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

partyguinness

dmcsweeney wrote: »

The trick the regulars use is to just pull out and accelerate gently up to 50 KPH. The worst I remember was returning from the airport one night after a business trip and a guy did it. I didn't even manage to get on the brakes, just swerved onto the cross hatchings. His reaction was to flash his lights continuously at me!

There was a young school girl killed crossing the road over to the bus stop in 2001. Admittedly she was texting at the same time.

yerwanthere123

Some serious nostalgia in this thread! I remember eating in Kismet Cottage as a small boy in the mid 90's. Anyone know who actually owns it today? There's a room always lit up there at night, who's paying this esb bill?!

Roadrunner99

When are we expecting a tender award for this project?

marno21

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

When are we expecting a tender award for this project?

I'm hoping in the middle of the year. The Ireland 2040 annual report published today reaffirms that it will start in 2019 but it could get the Shane Ross delays yet.

Rows Grower

theguzman wrote: »

I'd travel to Cork fairly often (monthly or twice a month) and the Castle Hotel in Macroom is an absolutely way overpriced, just a plain ripoff, ate there early in January shortly after the introduction of the VAT increase, Mai Fitz's in Lissarda is almost as bad.

The Oven's bar Desmonds is by far better value to eat with plenty parking but it can be dangerous to get out of there unless you get a gap in the traffic.

In defence of Mai Fitz's I would rate them very good value for money.

I travel the road a fair bit myself and have stopped in most places and always return to see if I caught it on a good or bad day the last time.

The food has been very good anytime I called and it's not overpriced by any stretch of the imagination, they are not mean with the portions of meat either.

Roadrunner99

marno21 wrote: »

I'm hoping in the middle of the year. The Ireland 2040 annual report published today reaffirms that it will start in 2019 but it could get the Shane Ross delays yet.

Hopefully we'll be seeing some activity on site by the end of the year.

Roadrunner99

With the expense of the broadband rollout could we see major delays in projects like this and others around the country🙄

Nedved85

I hope not - They seriously need to rethink this rural broadband roll out. 3 Billion and the state doesn't even own it. Sounds like a smash and grab job to me.

Roadrunner99

Nedved85 wrote: »

I hope not - They seriously need to rethink this rural broadband roll out. 3 Billion and the state doesn't even own it. Sounds like a smash and grab job to me.

Absolute joke in my opinion.... After the childrens hospital overspend you'd think they'd have gotten the message but there away in there own little world up there

Water John

A bit off topic, but Granvilles on Castle Street would be the best grub on the whole run. Pity Restaurant 57 in Macroom closed, always tasty snack, don't know why, it was always busy.

theguzman

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

With the expense of the broadband rollout could we see major delays in projects like this and others around the country��

Nedved85 wrote: »

I hope not - They seriously need to rethink this rural broadband roll out. 3 Billion and the state doesn't even own it. Sounds like a smash and grab job to me.

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

Absolute joke in my opinion.... After the childrens hospital overspend you'd think they'd have gotten the message but there away in there own little world up there

All wrong, the Fibre to the Home NBP is by far the most important undertaking any Government has taken since the founding of the ESB 1927, it will dramatically transform rural Ireland. The closest thing we have seen since then was the National Developement Plan of 2000-2006 which saw the construction of the interurban Motorways.

The Macroom Bypass is already funded and and the money is there for it, it is going ahead, works are happening everyday for it in advance of the major start.

Things that are a disgrace are the €17bn squandered on the HSE, the National Childrens Hospital and the billions spent on the welfare budget. If you want to complain about wasted money look at these, however these are problems caused by Trade Unions and politicians pandering to them especially to the 400,000 public employees working in the jobs for life dumping ground that is Public Employment in Ireland. The NBP will cost around €2bn when you remove VAT and taxes from its cost, the Private Consortium is matching this with its own private funds. Not taking away from the Macroom Bypass but the National Broadband Plan is happening and so is the Macroom Bypass, so if your worried about taxes and expenditure lobby to crush the Unions and Privatise the HSE.

marno21

MOD:

There is a thread in the Broadband forum on the National Broadband Plan.

There has been no indication as of yet that the NBP cost will have any effect on this scheme. Can we park talk of it until we have some evidence please

Thank you

Roadrunner99

If anyone wants to have a look at where the junctions/roundabouts and slip roads are on the ballyvourney/macroom bypass have a look on cllr ted luceys facebook page he put up a few maps of it.

mydiscworld

Still no sign of the main construction tender being awarded?

Roadrunner99

mydiscworld wrote: »

Still no sign of the main construction tender being awarded?

Thought they'd have awarded it by now tbh... it's been out to tender since before christmas.

marno21

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

Thought they'd have awarded it by now tbh... it's been out to tender since before christmas.

It's been 13 months since the tender was published now. The N4 scheme in Sligo, similar kind of scheme took 14 months.

It would be wonderful if we could get it done before all the people involved reach for their buckets and spades

Roadrunner99

marno21 wrote: »

It's been 13 months since the tender was published now. The N4 scheme in Sligo, similar kind of scheme took 14 months.

