N8/N25/N40 - Dunkettle Interchange [under construction]

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121926948#Comment_121926948

There is big rail project currently ongoing to serve those housing developments in East Cork you're talking about. It includes two new stations to serve Water Rock and Carrigtwohill West with electric trains running up to every 10 minutes.

However, to get commuters off the N25 to N40 route (The JLT) a significant improvement in the intermodal interconnection environment is needed at Kent Station connecting the Cork East area to the Cork South area.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121926968#Comment_121926968

I never made any reference to that article.

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121927565#Comment_121927565

Thats a big part of the problem. The bus links are terrible from Kent. You can't even get from the station to the hospital without changing buses or walking up a dodgy set of steps. There should also be many more bus lanes in the city.

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121924962#Comment_121924962

Any time I travel from west of Cork city (Bandon etc) towards Limerick and vice versa, the N40/JLT/DKI/M8/R513 features as the either the optimal route on Google Maps, or in second place by 2 or 3 mins compared to the twisting dirt track that is the alternative. Combined with my preference for the M8/R513 vs the N20 it's certainly my route of choice, and I know others who feel the same. If the N40 ring road, a stated objective of TII which incorporates the Cork NRR, were ever to be completed, I wouldn't need to go anywhere near the DKI. Similar, to address your question, there must be a large number of people heading from the N25 to points west of the city who could take a northern arc rather than a southern arc based on traffic conditions and time to destination.

The South Ring section of the N40 is currently at capacity and further upgrades are challenging to say the least and unlikely to improve the situation. It is also a massive single point of failure. Completion of the NRR can only relieve both of these issues with knock on effects for traffic coming from the N25 and other inbound routes.

The only other possibility to alleviate the current capacity constraints is to build an outer southern bypass and rename this as the Southern section of the N40, and reclassify the SRR as a southern distributor. But I'd suggest that as the N40 ring road including the NRR is a higher priority.

DylanQuestion

Signage is finally being updated at Dunkettle Roundabout (and the entire length of the N8, bar the eastbound roundabout sign). So far, the N8 exit and M8/N40/N25 exit signs updated with N40. Glanmire exit sign still to be done. While one of the N8 on ramp roundabout signs from the tunnel was updated to remove Cork and replace it with City Centre, all of the new signage at Dunkettle Roundabout says Cork, until the very first sign on the N8 (just <50m after the roundabout). Little Island still has the City Centre/Cork/Limerick mix up, and another sign showing the same mistake has since been added.

niloc1951

Nearly got my bonnet flattened by a large tractor making a last minute dive across from the left lane of theN40 to the M8 as I was heading to the N25 in the righthand lane.

Judging by the cacophony of horns from following vehicles after I hit the brakes other drivers were not impressed by the tractor drivers stunt either.

There really needs to be repeated large markings on the N40 indicating that the M8 is only accessible from the righthand lane.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121975326#Comment_121975326

the signage on the N40 indicates that it’s accessible from both lanes. It’s an absolute mess.

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121766995#Comment_121766995

They have responded again

"Thank you again for your email… below.

A full review of signage in the Dunkettle area is taking place in relation to the use of “Cork” and/or “City Centre”. We expect that this review will be completed over the coming period and any necessary changes will then be implemented.

Thank you again for bringing this item to our attention and matters will hopefully be progressed to a satisfactory conclusion over the coming period."

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979836#Comment_121979836

Who are you mailing? I'm going to send them something too.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121982400#Comment_121982400

Me too, about the signage for the M8 on the N40 which indicates the M8 is accessible from both lanes of the N40, resulting in some drivers making a last minute dive across lane 2 of the N40 after they exit the tunnel.

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121976230#Comment_121976230

What about Sat-Navs? last time I was through there it was both lanes for M8.

Maybe someone going North through tunnel would ask sat-nav for Fermoy and see what it says now.

Not everyone going through there is familiar with the layout, and it's easy to assume the N40 to M8 is a 2 lane through road with the N25 as an exit from the left lane.

DylanQuestion

roadconstruction@ccc-site.com

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121982961#Comment_121982961

Google maps states that any lane can be used to access the M8 slip. Crazy stuff.

