N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

marno21

I have absolutely no problem with any of the above, and fully agree with the entire post, nor do I have any problem with the route itself, or the project as proposed. A Type 2 DC between Westport and Castlebar is entirely merited and I'm delighted to see it go ahead. It's been a long time coming.

What I was saying was simply the reason that the N5 (and indeed the N22) are going ahead above similar projects of priority is they've had a senior Minister to push them through the system. There are about 30 other projects of similar size/cost that I would say would merit construction just as much as this one, but they are lingering because they don't have any "guardians" (for lack of a better word).

If there was a Michael Ring type Minister from Adare, Galway, the M20 route, or other places like Tipp Town, Virginia, etc you can be sure they'd also be at the top of the pile.

hans aus dtschl

marno21 wrote: »

I have absolutely no problem with any of the above, and fully agree with the entire post, nor do I have any problem with the route itself, or the project as proposed. A Type 2 DC between Westport and Castlebar is entirely merited and I'm delighted to see it go ahead. It's been a long time coming.

What I was saying was simply the reason that the N5 (and indeed the N22) are going ahead above similar projects of priority is they've had a senior Minister to push them through the system. There are about 30 other projects of similar size/cost that I would say would merit construction just as much as this one, but they are lingering because they don't have any "guardians" (for lack of a better word).

If there was a Michael Ring type Minister from Adare, Galway, the M20 route, or other places like Tipp Town, Virginia, etc you can be sure they'd also be at the top of the pile.

A bit of the "stepaside garda station" type situation, yep.
Back to the same thing again: we need transport infrastructure spending to be ringfenced and taken away from politicians.

runawaybishop

fiload wrote: »

I'm not from Mayo and have no idea of the benifits of this project but I have the common sense not to pass my opinion on it.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland amongst other departments have obviously put a lot of work and time into getting this project to this stage and prioritised it for a reason.
It really annoys me that people who also have no idea about a project and also no expertise in that area, publicly critise something as if they actually know something about it.

I am from Mayo and initially I thought this sounded daft - a dual carriageway to help bring stags and hens into Rings town faster, such nonsense!

But, before I made a fool of myself, I went off and read the studies available on regdesign.com which very clearly show that westport to Castlebar is extremely busy and after Ballyvary the traffic numbers drop almost in half as a lot of people turn off for Foxford/Ballina along the n58. So a dual carriageway from Westport to Turlough is definitely justified based on the numbers. In addition, lest north mayo complain, there are studies progressing for upgrading the road from Mount Falcon to Foxford online with an offline connection planned bypassing Foxford and Straide and connecting to the n5.

yop

I live on the N5, my kids go to the school along this road, I travel by car and by bike on this road and this is badly needed.
There must be a crash on it every 2nd week, I was involved in a crash on a spot that has seen 6 of my neighbors hit on the same spot, its the top of the Aghagower road for those local.
On last Friday I timed it, 4 mins 27 seconds to get across the road, the traffic was constant.
The road outside the school is so dangerous, an every growing school populations, cars travelling well above the speed limit etc.

I for one am delighted, as said this isn't something which has come to light in the last 5 or even 10 years, its 20 years in the planning.

But I agree there are roads which equally require upgrades, alignment, dual carraige ways. Its the spiraling costs of these which is head scratching, I see this has gone up 70 million in 10 months!!!

Knock2

North mayo complain!
What’s the point nobody listens or takes heed if they did the N26 would have been upgraded years ago!
Lack of balanced development in the county is hard to disagree with
Why has the second largest town in the county not got a proper access road??????

irishgeo

Knock2 wrote: »

North mayo complain!
What’s the point nobody listens or takes heed if they did the N26 would have been upgraded years ago!
Lack of balanced development in the county is hard to disagree with
Why has the second largest town in the county not got a proper access road??????

one word Allergan. Its keeping from achill to westport and its hinterland femployed.

They have been moaning about the N5 for years and probably baxter too.

before you mention coke. Its only a recent arrival. They make powered product thats not as sensitive as medical products.

RedDevil55

Knock2 wrote: »

North mayo complain!
What’s the point nobody listens or takes heed if they did the N26 would have been upgraded years ago!
Lack of balanced development in the county is hard to disagree with
Why has the second largest town in the county not got a proper access road??????

The terrain around Ballina and the N26 makes it much more difficult/expensive to build new roads. Any upgrade would need one or multiple new bridges over the river Moy and as we've seen at Cloongullane, there are a tonne of environmental issues when doing that.

Knock2

So that’s it so
We wait for global warming to take its full affect and the river Moy drys out fully and we then can get proper access to the north of the county!!!
Or would it b safer to say it will never happen and what ever money/investment does come in to the county will go to the south and west as it has for the last 30 years ???

seligehgit

Knock2 wrote: »

So that’s it so
We wait for global warming to take its full affect and the river Moy drys out fully and we then can get proper access to the north of the county!!!
Or would it b safer to say it will never happen and what ever money/investment does come in to the county will go to the south and west as it has for the last 30 years ???

North Mayo has historically been neglected going back to the days of Paddy O Toole Sean Calleary Tom Moffatt.

Perhaps with a change of government and a deputy Fianna Fail leader in situ there might be more forceful local representation and a correction in the historical disparity of funding?

Knock2

Yes
That would be nice !!
But this situation should never have happened

Pineapple1

irishgeo wrote:

before you mention coke. Its only a recent arrival. They make powered product thats not as sensitive as medical products.

