an utterly uninformed position, apart from having driven the N22 less than 10 times however.

Very restricted landtake, 100m plus bridge over the bohill river, in excess of 25m deep cut, Kerry Slug issues, significant amounts of peat....

cantalach

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Very restricted landtake, 100m plus bridge over the bohill river, in excess of 25m deep cut, Kerry Slug issues, significant amounts of peat....

There seems to be a huge amount of rock to be cleared, especially along the western half of the route. And I imagine the section running close to the Sullane River will be challenging. It's very boggy and is prone to flooding. It's one of only a handful of rivers which is grammatically male (e.g. it is An Sulán rather than An tSulán) and this apparently reflects the local lore that the river is violent, vindictive, and even cursed. My wife's from the area.

Water John

Think its the only male river in the country.
It's supposed to claim a life every 7 years.

Cork Trucker

Water John wrote: »

Think its the only male river in the country.
It's supposed to claim a life every 7 years.

Almost sounds as bad as the beast of craggy island :pac:

BelfastVanMan

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Water John wrote: »

Think its the only male river in the country.
It's supposed to claim a life every 7 years.

Almost sounds as bad as the beast of craggy island :pac:

Oooh, careful, now...

cantalach

Water John wrote: »

Think its the only male river in the country.

That's what the people of Múscraí like to say But there are actually quite a few male rivers, at least according to the National Placenames Database:

https://www.logainm.ie/en/s?txt=cat%3aABH&pag=-1&ord=ga

Most of these are obscure - streams really - and are only male because they're named after a male object or animal rather than actually being a female name, e.g. the Horse (An Capall) and the Hurley (An Camán).

But there are a few notable exceptions with genuine male names, e.g. the Fergus (An Forghus) which flows through Ennis and the Foyle (An Feabhal) which, as we all know, flows through Derry.

Anyway, just a silly bit of silly season colour from me. Better get off this tangent before the bold text appears

HabibiLibnen

cantalach wrote: »

That's what the people of Múscraí like to say But there are actually quite a few male rivers, at least according to the National Placenames Database:

https://www.logainm.ie/en/s?txt=cat%3aABH&pag=-1&ord=ga

Most of these are obscure - streams really - and are only male because they're named after a male object or animal rather than actually being a female name, e.g. the Horse (An Capall) and the Hurley (An Camán).

But there are a few notable exceptions with genuine male names, e.g. the Fergus (An Forghus) which flows through Ennis and the Foyle (An Feabhal) which, as we all know, flows through Derry.

Anyway, just a silly bit of silly season colour from me. Better get off this tangent before the bold text appears

Before the bold text appears! Well I for one find it iontach spéisiúil. Thank you for that info.

Roadrunner99

Is a mid 2019 start for this project looking a bit optimistic now with the massice overspend on the children's hospital in dublin? You'd imagine projects like this and others due to commence around the country will have funding cuts.

Cork Trucker

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

Is a mid 2019 start for this project looking a bit optimistic now with the massice overspend on the children's hospital in dublin? You'd imagine projects like this and others due to commence around the country will have funding cuts.

i doubt this project will be affected by the controversy surrounding the hospital.What amazes me though is how quickly the extra money was found and what else will suffer for it into the future. Pity the M20 money wasn't so forthcoming.

If this doesn't kick off before the next election expect a hammering in the ballot for the government parties,Fianna Fail are propping it up and refusing to pull the plug as are the independents.

marno21

Michael Healy Rae wrote:

Can the Taoiseach assure the House and the people of Kerry and Cork that the commencement of the bypass for Macroom and Ballyvourney, the access from Kerry to Cork, will not be adversely affected by any taking of funds from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to put towards the overrun in the budget for the children's hospital? Can the Taoiseach give an assurance on that specific issue?

Leo Varadkar wrote:

Yes, I can. The only funds that have been transferred from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport relate to the A5 project which has been deferred because there is no Executive in Northern Ireland. I will be turning the sod for a new runway for Dublin Airport with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, on Thursday. We will be turning the sod for the N4 project in Sligo, which will improve access to the north west. I look forward to coming to the south west to turn the sod on the project Deputy Michael Healy-Rae refers to.

There you go.

dmcsweeney

Hi all,

can any of you confirm if there is a slip to/from the old N22 at Carrigaphooca Castle? It would seem to indicate one on the map. Also, will traffic have to enter a roundabout at Coolcower? I've seen online roundabouts mentioned, but surely they wouldn't create a bottleneck like that?