KrisW1001

Yeah, but Google Maps has always been pretty crap as a navigation app. It's usually the last to get updated any time a road opens.

If the signage was correct, this would be okay, but it's not, so it makes the problem worse.

The most important instruction is "Use right lane for Dublin". I think a two panel "All other routes | Dublin" gantry would be the clearest and safest option. Everyone else has a chance to move lanes, but Dublin traffic is kind of screwed if it emerges from the tunnel in the left lane.

cork_south

Another crash at Bloomfield yesterday.

I wonder are these planned works for the M28 or for possible improvements at Bloomfield.

Surveying Works # Location: - N28/N40 Bloomfield Interchange / Dates: - Sunday 14/04/2024 for 1 Week (Night-time Works) / Note: - Traffic Management in effect

Chris_5339762

Its just pure bad driving there thesedays. People forcing the merge, people tailgating in the overtaking lane. Result: crashes.

cork_south

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121996010#Comment_121996010

And people merging from multiple different merge points.

As discussed already here forcing mergers to merge correctly at the end of the merging lane would help avoid a lot of the tailbacks to the tunnel, and of course help avoid a lot of these crashes.

Hopefully something is done soon.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121996034#Comment_121996034

How the merge atvRathcoole on the N7 is done, it ain't rocket science

N7

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pbNuXhERCkNCtLNw8

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122007399#Comment_122007399

How does that particular merge force mergers to merge correctly? Sorry I'm not a rocket scientist.

Fabio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008867#Comment_122008867

I think it might help by forcing people to continue on the merge lane due to the barrier separating the lanes. There's still a long merge opportunity without the barrier. I'm not sure there's the same amount of room at the Bloomfield Interchange but it might help.

Chris_5339762

They did have merge barriers of some sort at Bloomfield several years ago, but each and every one was crashed into.

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122008867#Comment_122008867

The issue at Bloomfield is there are 2 lanes from the N28 running parallel to and unseperated from the N40 with chaotic merging onto the N40 from both.

The 2 N28 lanes should be merged into one while separated from the N40 by a barrier, like on the N7 near Rathcoole. It is only after the emerging of the two N28 lanes should the resulting single lane be able to merge with the N40.

Only having one lane merging, a la N7, should reduce the present chaos which is resulting in the current high rate of crashes in the area.

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122010313#Comment_122010313

Yes, I wasn't expecting this at the end of the slip road.

2lanes.jpg

This sign doesn't help the situation either

Aux lane.jpg

There's plenty room to divide the lanes on the slip road with bollards and merge each lane onto the N40, 200 or 300 mtrs apart.

That N7 slip road is a poor comparison, it's one lane only from the roundabout, and the bollards are probably more to do with the construction business and two private houses entering and exiting the slip road

niloc1951

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122013237#Comment_122013237

Two separate merging lanes a couple of hundred metres apart is still one too many, considering the volume of traffic on the N40. Is it not better to merge the two on the N28 into one and have just one merge onto the N40.

I do know it’s only one lane the whole way from the roundabout at Rathcoole, I was only mentioning that location as an example to demonstrate how it is done in a better way than simply plastic bollards which don't survive for long.

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122010313#Comment_122010313

This is what used to happen at Bloomfield - and indeed the markings on the road said so. Trouble is, all of the barriers were demolished by cars.

There should be no mad merging from two lanes here at all, but the trouble is, the 2-1 merge on the sliproad happens on a bend, so you get an optical illusion of the lane ending. What should happen is no merging until after the bend when the mainline is straight.

cork_south

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121996004#Comment_121996004

Some sort of work going on there this evening

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122021508#Comment_122021508

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EpDEJTnTxntg1fmU6

Yup, it used to be a lot better

chooseusername

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122026244#Comment_122026244

Back in 2007 I'd say it got a bit interesting.

2007.jpg

There is a school of thought that says to make roads safe, make them feel dangerous. Maybe they were ahead of their time back in 2007!

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/to-make-roads-safe-make-them-feel-dangerous/386336/

cork_south

Another crash at Bloomfield this morning.

DylanQuestion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122028811#Comment_122028811

and Mahon