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

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120369370#Comment_120369370

No, it won’t. People heading for West Cork don’t leave N22 at Crookstown to avoid Macroom, they do it because it’s a much shorter route. Also, going from Kilgarvan to Bantry means using this road: Google Maps.

If you insist on using the new road to get to Bantry, you'd be better off to leave N22 at the Toonlane junction, and head for Ballingeary, then Kealkill via R584, but you’ll have taken a 20km diversion to do end up on the same road you’d be on if you’d just turned off N22 at Crookstown, and you won’t make up that lost time.

AugustusMinimus

I think you’d want to be mad to go to Bantry via Kilgarvan. The road through Coppeen is a much better option.

hans aus dtschl

Yeah Bantry is too far. But maybe people going to Adrigole, Eyeries etc will go via Loos Bridge. Glengarriff would be a serious push I'd say, only if there was something wrong with the Coppeen road. Bantry no way.

CB19Kevo

Any updated videos recently of progress?

I wonder are they ahead of schedule at this stage, updates have been a little slower since the Macroom segment opened up.

cork_south

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120402274#Comment_120402274

https://youtu.be/DdJ5rkf75qs

Recent enough

confidentjosh

https://youtu.be/rNBOtQMicw4

DEN TV Drive along the eastern section of the bypass heading eastwards.

confidentjosh

https://youtu.be/VJq_Ymyy5To?t=2823

DEN TV Drive along the eastern section of the bypass heading westwards.

AugustusMinimus

Why did they go with an at-level roundabout at the eastern tie in but a split level interchange at the Western tie in?

KrisW1001

For a couple of reasons, I think:

First, the existing N22 at the Eastern end is of significantly lower standard than at the western end. The western end is a change from 2+2 to wide single carriageway with hard shoulders and climbing lanes, but there’s a really big drop in standard at the eastern side: from a 2+2 to a narrow winding single carriageway with no hard shoulders. A roundabout interchange makes good safety sense as it will slow eastbound traffic sufficiently so that they don’t get caught out by the narrow, twisty section and Two Mile Bridge.

Second, the western tie-in isn’t likely to be replaced in the medium or even long term, so it makes sense to provide a free-flow merge into it now. If N22 westward to Killarney is improved, it will at most be brought up to 2+2. In contrast, the final route of N22 Eastward toward Ovens is not yet finalised, so a separated junction here could end up limiting the options for N22 Macroom-Ovens.

Chris_5339762

Dronehawk has been out again.

Fantastic progress on the temp roundabout to Ballyvourney junction - that really has moved on in the last while. I reckon that'll open this summer. There still seems to be a bit of work to do on The Big Cut, which is part of the Ballyvourney bypass itself.

My GUESS is that there'll be a sectional opening to the Ballyvourney junction next.

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

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120459871#Comment_120459871

Wow. It certainly is looking fantastic.

I believe the last mentioned plan is to have it open to Toonlane in July and beyond that later in the year.

AugustusMinimus

I didn’t realise the big cut was 30m. That terrain is hugely troublesome though. I assume that was part of the reason why the bypass is only happening now.

KrisW1001

It’s definitely one of the reasons why just 22km of road has cost €280 million to build, or €12.7 million per kilometre. For comparison, the 2+2 N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin road came in at around €8.9m per km. Twelve million per kilometre is more like the cost to build a motorway.

M11 Gorey-Enniscorthy, opened in 2019, was around €10m per km overall (for 26 km of motorway, 4km of 2+2 and 8km of Type 1 single carriageway), and the M17 Gort to Kilmore motorway, opened in 2017, cost €10.3 million per km. The only recent project to cost more was another 2+2 road, the N25 New Ross Bypass, at €15m per km, but that project included building Ireland’s longest bridge.

niloc1951

TomTom sat nav is seriously out of date. When driving the route over the weekend it was continuously trying to take me off it onto the old road when traveling west. It also isn't showing a through route at the tie-in to the west of Ballyvourney.

Before anyone asks, I do have the latest available map updates installed.

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120466848#Comment_120466848

Yeah, some of the supposedly “latest” maps are still hopelessly out of date. My car gets over-the-air map updates every few months but it took two years before it started showing the New Ross bypass.

AugustusMinimus

Much better using a phone app via Bluetooth. At least those apps get updated usually within a week or 2.

dmeehan

The latest newsletter from the N22 construction project: http://www.n22bbm.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/N22BBM-Newsletter-April-2023-English-1.pdf

Jayuu

Question regarding travelling to Killarney from Dublin in June. Would this bypass make Dublin > Cork > Killarney a more usable route than Dublin > Limerick > Killarney?

cork_south

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507846#Comment_120507846

I'd say not by June 2023.

Possibly by March 2024 when Dunkettle is done and the Macroom bypass is fully done it would take around the same time (or even quicker) going via Cork.

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507846#Comment_120507846

For sure when this is open.

Once the next section is open (current temp roundabout west of Macroom bypass to the Ballyvourney junction) I reckon it already would be for a weekend trip. It'd be fine if you just avoid hitting Dunkettle at rush hour.

awaywithyou

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120507846#Comment_120507846

i would suggest dublin-mitchelstown-mallow-rathmore-barraduff-killarney

MICKEYG

Shorter but terrible roads.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120552226#Comment_120552226

Dublin - Limerick - Newcastlewest - Abbeyfeale - Castleisland - Farranfore - Killarney is the most direct route and it's motorway and good N roads all the way. Google Maps says, 3 hr 44 min (308 km). Going via Cork = 4 hr (351 km). Going via Mallow = 3 hr 42 min (307 km) but sections of the N72 are seriously crappy.