Thanks,
Dave

marno21

dmcsweeney wrote: »

Hi all,

can any of you confirm if there is a slip to/from the old N22 at Carrigaphooca Castle? It would seem to indicate one on the map. Also, will traffic have to enter a roundabout at Coolcower? I've seen online roundabouts mentioned, but surely they wouldn't create a bottleneck like that?

Thanks,
Dave

No junction at Carrigaphooca, just a bridge.

Access to the new road will be on the Millstreet Road in Macroom.

Yes, roundabout at Coolcower. I'd imagine they'd prefer to let the road run directly onto the existing road as they are doing west of Ballyvourney but the road at Coolcower is cat so it would be too dangerous. You'll also have a lot of traffic exiting for Macroom here and space would very tight for a grade separated junction.

Coolcower will be sorted when the M22 Macroom-Ovens is built whenever that'll be

dmcsweeney

marno21 wrote: »

No junction at Carrigaphooca, just a bridge.

Access to the new road will be on the Millstreet Road in Macroom.

Yes, roundabout at Coolcower. I'd imagine they'd prefer to let the road run directly onto the existing road as they are doing west of Ballyvourney but the road at Coolcower is cat so it would be too dangerous. You'll also have a lot of traffic exiting for Macroom here and space would very tight for a grade separated junction.

Coolcower will be sorted when the M22 Macroom-Ovens is built whenever that'll be

Thanks for the information. Looks like I'll be using the old road so!

marno21

dmcsweeney wrote: »

Thanks for the information. Looks like I'll be using the old road so!

No problem. On the plus side, at least the old road will be quiet now.

Cork Trucker

marno21 wrote: »

No junction at Carrigaphooca, just a bridge.

Access to the new road will be on the Millstreet Road in Macroom.

Yes, roundabout at Coolcower. I'd imagine they'd prefer to let the road run directly onto the existing road as they are doing west of Ballyvourney but the road at Coolcower is cat so it would be too dangerous. You'll also have a lot of traffic exiting for Macroom here and space would very tight for a grade separated junction.

Coolcower will be sorted when the M22 Macroom-Ovens is built whenever that'll be

In the current state of things i wouldn't be surprised if this came along before the M20, then again people are waiting 25/30 years for this particular road.

partyguinness

Cork Trucker wrote: »

In the current state of things i wouldn't be surprised if this came along before the M20, then again people are waiting 25/30 years for this particular road.

Closer to 40 years. Sure they first starting marking out routes around Ballyvourney in 1982-1983.

marno21

Cork NRDO wrote:

• Advance works are continuing along the route. Over the next number of weeks, the focus will be on works required to facilitate diversion of the high voltage power lines at the western end of the new route.
• The Contractor for the main works should be appointed before the end of this year and we anticipate that the works will take approximately 3 years to complete.

Latest on the scheme.

highwaymaniac

marno21 wrote: »

Latest on the scheme.

Can't find that on their website, was it email alert?

marno21

highwaymaniac wrote: »

Can't find that on their website, was it email alert?

Sure was

highwaymaniac

marno21 wrote: »

Sure was

Thanks, do you have a link where to subscribe?

Chris_5339762

Oddly enough it came in on the email for the Dunkettle updates for me.

Roadrunner99

When are we looking at the tender award for the ballyvorney/macroom bypass roughly? See there's a few in line for the sod to be turned this year including this project and the westport to turlough scheme and dunkettle so good to see projects progressing to that stage before there's another hold up.

marno21

Significant advance works are scheduled to get underway at the western end of the scheme this month. These works are required to facilitate diversion of the high voltage power lines at this location.

Tenders for the main works are due in early summer 2019 with Contractor appointment before the end of 2019 anticipated.

This weeks update

If that above timeline is accurate throw in some Shane Ross spec delays and it'll be Q1 2020 before the diggers are in

I sincerely hope that's a conservative timeline

Chris_5339762

Had reason to drive Cork - Killarney today. Dear god the bends between Macroom and Ballyvourney are worse than I remember. 60kmh bends everywhere and some you can't do at more than 50kmh.

Why was small scale straightening of these bends not done in years gone by, as had been done with other sections of N road?

Water John

It has been improved over the years.

marno21

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Had reason to drive Cork - Killarney today. Dear god the bends between Macroom and Ballyvourney are worse than I remember. 60kmh bends everywhere and some you can't do at more than 50kmh.

Why was small scale straightening of these bends not done in years gone by, as had been done with other sections of N road?

These are improved as Water John said, there was definitely a job done near Ballyvourney a few years ago.

I think they're even harder to take knowing what the alternative will be in a few years time.

yerwanthere123

Yep, it used to be far worse, remember that one bend when you're overlooking the river? I remember getting the bus to Killarney regularly and that had to be done in second gear.