Discussion on more efficient motorway routes

veryangryman

Just a bit of a seperate thread on the cheaper ideas for motorway routes.

I think that if we built M24 limerick to M8 junction this would be a much cheaper alternative to M20 plans. Would also half cover the waterford and rosslare traffic from lim and galway. A no brainer in my opinion.

corktina

veryangryman wrote: »

. A no brainer in my opinion.

...unless you live in North Cork or Kerry and would appreciate having a Motorway link. Limerick, Cork and Waterford have their share of Motorways and our area must be amongst the most neglected areas for road upgrades, despite being relatively densely populated, busy prosperous areas. Currently I have to drive 40 miles to Mitchelstown or Limerick to join the Network.

Hands off the M20!

Pete_Cavan

corktina wrote: »

our area must be amongst the most neglected areas for road upgrades, despite being relatively densely populated, busy prosperous areas.

Probably because the M20 is planned to pass there, had the M20 been scrapped years ago in favour of upgrading the N24, upgrades and bypasses along the N20 may have been carried out. The best thing for the road network in North Cork would be for the NRA to ditch the M20 idea.

corktina

wot rot

The M20, a direct link from City#2 to City#3 is vital.

to route it over difficult terrain from the M8 along the route of the N24 would result in an indirect longer route for through traffic

Improving Limerick to Waterford journeys at the expense of Cork to Limerick journeys, and all journeys in the Blackwater valley west of Mallow is just not on.

Bards

There is a clear case for both the n20 and n24 to be upgraded in their entirety, how soon or long is anyone's guess.

Whether or not these become motorways or 2+2 or a combination of both is far better than what is in situ at this moment in time

Sponge Bob

Mysterious (when not in his semi-perennial attack dog mode) proposed an M20 from Limerick to Tipp Town then south to the M8 in Mitchelstown. The M24 as such would have started in Cahir as Lomerick Waterford traffic would have travelled east from Mitchelstown. There are 2 or 3 threads on this already.had the OP looked.

Cork - Limerick _that_ way would be a few km (certainly less than 20km) longer than via Mallow.

It deserves consideration as we now have time to consider it properly.

corktina

yes but that route is not solely for end to end traffic and by denying the current N20 corridor a motorway it is disadvantaging a huge area beyond the ends of the M8 and M7 of motorway connections, very important in a tourist area and very important to the businesses down here.

The N24 is not a particularly busy route as it stands (I'd hazzard the N20 carries twice the traffic) and the country it traverses is more difficult than the N20 corridor.

veryangryman

corktina wrote: »

yes but that route is not solely for end to end traffic and by denying the current N20 corridor a motorway it is disadvantaging a huge area beyond the ends of the M8 and M7 of motorway connections, very important in a tourist area and very important to the businesses down here.

The N24 is not a particularly busy route as it stands (I'd hazzard the N20 carries twice the traffic) and the country it traverses is more difficult than the N20 corridor.

N24 is not as busy as it doesnt carry any of the Limerick-Cork traffic right now. Add a 120kph Motorway there and see the difference.

I agree that both should be upgraded at some point. Im just saying that while we're flat broke, this could be a good bargain/stop gap.

I dont buy into this "tourists" traffic story. Ive yet to see a Motorway in any country built solely (or mainly) for the tourists. Sure they spend their money here which is obviously important, but the lack of a Motorway next to the Ring of Kerry hardly puts them off. Theres an airport only up the road there for gods sake.

Anyway, improving the long-haul/export routes (Galway/Limerick to UK and beyond) plus covering the Cork-Limerick route indirectly would be a better investment in my opinion.

Im from Athlone and im glad to have the M6, but i dont get fooled for one second into thinking it was built for Athlonians. Big inter-city traffic needs to get priority over touristy places IMO

corktina

Mallow is hardly next to the Ring of Kerry in all fairness!

the M20 is a higher priority than the M24 and Im not happy to see someone trying to rob North Cork , having already seen the project shelved at the last minute.

