N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

DumbBrunette

Some satellite pictures of the N5 scheme from this afternoon attached below. Hard to believe but it's the first time in two months that there's been a clear view!

The earthworks are still focused mainly on the Castlebar bypass section, clearly visible in the attached pic.

The other attachment is a close-up showing the Lough Lannagh causeway.

irishgeo

blasting notice has been erected at the breaffy road crossing.

DumbBrunette

Haul road is now in place across Lough Lannagh (see attached pic).

This has allowed earthworks to move west to Islandeady - serious digging going on there today. One small hill next to the road from the current N5 to Islandeady was already half gone when I drove past today.

irishgeo

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Haul road is now in place across Lough Lannagh (see attached pic).

This has allowed earthworks to move west to Islandeady - serious digging going on there today. One small hill next to the road from the current N5 to Islandeady was already half gone when I drove past today.

I spotted that. Tearing into the hill at around 7pm when I passed.

DumbBrunette

This was the same view of Lough Lannagh in late June, good progress being made.

irishgeo wrote: »

I spotted that. Tearing into the hill at around 7pm when I passed.

mayo.mick

Blasting notice erected on the N5 junction.

Some dashcam from Wednesday.

DumbBrunette

Neither this scheme nor the N22 have had an official sod turning, probably the first time this has ever been the case for two huge road schemes.

This suggests that politicians believe there isn't much political benefit in building roads anymore - it's not a good sign for the long-term IMO.

Cookiemunster

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Neither this scheme nor the N22 have had an official sod turning, probably the first time this has ever been the case for two huge road schemes.

This suggests that politicians believe there isn't much political benefit in building roads anymore - it's not a good sign for the long-term IMO.

We've in the middle of a pandemic for the last 6 months and didn't have a government until 6 weeks ago. Things like official sod turnings are very low on the priority list.

irishgeo

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Neither this scheme nor the N22 have had an official sod turning, probably the first time this has ever been the case for two huge road schemes.

This suggests that politicians believe there isn't much political benefit in building roads anymore - it's not a good sign for the long-term IMO.

The new messiner factory didn't have an official opening either. Maybe its a sign there isn't much benefit in opening factories.

BelfastVanMan

irishgeo wrote: »

The new messiner factory didn't have an official opening either. Maybe its a sign there isn't much benefit in opening factories.

Maybe the Covid restrictions had something to do with it?

irishgeo

BelfastVanMan wrote: »

Maybe the Covid restrictions had something to do with it?

I was being sarcastic.

BelfastVanMan

irishgeo wrote: »

I was being sarcastic.

So you were.

spacetweek

Surprised no one has updated OpenStreetMap with this scheme - how is this usually done?

spacetweek

spacetweek wrote: »

Surprised no one has updated OpenStreetMap with this scheme - how is this usually done?

Never mind - added it there.

DumbBrunette

Short video from Wills Bros' LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/wills-bros-ltd_bulkearthworks-n5w2t-mayo-activity-6699679277853503488-4t34

DumbBrunette

Foundations of the overbridge at the N5/N84 junction are now in place, see attached photo courtesy of Jack Walsh drone photography.

More new pics of the project at link below:

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2710165115977529&id=2224058757921503&set=pcb.2710165255977515&source=49&refid=13&__tn__=%2B%3D

DumbBrunette

Just to keep the good times rolling, here's the first project newsletter too:

https://n5w2t.com/newsletters/

DumbBrunette

Latest satellite pics show earthworks seem to have started between the Lodge road and Corrib oil in Westport.

Haven't been down that way in a while though so maybe Mayo posters will know more.

yop

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Latest satellite pics show earthworks seem to have started between the Lodge road and Corrib oil in Westport.

Haven't been down that way in a while though so maybe Mayo posters will know more.

Definitely more work been done there now. Can see more definition in the road now with the machines working.

Still no sign of the Islandeady road been closed. Serious amount of earth moved from the hill there.