Hollister?

irishgeo

Knock2 wrote: »

So that’s it so
We wait for global warming to take its full affect and the river Moy drys out fully and we then can get proper access to the north of the county!!!
Or would it b safer to say it will never happen and what ever money/investment does come in to the county will go to the south and west as it has for the last 30 years ???

Run for office and do something about it.

RedDevil55

Knock2 wrote: »

So that’s it so
We wait for global warming to take its full affect and the river Moy drys out fully and we then can get proper access to the north of the county!!!
Or would it b safer to say it will never happen and what ever money/investment does come in to the county will go to the south and west as it has for the last 30 years ???

I get the frustration as I would be closer to Ballina than Castlebar. However, we also need to be realistic. This road will be of huge economic benefit to Westport and Castlebar. The cost benefit analysis wouldn't be nearly as favourable for upgrading the N26.

Knock2

I’m sure the past and current tds were/are aware of the need for the upgrade of the n26,but I guess they were just laughed out of the office once they requested same!

marno21

Lads, this is the N5 thread. There's a thread for discussion of the N26 if you so wish. It was never an eiither or between the N5 and N26 anyway

Knock2

RedDevil55 wrote: »

I get the frustration as I would be closer to Ballina than Castlebar. However, we also need to be realistic. This road will be of huge economic benefit to Westport and Castlebar. The cost benefit analysis wouldn't be nearly as favourable for upgrading the N26.

So on that basis why do the Castlebar/ Westport road at all as there is greater need in more populated and prosperous parts of the country like limerick Galway cork
Does this not fly in the face of balanced regional development or in our case balanced county development ?
All we are looking for is a fairness
Is that too much to hope for?

Knock2

marno21 wrote: »

Lads, this is the N5 thread. There's a thread for discussion of the N26 if you so wish. It was never an eiither or between the N5 and N26 anyway

Yes I’d say it was as I presume both road projects started life on a list years ago
So why is one been completed and the other remains as a concept on a list!!!!

RedDevil55

Knock2 wrote: »

So on that basis why do the Castlebar/ Westport road at all as there is greater need in more populated and prosperous parts of the country like limerick Galway cork
Does this not fly in the face of balanced regional development or in our case balanced county development ?
All we are looking for is a fairness
Is that too much to hope for?

But this scheme hopefully will lead to balanced development in the region. A huge amount of the Mayo population are within a 30 minute drive of Castlebar. Increased employment there will benefit the likes of Kiltimagh, Swinford, Claremorris, Ballinrobe etc.

Westernyelp

Knock2 wrote:

Yes I’d say it was as I presume both road projects started life on a list years ago So why is one been completed and the other remains as a concept on a list!!!!

Because one was deemed economical and the other not (for the moment) simple as that. This piece of infrastructure will be beneficial.for the whole county in the one long run.

Knock2

Yes agree it’s badly needed and am delighted it’s going ahead
But I’m simply asking the question where is the balanced development for north mayo
Does this region of the county not deserve its equal share
All were asking for is a proper road to drive on ???

irishgeo

Knock2 wrote: »

Yes agree it’s badly needed and am delighted it’s going ahead
But I’m simply asking the question where is the balanced development for north mayo
Does this region of the county not deserve its equal share
All were asking for is a proper road to drive on ???

I suggest you ask your TD.

steeler j

marno21 wrote: »

I have absolutely no problem with any of the above, and fully agree with the entire post, nor do I have any problem with the route itself, or the project as proposed. A Type 2 DC between Westport and Castlebar is entirely merited and I'm delighted to see it go ahead. It's been a long time coming.

What I was saying was simply the reason that the N5 (and indeed the N22) are going ahead above similar projects of priority is they've had a senior Minister to push them through the system. There are about 30 other projects of similar size/cost that I would say would merit construction just as much as this one, but they are lingering because they don't have any "guardians" (for lack of a better word).

If there was a Michael Ring type Minister from Adare, Galway, the M20 route, or other places like Tipp Town, Virginia, etc you can be sure they'd also be at the top of the pile.

I'm from the tipp town and 20 years ago there was a big push by politicians and local business men where against them and now the same people that were against it and mad for one

afatbollix

Michael Ring has been in office 25 years and this is the first road to be built in the area. This road has been talked about for 20+ years anyway.

Too many of my family and friends have died on that road. Its a death trap.


Irish mentality at it again.

Westernyelp

Counting cars on the N5 at islandeady.at the moment what would be the reason for this now? Or is it just routine?

irishgeo

Westernyelp wrote: »

Counting cars on the N5 at islandeady.at the moment what would be the reason for this now? Or is it just routine?

not much good counting cars there when it doesnt have a exit to get on the new bypass.

hondar

Did anyone else hear that siac put in an objection to the tender?If they did it will hold it up.

Westernyelp

hondar wrote:

Did anyone else hear that siac put in an objection to the tender?If they did it will hold it up.

Think the appeal (Alcatel?) Period has passed before sign off

DumbBrunette

No sign of any machinery on site yet, but work on what looks like a future site compound is underway at N59 end of the scheme.

Haven't been up that way for a while though so I'm not sure how long it's been there.

marno21

Wills/BAM officially announced for this project

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/news/roundup/articles/2019/10/31/4181773-mayoled-consortium-wins-contract-to-build-countys-new-215m-roadway/

Construction to begin within weeks and take 24 months.

mayo.mick

"Contracts are signed for the largest infrastructural investment in County Mayo"