Limerick has it's motorway, so does Waterford.

Why should Cork traffic have to go round the houses instead of Waterford to Limerick traffic using the existing motorways which link them?

veryangryman

corktina wrote: »

Mallow is hardly next to the Ring of Kerry in all fairness!

the M20 is a higher priority than the M24 and Im not happy to see someone trying to rob North Cork , having already seen the project shelved at the last minute.

Limerick has it's motorway, so does Waterford.

Why should Cork traffic have to go round the houses instead of Waterford to Limerick traffic using the existing motorways which link them?

You are of course referring to the N20 and N25 I take it. Both of these have massive gaps of single carriageway. In fact the only DC sections are within commuter belts. Regarding the more direct access to Cork, a Waterford resident could say that they are also being sent "around the bend" if made to use N20-N25.

The M24 to M8 benefits the most traffic. Journey times from Lim/Gal to Cork, Waterford, Rosslare, London and beyond all improve with this. In an era of bang for buck, id have to say that this would be a good idea. Of course i sympathise with the "left out" areas of Cork/Kerry, but no more or less than i do with Donegal, Cavan, Sligo, Mayo, i could go on...

invinciblePRSTV

Some points for consideration.

The N20 Mallow - Blarney section will still require a DC upgrade as the current 2+1 is woefully inadequate.

Secondly, I'd wager most Cork - Limerick/Galway traffic would still use an untouched, but more direct, N20 ahead of a circuitous, tolled, cross-country Motorway.

I am sceptical of the need of another 'interurban' motorway criss-crossing Tipperary. Bad as the N24 might be, a few select online upgrades would do a job just as well as a new build N24 would. Likewise a couple of bypasses of the North Cork towns would do for the moment on the N20.

If people want to make the argument that a M24 would open up trade to and from the West/Rosslare, I'd point out that there's a perfectly fine Railway line going from Rosslare, through the midlands and up the west coast which could do just as good a job as an M24 could with modest investment.

Amtmann

I am experiencing dejavu very strongly whilst reading this thread.

L1011

Amtmann wrote: »

I am experiencing dejavu very strongly whilst reading this thread.

I'm also feeling an incredible push to alter stable security arrangements after the contents were taken...

Not much point crayoning when the roads have already been built.

Sponge Bob

MYOB wrote: »

Not much point crayoning when the roads have already been built.

They haven't. We learnt the value of proper roads in recent years and generally want more of the same.

The only feasible 2 for the price of one project is Limerick > Cork AND Waterford.

corktina

veryangryman wrote: »

You are of course referring to the N20 and N25 I take it. Both of these have massive gaps of single carriageway. In fact the only DC sections are within commuter belts. Regarding the more direct access to Cork, a Waterford resident could say that they are also being sent "around the bend" if made to use N20-N25.

The M24 to M8 benefits the most traffic. Journey times from Lim/Gal to Cork, Waterford, Rosslare, London and beyond all improve with this. In an era of bang for buck, id have to say that this would be a good idea. Of course i sympathise with the "left out" areas of Cork/Kerry, but no more or less than i do with Donegal, Cavan, Sligo, Mayo, i could go on...

no Im talking about M7/M9 most of which is motorway:D. Add a west to south spur and theres no need for an M24 at all. There is however an urgent need for an M20 or do a few more people have to die at Ballybeg?

AugustusMinimus

IMO.

M20 needs to go ahead. More direct route and entire corridor (including Mallow) needs a motorway.

On the M24. For the moment, HQDC bypasses should be built for all towns and villages which haven't been done so already. When more funds are in place in future, link all the bypasses together to form a fully functional M24.

etchyed

corktina wrote: »

...unless you live in North Cork or Kerry and would appreciate having a Motorway link. Limerick, Cork and Waterford have their share of Motorways and our area must be amongst the most neglected areas for road upgrades, despite being relatively densely populated, busy prosperous areas. Currently I have to drive 40 miles to Mitchelstown or Limerick to join the Network.

Hands off the M20!

The problem with Ireland.