I would have always used the via Limerick option without question.

Obviously, the time can be different depending on traffic delays.

Rows Grower

Keep it simple and stress free and go Dublin-Cork-Killarney, it's a no brainer for anyone used to doing the journey.

Chris_5339762

Agreed.... but just for the time being don't hit Dunkettle at rush hour either end of the day.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120553438#Comment_120553438

I don't know about it being stress-free. The JLT & N40 can be a nightmare and the current Macroom - Ballyvourney old bit of the N22 is no fun either. Plus it's 43km and at least a quarter of an hour longer.

When I lived in Dublin I never gave the via Limerick route a second thought, but everyone to his/her own 😀

hans aus dtschl

I'd find the Cork route less stressful outside of peak hours alright. Abbeyfeale, Newcastlewest, Adare versus JLT and Baile Bhuirne.

And soon only JLT, and also soon no more JLT. It will be a much more relaxing journey I think.

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120553686#Comment_120553686

Adare alone is worse than what Macroom used to be.

KrisW1001

I have foreign friends who went on holiday in Kerry last month. I told them to go via M8 all the way to Cork then take N22. Driving in a foreign country is stressful enough without having to negotiate small towns too. And it’s not even that much longer in journey time: When the western section of this new road is open, the travel time difference between going via Mallow or via Cork will be only 10-12 minutes or so, but the drive itself will be so much easier.

I don’t know were other people are working these things out from, but using Google Maps: from Dublin Airport to the little park in Killarney where the jaunting cars are is 315 km and 3h21 (best time) via M8, N72 (the shortest route).

If you go all the way to Cork and take N40, N22 to Killarney, then it’s 353 km (+38 km) and 3h36 (+15 minutes) now. You really won’t notice the extra 15 minutes travel time on a journey that’s the guts of 4 hours anyway, but staying on major roads for the biggest part of the journey will mean you arrive far less tired than if you took the “shortest” way.

As for Limerick, I could understand why you’d to that if you were heading for the Dingle peninsula, but I’d never send someone that way for Killarney: it’s no shorter in distance than N72, and you have to go through so many towns and villages after Limerick.

MICKEYG

I go down a lot and it is far superior to the N72. The roads are of a decent standard, the only issue is the traffic in the towns which you would also get with N72 and, currently, via Cork/N40.

holdfast

Any date for when the next section is open

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120556381#Comment_120556381

June, apparently. Oh that’s next month. Hmm.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120565814#Comment_120565814

Doesn't look like it's that close to being ready, as I pass. June would be great.

KrisW1001

My understanding is that this next opening is only to the junction at eastern side of Bailie Mhic Íre.. the final small section out to the Western side of Baile Bhuirne won’t be ready until October.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120569473#Comment_120569473

Yes indeed, Carrigaphooca-Tonn Lain in June/July, the rest later in the year.

Noticiable from DroneHawk's videos recently also with tarmac down on the intermediate section.

AugustusMinimus

That intermediate section opening would be great as it has by far the bit of road being replaced on the whole scheme.

KrisW1001

Yes, and it will get rid of that really unsafe temporary tie-in. I’ve only driven this road four times since it opened, and on three of those, I saw a near-miss involving traffic between the old and new roads on that temporary roundabout.

dmeehan

Does anyone have any update on the (rumoured) early opening of the next section?

Torrey

I don't see the point in opening the carrigaphooka to Ballymakeera section if the whole thing will be finished a couple months later, they are flat out laying the road surface as far as the steel bridge on the western end. With good weather all summer it could be open by September.

marno21

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120635651#Comment_120635651

If it’s ready to go it’ll get traffic off that horrendous section between Lissacresig and Ballymakeera.

It may save someone’s life.

cork_south

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120635676#Comment_120635676

Correct - if it can save 1 life get it opened.

CB19Kevo

Has there been any updates recently around progress, surely the weather conditions are enabling the pace to be maintained or increased?

confidentjosh

June 2023 DroneHawk Update:

https://youtu.be/4hGMJQRTObE

cartoncowboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120675537#Comment_120675537

Coming along nicely.

rounders

Second phase of Macroom bypass likely to open in early August

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/cork/news/second-phase-of-macroom-bypass-likely-to-open-in-early-august/a269415039.html

marno21

11th of August is the prelim date. To be confirmed but fingers crossed.

A pity, two weeks after the homecoming for the Cork footballers if last weekend is anything to go by so Ballyvourney residents will have to navigate the bends on route to the South Mall

(N22 Macroom bypass will close from the 8th to the 11th to facilitate the removal of the roundabout at Carrigaphooca)

October then for the last 6km

All per Radio Kerry just now.

Torrey

There will be a big clamour for the temporary roundabout at Carrigaphooka to remain I'd imagine, the local councillors will be out in force!

AugustusMinimus

Thankfully decision making isn’t at a councillor level.

What clown would want an at grade roundabout permanently plonked in the middle of a 2+2 road.

KrisW1001

Good news that there's less than eight weeks left for that roundabout. I think I've used this stretch of road just six times, but have seen some pretty close shaves at this roundabout on three of those occasions - it appears to be blind for traffic heading west on the old N22. The old-road traffic actually has priority heading west here, but it seems most drivers on the new road don't realise this fact, and just keep driving.

The sooner it's gone, the better.

serfboard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743500#Comment_120743500

Those who designed the Turlough-Westport bypass apparently ...