N5 - Westport to Turlough [under construction; 2023 completion]

Dudda wrote: »

That's a big hole they're digging. What's this for? Is it just the rock they need do you think?

I expect just for free rock. Where about is it ?

Dudda

Deleted User wrote: »

I expect just for free rock. Where about is it ?

It's a photo from the drone photography a few posts back. I presume it's close to the N84 junction on the Ballinrobe road as that's where the other photos are from but can't be sure.

DumbBrunette

Latest drone pics of the huge cutting underway on the Milebush Road outside Castlebar

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2784358485224858&id=2224058757921503&ref=page_internal

mayo.mick

Some dashcam footage when I passed the Westport Rd crossing on Friday.

DumbBrunette

Latest satellite imagery of the Castlebar bypass section of the route, from this Sunday.

yannakis

DumbBrunette wrote: »

Latest satellite imagery of the Castlebar bypass section of the route, from this Sunday.

Mind me asking what was the source you used there?

DumbBrunette

Sentinel satellite imagery, Google Sentinel Hub

yannakis wrote: »

Mind me asking what was the source you used there?

DumbBrunette

New diversion open on the Belcarra road today to allow construction of bridge over the N5 mainline. Pic by Jack Walsh drone photography.

DumbBrunette

I went exploring along the new route today for the first time in a while. The contractor was hard at it, despite the wet conditions. Here are some of my observations (going from east to west along the route) -

1) Temporary diversion for N60 traffic appears complete but is not yet open. When opened, this will allow the existing N60 to be dug up and replaced by a bridge.

2) Diversion is open on the Belcarra Road as shown in post above.

3) The N84 junction is the most progressed of the main structures - they were topping off the bridge abutments today (no beams in place yet). The new N84 will be slightly offline here, so no traffic diversion is required for the bridge works (unlike at N60 junction).

4) Lough Lannagh causeway has been raised further since I last saw it in the summer - it's now at least 2 metres above the lake level.

5) Digging on several cuttings in the Islandeady area has progressed well. Diversion is open on the main Islandeady Road and rebar is in place for the overbridge foundations.

6) Digging has started on a massive cutting at Kilbree, west of Islandeady, but there's a long way to go on this.

7) Earthworks are also underway around the Lodge Road crossing at the edge of Westport, and the adjacent area where the planned Knockranny link road and Westport relief road will meet the new dual carriageway.

8) Rockfill foundations are in place for a few hundred metres of the N59 realignment, including the future N5/N59 roundabout. They haven't started the monster cutting through Barleyhill yet - I can't wait to see the traffic management once they start this, as it will cross the existing N59 at four locations over a distance of just 1km!

steeler j

DumbBrunette wrote: »

I went exploring along the new route today for the first time in a while. The contractor was hard at it, despite the wet conditions. Here are some of my observations (going from east to west along the route) -

1) Temporary diversion for N60 traffic appears complete but is not yet open. When opened, this will allow the existing N60 to be dug up and replaced by a bridge.

2) Diversion is open on the Belcarra Road as shown in post above.

3) The N84 junction is the most progressed of the main structures - they were topping off the bridge abutments today (no beams in place yet). The new N84 will be slightly offline here, so no traffic diversion is required for the bridge works (unlike at N60 junction).

4) Lough Lannagh causeway has been raised further since I last saw it in the summer - it's now at least 2 metres above the lake level.

5) Digging on several cuttings in the Islandeady area has progressed well. Diversion is open on the main Islandeady Road and rebar is in place for the overbridge foundations.

6) Digging has started on a massive cutting at Kilbree, west of Islandeady, but there's a long way to go on this.

7) Earthworks are also underway around the Lodge Road crossing at the edge of Westport, and the adjacent area where the planned Knockranny link road and Westport relief road will meet the new dual carriageway.

8) Rockfill foundations are in place for a few hundred metres of the N59 realignment, including the future N5/N59 roundabout. They haven't started the monster cutting through Barleyhill yet - I can't wait to see the traffic management once they start this, as it will cross the existing N59 at four locations over a distance of just 1km!

Thanks ,very informative

irishgeo

DumbBrunette wrote: »

I went exploring along the new route today for the first time in a while. The contractor was hard at it, despite the wet conditions. Here are some of my observations (going from east to west along the route) -

1) Temporary diversion for N60 traffic appears complete but is not yet open. When opened, this will allow the existing N60 to be dug up and replaced by a bridge.

2) Diversion is open on the Belcarra Road as shown in post above.

3) The N84 junction is the most progressed of the main structures - they were topping off the bridge abutments today (no beams in place yet). The new N84 will be slightly offline here, so no traffic diversion is required for the bridge works (unlike at N60 junction).

4) Lough Lannagh causeway has been raised further since I last saw it in the summer - it's now at least 2 metres above the lake level.

5) Digging on several cuttings in the Islandeady area has progressed well. Diversion is open on the main Islandeady Road and rebar is in place for the overbridge foundations.

6) Digging has started on a massive cutting at Kilbree, west of Islandeady, but there's a long way to go on this.

7) Earthworks are also underway around the Lodge Road crossing at the edge of Westport, and the adjacent area where the planned Knockranny link road and Westport relief road will meet the new dual carriageway.

8) Rockfill foundations are in place for a few hundred metres of the N59 realignment, including the future N5/N59 roundabout. They haven't started the monster cutting through Barleyhill yet - I can't wait to see the traffic management once they start this, as it will cross the existing N59 at four locations over a distance of just 1km!

