Road schemes in Louth/Meath/Galway

nordydan

Hi,

I was roaming through the NRA website and noted these pdfs:
http://www.nra.ie/Publications/DownloadableDocumentation/GeneralPublications/file,16017,en.pdf
http://www.nra.ie/Publications/DownloadableDocumentation/GeneralPublications/file,16016,en.pdf

I am sure some of you have seen them before. It has the status of all the schemes at the start of 2009, and a map detailing work completed/under construction/starting imminently. Confirms that the N21 Castleisalnd bypass is the only new scheme for 2009.

There were a few schemes I didn't know about.


The first was a 2km realingment of the N51 at a place called Dunmoe (between Slane and Navan). Its listed as a 2009 start, and I think its somewhere about here on google maps:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=53.68278,-6.635656&spn=0.022977,0.055275&t=h&z=14

I would imagine that it would more or less tie in with the under construction N51 Navan Bypass/relief road. This route will never be anything more than SC between Navan and Drogheda in the short to medium term, so I hope that at least some more cost effective schemes are progressing.

The 2nd is another realignment listed for the N59 at Derrylea (Galway):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Derrylea,+County+Galway,+Republic+of+Ireland&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.509065,56.601563&ie=UTF8&cd=6&geocode=FWUMMAMdu2No_w&split=0&ll=53.477831,-9.939194&spn=0.046177,0.11055&t=p&z=13

Its described as a pilot scheme. Can find no info what the pilot term means, but there is a link here stating that a special limit will apply funtil 2010:
http://www.galway.ie/en/Services/RoadsTransportation/Methodsofnetworkcontrol/RoadWorksSpeedLimitsOrder/TheFile,9916,en.pdf

Scheme description here (no mention of pilot)
http://www.galway.ie/en/AboutYourCouncil/Finance/AnnualBudgets/Budget2009/FilesTable/TheFile,9649,en.pdf


The 3rd is the N2/N52 Ardee Bypass. There is a map here:

http://www.louthcoco.ie/downloads/Reports/DevelopmentPlans/RLouthDevPlan/maps/4.1SETTLEMENT%20HEIRARCHY.pdf

According to the NRA documents its quite some time from starting. However when I came back down to Dublin from Donegal on Sunday I noticed that there was a very large roundabout being constructed right where the eastern (N2) section is planned to meet the N33 link. A roundabout of this size would be required for a junction like this.


Does anyone in the area have any information regarding these schemes? Not as exciting as the interurbans, but of interest all the same!

murphaph

Actually I find these realignments more interesting that sparkly new motorways for some reason. It's probably because most of our neighbours, especially the UK did everything the other way around...they built 'minor' bypasses and realignments and then turned to motorway building. These minor routes will always form the vast bulk of the mileage that makes up the network so realignments of this nature probably affect more people day to day than the MIUs.

Sponge Bob

The N59 scheme is a dire bendy stretch 3 miles east of Clifden along a lakeshore

It is basically one big rock north of a lake so they will go through it . There is a similar problem just west of the Lough Inagh turnoff .

spacetweek

Some interesting info in the NRA "Work in Progress" doc.

Just for history, here's some stats so we know where we're at:

National Primary
Total: 78
Finish by end 2010: 23
At or near shovel ready: 15 *
At our new slower rate of construction (4/year), these probably won't be done until 2016. That still leaves 40 projects, and I notice some stuff (eg Dunkettle upgrade, widen M7 Naas-Newbridge) are missing. It will take up to 2030 to clear the backlog.

National Secondary
Total: 25
Finish by end 2011: 4
At or near shovel ready: 0
So, very little progress here then.


* M20 isn't marked as shovel ready, but it's being fast-tracked, so I included it.

nordydan

Thanks for info lads. Agree regarding the minor bypasses. With funds being tight, there is certainly room for cost effective improvements that will be of benefit in tandem with the larger (badly needed) schemes. WOuld like to know what's "pilot" regarding the N59, I presume its related to the method used to go through the rock.