It would be wonderful if we could get it done before all the people involved reach for their buckets and spades

Hopefully there'll be an announcement soon so who won the tender and we can be talking about when it'll be completed by instead of when it'll start.

marno21

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

Hopefully there'll be an announcement soon so who won the tender and we can be talking about when it'll be completed by instead of when it'll start.

Loads of photos also hopefully

I should be in a position to make a chunky contribution

dmcsweeney

Just took a look at the photos on the councillors Facebook page. Trying to look at it on my phone so not very clear, what is being built at Carrigaphooca? I thought there was no slip road there?

Thanks

Roadrunner99

dmcsweeney wrote: »

Just took a look at the photos on the councillors Facebook page. Trying to look at it on my phone so not very clear, what is being built at Carrigaphooca? I thought there was no slip road there?

Thanks

Was trying to figure that out as well didn't think that there was going to be a slip road there either.

marno21

There's significant reconfiguration of the local road network at Carrigaphooca. There is no access to the new N22 though. Someone just made a mistake with that drawing.

It also seems like they are going with the old N22 becoming the R608, which is the same road number as the old N22 through Ballincollig. Presumably when I am old and grey and they finally get around to Ovens-Macroom the R608 will be what is now the N22 from Baile Bhuirne to Cork.

dmcsweeney

marno21 wrote: »

There's significant reconfiguration of the local road network at Carrigaphooca. There is no access to the new N22 though. Someone just made a mistake with that drawing.

It also seems like they are going with the old N22 becoming the R608, which is the same road number as the old N22 through Ballincollig. Presumably when I am old and grey and they finally get around to Ovens-Macroom the R608 will be what is now the N22 from Baile Bhuirne to Cork.

Thanks. I can't understand why there is no access. That leaves a long stretch with no access. All the traffic that uses the junction at the mons bar will still have to go through Macroom. So we get the noise and having to look at it but no access!

Roadrunner99

dmcsweeney wrote: »

Thanks. I can't understand why there is no access. That leaves a long stretch with no access. All the traffic that uses the junction at the mons bar will still have to go through Macroom. So we get the noise and having to look at it but no access!

Very surprising alright... it will be of no benefit to people who would like to get on the bypass from kilnamaytra or that general area as you say they'll have to still head into macroom but maybe they decided against a slip road as they thought there wouldn't be enough traffic to have a slip road there.

dmcsweeney

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

Very surprising alright... it will be of no benefit to people who would like to get on the bypass from kilnamaytra or that general area as you say they'll have to still head into macroom but maybe they decided against a slip road as they thought there wouldn't be enough traffic to have a slip road there.

It sure wont. And that is a busy road, between commuters and tourists. I know the town will be quieter but school times and mart day will still be a disaster. Given the scale of the road realignment etc you'd imagine the cost wouldn't have been that great.

Roadrunner99

dmcsweeney wrote: »

It sure wont. And that is a busy road, between commuters and tourists. I know the town will be quieter but school times and mart day will still be a disaster. Given the scale of the road realignment etc you'd imagine the cost wouldn't have been that great.

You'd imagine it wouldn't have cost that much extra to put in another slip road there alright and as a result of there being no slip road there now people from the western side of macroom will have to turn up at milstreet cross to get on to the bypass instead of joining onto it there at carrigaphooka which adds a lot more traffic going up the milstreet road as well.

highwaymaniac

Roadrunner99 wrote: »

You'd imagine it wouldn't have cost that much extra to put in another slip road there alright and as a result of there being no slip road there now people from the western side of macroom will have to turn up at milstreet cross to get on to the bypass instead of joining onto it there at carrigaphooka which adds a lot more traffic going up the milstreet road as well.

An eastbound merge at carrigaphooca would be easy and cheap to build.

Chris_5339762

... but would mean people using the bypass just to get from one side of Macroom to the other, which I believe they are trying to avoid.

dmcsweeney

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

... but would mean people using the bypass just to get from one side of Macroom to the other, which I believe they are trying to avoid.

Not being funny, but that's why the call it a bypass 😂. Apologies if I've missed a joke here 😉. Being serious though, it should benefit the people who's door step it's being built on, and denying access to a large stretch of it.

Chris_5339762

I think they want it to be used for long distance traffic only, and are trying to avoid junction hopping, ie: coming on at West Macroom and driving to East Macroom. Thats why you see very few towns with more than one junction, even when the new road crosses the old road.

marno21

Chris hits the nail on the head.

While it is disappointing for traffic, especially Kilnamatrya and Renaniree traffic not having access to the bypass, the access via the Millstreet Road isn't the worst. It avoids the town centre and there is rarely congestion west of the Millstreet Road junction.

Personally, looking at the maps on Ted Lucey's page make it look even better. Coming down the hill into Ballyvourney from the Kerry side currently involves a depressing gear down and trying not to get sick when going over the bumps. Freeflowing from the current brilliant wide road directly onto 22km of dual carriageway will be amazing.