After Christmas I'd say for the n60 diversion. Most construction sites will be winding up Friday.

Is it an overbridge or underbridge for the existing n60.

DumbBrunette

N60 is going over the mainline

irishgeo wrote: »

After Christmas I'd say for the n60 diversion. Most construction sites will be winding up Friday.

Is it an overbridge or underbridge for the existing n60.

DumbBrunette

Few pics from yesterday (just phone pics so not brilliant) -

Bridge works at N84 junction



Lough Lannagh causeway



Diggers working on the cutting at Kilbree



Looking towards Castlebar from Lodge Road crossing in Westport

Mickeroo

Whereabouts is the causeway on lough lannagh? Thought the road didn't go anywhere near there.

Edit: Sorry I see now it skirts the southern end.

Interestingly I notice the new road is already on Bing maps for some reason:

marno21

Mickeroo wrote: »

Whereabouts is the causeway on lough lannagh? Thought the road didn't go anywhere near there.

Edit: Sorry I see now it skirts the southern end.

Interestingly I notice the new road is already on Bing maps for some reason:

Bing aren’t very accurate with their location of Burrishoole Abbey either

CatInABox

marno21 wrote: »

Bing aren’t very accurate with their location of Burrishoole Abbey either

There, much better.

irishgeo

marno21 wrote: »

Bing aren’t very accurate with their location of Burrishoole Abbey either

much better satellite pictures than google though.

KrisW1001

Microsoft's Maps app in Windows 10, which uses the same basic dataset as Bing Maps, does not show the new road. I'd expect it to disappear from the web version next time they regenerate the tiles.

Despite it being a bug, I found it interesting to see the old and new roads together at the same classification on one map.

Generally, for the Republic of Ireland, the OSI geohive site (http://map.geohive.ie/mapviewer.html) has the best mapping and aerial photography - it's also the only online service I've seen where the map and aerial line up exactly: a sure sign that actual cartographers were involved. Google is really only good if you need to locate a business - if you want accurate mapping, there are better alternatives.

Dudda

Aerial Photography varies a lot. I have to deal with them fairly regularly for work and you've to check all three (Bing, Google & OSI) to see which is the most current. Google would have the most current and then a few months later Bing would get an update and be the most current and then the OSI would update again later. Then you've the issue where some parts of the country are updated and other's aren't. There isn't one source who's always consistently the most up to date.

Anyway back on topic. I do a bit of running and a few running friends have started to run the route on Sunday when no construction is taking place and some have shared photos. I'm going to leave it till the summer as it's just a mud track with large stones that could twist an ankle. I am looking forward to running it in the summer as it should be possible in the evening as well when it gets it first layer of tar. It will be a huge straight road, no traffic and gently slopes and turns. I imagine it would be good for cyclist too. until it officially opens and becomes dangerous.

DumbBrunette

Construction underway on the N5 railway crossing east of Castlebar:



(It's a screengrab of a video taken from a moving train so quality isn't great!)

DumbBrunette

Temporary diversion of the N60 at Breaffy due to open on Thursday, weather permitting.

DrSerious3

Would a ban on construction spell the end of this project for a time I wonder?

[Deleted User]

Yes, and likely all projects like it.

Pete_Cavan

According to RTE, "social housing and essential public projects" will continue with a list to be published. This is the state limiting their exposure to increased costs resulting from shutting down all of their projects. I'd expect projects like this will continue on site given the potential cost implications and being low risk as most of the work is being done by lads alone in machines. Lets hope so anyway.

[Deleted User]

We'll manage with a few weeks of delay on a road project in Mayo and other projects like it. Anything beyond a full lockdown like March is just prolonging the hardship and delaying the inevitable. These lads alone in machines have to travel to work, buy diesel/petrol, buy their lunch, interact at some point, use toilet facilities in cramped portocabins etc etc. We need to take this seriously and road projects are just not a priority right now.

Pete_Cavan

HabibiLibneni wrote: »

We'll manage with a few weeks of delay on a road project in Mayo and other projects like it. Anything beyond a full lockdown like March is just prolonging the hardship and delaying the inevitable. These lads alone in machines have to travel to work, buy diesel/petrol, buy their lunch, interact at some point, use toilet facilities in cramped portocabins etc etc. We need to take this seriously and road projects are just not a priority right now.

Millions of € are going to be lost by shutting down projects like this between paying lads to sit at home, additional prelims to the contractor, indirect costs due to late delivery, etc. We have no shortage of other uses for that money.

A couple of big state projects like this would account for a proportionally larger amount of the costs of the shut down. Close 99% of projects but money saved by keeping the like of this going would cover the cost of a fair few of those shut down. Most of the workers here will be local anyway, no shortage of plant operators in rural counties, they don't need to import them from around the country.

[Deleted User]

They're not just going to sack x amount of people because they have to travel and hire y all of a shot. We really need to get real here. In all likelihood, given the hints thrown out today, these projects will be cancelled. If they decide to keep them open, they'll change their minds next week like they will with the LC. Reactive measures instead of using the readily available data and forecasts and making correct judgments in advance.

runawaybishop

Didn't they keep some critical infrastructure open last time? They mentioned it again this time but I don't know if that means road construction, or even this road in particular.

thomas385

I'm pretty sure that work was halted for the very first 2 week lockdown back in March/April, but resumed after that

[Deleted User]

The likes of the N4, N22 etc were closed for 7 weeks in lockdown 1.