N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118002353#Comment_118002353

Exactly. Nenagh is one that springs to mind. Before the motorway it was absolutely horrible. Filthy dirty and constantly snarled with traffic. It's lovely now. Very lively with loads of people about. Completely rejuvenated.

KrisW1001

There’s been huge evidence against the “bypasses kill towns” people ever since Naas.

What this probably is, is some guys who own filling stations complaining about lost trade. Fuel sellers are literally the only business that benefits from traffic-clogged main streets.

loyatemu

how much passing traffic stops in Castlebar anyway, the only place it's on the way to is Westport which is only 15 mins up the road. We've gone to Westport and Achill (from Wicklow) in the last couple of years and it never even occurred to me to go into Castlebar.

[Deleted User]

There are some nice restaurants in the town, plus it's the only place to do big shopping in Mayo. Those who want to go there will go there. Those who don't won't. The biggest obstable to going to Westport and Castlebar in summer is the traffic. I avoid Westport during the summer season. It's not worth the hassle. That's precisely what a bypass does: frees towns from interregional and interurban traffic and returns them to the local population to live, work and enjoy safely.

UsBus

Such a shame this site has all but collapsed. There's so few people posting and getting involved in discussion. Just heard breaffy residents on radio talking about the hell there are being put through with rock breaking and the effect on their property.

With regard to the road, at least there finally seems to be some tar going down on the Castlebar Ballinrobe road at the Toyota garage. I make it nearly 6 months this has been on traffic lights. Farcical effort, they could have either concentrated on the bridge or got the main road section completed much quicker to keep traffic moving. This is the main route for traffic going to Galway.

DumbBrunette

The Windsor Road overbridge outside Castlebar, the first bridge over the new N5 to open to traffic. Tie-in to existing N5 in the background of first pic. Pics courtesy of Jack Walsh drone photography.

Cosmo Kramer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118003355#Comment_118003355

The argument doesn't make sense in Castlebar's case anyway, because the passing traffic hasn't gone through the the town centre since the original bypass was built around 1990. Passing through Castlebar to go from Dublin to Westport you pretty much just pass four petrol stations, the football stadium, the back of the hospital and a few housing estates on Westport road and you're out of the town again. You had to turn off to go anywhere useful anyway.

I'm just about old enough to remember the same arguments being made when the first bypass was built, and there was nothing in it then either. In fact it almost doesn't bear thinking about what the traffic would be like in the town of the first bypass had never been done.

spakman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118046276#Comment_118046276

I remember the bypass being built (at Cathal duffys roundabout), but don't remember the road layout before then. How would traffic coming in from ballyvary side got to westport Road?

mayo.mick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118047108#Comment_118047108

Would have come in the old turlough road, in by the Welcome Inn, left down Lininhall street and up main st, past the TF and the hospital and out the Westport road then. Used to take about 35/40 mins that time to get from Swinford to Castlebar (apart from the time I had my appendix out, the father got me over to the hospital in a record breaking 25mins!!!)

I was coming back from Castlebar last week and there was roadworks again in Ballyvary, traffic that side of the road was diverted in at the petrol station and on that real old Castlebar main road and came out at the side of the Wishing Well. Boy does that bring back memories of travelling that road in the 70's and 80's! How far we have come (in some ways).

DumbBrunette

https://youtu.be/Awqxv8Ls7RA

Nice little video of the stone sub-base being laid between Westport and Castlebar last week.

DumbBrunette

Windsor road overbridge outside Castlebar, and the views from the bridge looking north (top) and south.

DumbBrunette

The new underbridge over the Lodge road in Westport is taking shape.

irishgeo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118107248#Comment_118107248

is it single or dual carriageway at that point?

DumbBrunette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118109462#Comment_118109462

Single carriageway here.

DumbBrunette

Just to show the progress that's been made on earthworks in the last 3 months, here's a picture I took of the Western cutting at Drumneen, near Islandeady, at the start of August.

Compare that to a pic of the same location yesterday:

DumbBrunette

The eastern cutting at Drumneen in early August and three months later in early November. In the first pic the road is still mud and drainage is being installed. The second pic from last week shows the road foundations being laid.

irishgeo

I see reports of october 2022 finish date for this.

Spiaire

Great progress being made.

DumbBrunette

Some views on the Newport road outside Westport:

Piling in an area of soft ground at Attireesh.

Sections of the underpass for the great western greenway, taken from the temporary greenway diversion.

Old greenway route blocked off.

Not sure what they're blasting, the ground here is all just soft drumlins.

New culvert at Attireesh.

DumbBrunette

The Lodge Road underpass is now open to traffic.

recyclebin

Bloody lights on the Ballinrobe road are now on a 300 second timer. Some amount of arsing around at this junction with no respect for the people who have to use this road every day.

Spiaire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217843#Comment_118217843

No respect at all.

You would nearly think they were building a new road, the amount of work going on....

UsBus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118218891#Comment_118218891

It's embarrassing the length of time it's taking to complete this junction. The original lights were in place for about 6 months. Only after the first resurfacing was completed did they start ground works for the bridge ramp on the Ballinrobe side. This is offline and should have been progressing at the same time. 300 second timer is a joke on the main road out of town to Galway.

irishgeo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118238284#Comment_118238284

you would be faster going out the westport road and going via derrywash.

DumbBrunette

Couple of new aerial shots courtesy of Mayo County Council. Top is Islandeady and bottom is N84 junction.

DumbBrunette

Completion date pushed out to Q1 2023 according to Mayo County Council.

DumbBrunette

Blacktop going down at the N84 junction. Hopefully they will finish the bridge soon.

Pete_Cavan

Pretty sure that is a dark coloured stone capping layer rather than surfacing.

KrisW1001

It does look like they will be able to divert N84 onto that new bridge pretty soon, though. It’s always a good sign when you see parts of the project carrying traffic.

DumbBrunette

https://westernpeople.ie/2021/12/07/n5-road-scheme-showcases-its-sustainable-side/

It doesn't say it in the article, but the new kerbs are made from 88% recycled plastic.