DumbBrunette

I think the closure has been put back because the locals were unhappy about it, they're trialling automated stop/go boards instead according to MCC.

yop wrote: »

Definitely more work been done there now. Can see more definition in the road now with the machines working.

Still no sign of the Islandeady road been closed. Serious amount of earth moved from the hill there.

mayo.mick

Drone footage on the Connacht Telegraph facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=963318474079070&extid=Uh7nlTuPV21ZXbQ1

DumbBrunette

Wills BAM cut a planned road closure in Islandeady from 9 months to 3 months because of local concerns but now the parish priest is threatening to lie down in front of the diggers because 3 months is still too long **facepalm**

https://www.mayonews.ie/news/35861-we-have-been-completely-abandoned

yop

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Wills BAM cut a planned road closure in Islandeady from 9 months to 3 months because of local concerns but now the parish priest is threatening to lie down in front of the diggers because 3 months is still too long **facepalm**

https://www.mayonews.ie/news/35861-we-have-been-completely-abandoned

Why face palm?

DumbBrunette

Because cutting the closure from 9 months to 3 months seems like a very reasonable way to address the concerns of the local people. The priest doesn't acknowledge that at all and is just stirring things up.

It's the NIMBY, whinging approach to getting what he wants that really annoys me.

yop wrote: »

Why face palm?

irishgeo

It's the fact they don't have an access road to the new road is a bugbear as well.

marno21

irishgeo wrote: »

It's the fact they don't have an access road to the new road is a bugbear as well.

They do have access eastbound at the Castlebar West interchange which is quite a bit west of Castlebar. It’ll be very handy taking people around Castlebar towards the N26 and N17 in addition to the N5. Westport isn’t a million miles from here either and the old road will suffice.

Exits for everyone is what is going to make upgrading the old N5 a headache east of Castlebar in the future. These roads need to be limited access to a reasonable extent.

yop

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Because cutting the closure from 9 months to 3 months seems like a very reasonable way to address the concerns of the local people. The priest doesn't acknowledge that at all and is just stirring things up.

It's the NIMBY, whinging approach to getting what he wants that really annoys me.

As a local and I use that road a fair bit its not whinging.
I'm part of the school committee also and its become a major pain for the people with kids.
Parents who have kids on the church side of the closure will have to go into Castlebar through peak school traffic and back out to the school.
Other parents who have to go to work and can't afford the time have had to club together to arrange and pay for a private bus.
This is an extra 30-40 each way depending on traffic to the kids day.
The road after the Gaiety is a single line road with very very few pull in spots and also is been heavily used by construction traffic.

Anyone attending The GAA also will be inconvenienced and there are lots of us the wrong side. We have on a Sat morning 85 kids from U6-U8-U10 and out of there we'd be looking at 30 kids been on the wrong side of the closure.

Those using the community centre as the new IT Hub or the senior citizens groups will have the same issue.
Those going to mass, I don't go myself, will also have the same issue.
The graveyard is one side of the closure and the church the other.
For a burial it will need to go in the backroad, onto the newport road and in through Castlebar and back out.

Anyone going from the Glenisland road to Allergen use that road regular.

The access to the new road actually isnt an issue as said already we have 3 other access points to that new road.


While it may seem as a whing, believe me as a local and regular user this is a major inconvenience and time cost to me, but an actual cost to many who send their kids to school or use that road to commute.

afatbollix

Why do they need to close it?

road_high

irishgeo wrote: »

It's the fact they don't have an access road to the new road is a bugbear as well.

This is very common on any major motorway or dual carriageway. Access is limited for safety and also cost reasons.
Any if the major inter urban motorways would have junctions at 10-20 km intervals or so. I would t expect this project to have more than 3 or 4 junctions given its length at most. The old road is still there for local access

road_high

afatbollix wrote: »

Why do they need to close it?

Provably need to completely realign it to fit in/under with the new road