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

KrisW1001

Both villages get some pretty bad traffic, especially through Summer, and in this case, there’s a junction at Toonlane onto the old N25 immediately to the east of the town, so a tie-in would require no additional works.

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119880213#Comment_119880213

Yep, here’s that junction in detail from OSM:

Though it’s not that far from the end of the scheme, it would still take the traffic out of the two towns/villages, leaving only the long unbroken bit in the middle to finish.

Of course it would have to suit, but it’s a sensible opening if it does.

Ambush Rebel 2010

PXL_20221124_091522238.MP.jpg

A road side view of how the roundabout will look.

It looks like it will be ready well in advance of the opening date. The place was a hive of activity this morning when I passed.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119914637#Comment_119914637

Nice and simple a flat, painted mini-roundabout. Shouldn't cost too much and no need to dig up part of the finished bypass.

confidentjosh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119914637#Comment_119914637

Interesting. Where is the west bound traffic currently going in that layout?

yannakis

This is how I imagine it:

https://i.imgur.com/V7BA7jR.jpg

keano25

What time on the 9th is this opening?

confidentjosh

I'm loathe to attach a politicians video here but the first bit of this one is good and shows the new temporary roundabout nearing completion at Carrigaphooca.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk5Dq4_N3qk

yerwanthere123

Anyone do the runs or go for a walk on it today? Great to see so many people out and about.

dmeehan

Anyone know what time the road is due to open at on the 9th Dec?

I'll be driving that way in the afternoon and am hoping it will be open by then.

Chris_5339762

I'm away on the 9th which is maddening. Was hoping to go for a burn on it!

bypasser

I’ve heard the road will open in or around 2pm on the 9th

Ambush Rebel 2010

Screenshot_20221127-180650.png

I was at the run / fun walk yesterday.

Really well organized event. The quality of the finish of the road is top class.

The absence of a hard should is a concern but nothing we don't know already.

Got to drive from Milstreet Cross to Carrigaphooca and use the new roundabout. The whole thing seems ready. It could certainly open a few days if it had to.

Picture of the roundabout below. A lick of road paint and it looks ready to go.

confidentjosh

DroneHawks latest video showing the new temporary roundabout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS1MFlGbCKk

awaywithyou

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119931027#Comment_119931027

absence of a hard shoulder was a poor decision by whoever designed the road... considering that once the road is built. It’s built... not as if adding a hard shoulder was going to make road dearer to maintain.... road will be there for thousands of years... adding a hard shoulder would have made it safer....

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119937825#Comment_119937825

Not having a hard shoulder is the standard design for a Type 2 dual carriageway, aka a “2+2” road. It’s not that this particular Type 2 has a bad design. It was very much designed per the TII manual and specification. This road type is used only on lower traffic routes. Although there is no continuous shoulder, there are usually emergency sidings at regular intervals. The Newross Bypass which opened 2-3 years ago is a 2+2 that I’ve been on many times. I have to say it feels very safe for the traffic volume it carries. It might seem like a trivial thing to add 1.5 metres of a shoulder in both sides. But when you do the maths that adds up to 6.6 ha (16.5 acres) of land take over the entire route. You’d need wider bridges, longer overpasses, etc.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119937825#Comment_119937825

Thousands of years?

keano25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119937825#Comment_119937825

Less places for the gosafe van to pull in when it's given permission to try and shoot fish on that road..

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119942014#Comment_119942014

There are designated areas for those fellas along the road. There’s one just after Millstreet Cross heading west for example

keano25

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119942884#Comment_119942884

Oh ya absolutely, but at least they are set places and not a guessing game.

KrisW1001

Or you could just drive within the posted speed limit (which will be 100 km/h) so you don’t have to worry about it.

I hate when drivers slam on the brakes as soon as they see the van, going from around 10 km/h over the limit to 20 below, and holding up the rest of us who were driving at the proper speed in the first place.

keano25

Yeah, big long straight road set to 100 but we'll leave it there before this turns into a 'OUR you could drive within the limits' argument.

KrisW1001

You think you’re going to be the only one driving on that big long straight road? Let’s just assume you’re as brilliant a driver as you’re implying. That amazing skill won’t stop a truck pulling out suddenly to pass a tractor. With a central barrier and no hard shoulders, you have limited options to escape - it’s either brake or crash. That’s why the limit is lower - it gives you more stopping distance in the event of a problem. Motorways are much wider, and have a hard-shoulder as an escape lane.

(Yes, tractors will be allowed on this road. I expect someone else will be along to complain about that soon...)

Ambush Rebel 2010

Regardless of the speed limit, I hope users will apply the rules of the road and use the right lane for over overtaking as it is intended and not to hog the 'fast lane'.

One thing I noticed last week (it's probably been discussed already) is how short the exit and entry slips are to the bypass. I imagine this will lead to drivers braking severely to exit and probably join the bypass at low speed - in particular lorries.

KrisW1001

Yes, these are Compact grade-separated junctions, similar to the kind of junctions that you see on single-carriageway roads. Exit slips aren’t as big a problem as the entries, where it can take new traffic a while to get up to speed.

Against that, there are only three junctions on the whole length of the scheme, and joining traffic has a very good view of the road they’re joining, which should reduce the incidence of joining cars suddenly pulling out in front of existing traffic.

spacetweek

Adding a hard shoulder would also be more road surface maintenance over the long term.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119944125#Comment_119944125

In other countries when a driver sees a vehicle on an entry lane, they pull over to the overtaking lane so as not to impede the acceleration of the entering vehicle. But, as I said that's in other countries, here the name of the game seems to be box 'em in 😐️

EnzoScifo

Michael Creed in the Dail claimed that the temporary roundabout cost 1.2m. Sounds unrealistic. He also wants to make it permanent.

Ambush Rebel 2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119951519#Comment_119951519

Not attempting to justifying the cost but would it also Include the works necessary to remove the temporarily roundabout also and return the road to the original state?

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119951519#Comment_119951519

€1.2 M could be right - remember that this is a €300+ million project, so when someone says that the overall cost won't be significantly increased, that still allows a lot of money to be spent.

As for making it permanent, it's not a surprise it's being suggested, but doing it would be a death-trap.