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N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

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  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette




  • Registered Users Posts: 5,511 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    Any thoughts on achill bound traffic to use this road instead of going into Castlebar? Little circuitous but probably quicker than the other road



  • Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭TnxM17


    Its a question I have pondered myself - and it looks quite doable.

    Doing a very rough calculation, from the new roundabout north of Castlebar to Newport. On current best route according to Google Maps it goes through the old town centre and is 24 minutes at 21.8km. Going through Castlebar via current ring road and the new retail areas is also 24 minutes also but 23.5km.

    The new Type II is 20.2km, so if you could maintain 100kmph that's approximately 12 minutes. Its approximately 2 km of road from the new roundabout in Westport to the N59, assuming its 60kph thats 2 minutes and from there to Newport is 9 minutes and 10km.

    So, the new road potentially is 23 minutes, but is approximately 32km so 10km more. Even adding in another minute or 2 for slowing for roundabouts etc it's probably worth the extra distance for a more consistent journey.

    Post edited by TnxM17 on


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,352 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    It would be interesting. You'll be avoiding the secondary school on the Newport road in castlebar. That's going to save 5/10 minutes in the morning/evenings.



  • Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭TnxM17


    Another route I was pondering is if it would be beneficial for is for traffic from the south Galway/Ballinrobe etc to go as far as Castlebar and join at the N84 junction to the new road.

    Starting at the junction in Partry it takes 22 minutes (22km) to travel to Westport town centre.

    To go from same starting point to new junction is 13 minutes (15.8km), its 14.4km from there to roundabout outside Westport so approx 9 minutes. And 4 minutes (1.7km) from there to the same point in town centre.

    Its 22 minutes (22k) of a poor rollercoaster type road versus 26 minutes (31.9 km) of pretty good road along the N84.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette


    Tender out to replace outdated road signs along the old N5 once the new road opens.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,352 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    Drove through the turlough roundabout today. No roadsigns up yet. Only bit of action was the road marking lads.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,906 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek


    I still remember when it was quite common for councils to simply not replace the old signs when a new road opened, instead waiting for them to wear out. So you would still see outdated signage a decade later on the old road.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,307 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    This is still the case in Cork City. Large amounts of N25 signage around for the N40. It's gradually improving to the point there's not much left now but still bits.

    There's still signage on the Carrigrohane Road in Cork though to take the R600 to the airport and the R609 to the Ferryport, a sign which was obsolete in the 90s.





  • Speaking of the old N5, what will it be called once the new route is open? Downgraded to an R road, yes?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭TnxM17


    They should call the old N5 the Padraig Flynn Way, because it is so crooked, allegedly.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,352 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    Streetlights were on at the breaffy junction when I passed through this evening.



  • Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭TnxM17


    Drove over the road last Friday at N84 crossing (Ballinrobe road) and workers could be seen erecting signage on southbound carriageway.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,461 ✭✭✭mayo.mick


    Signs and road marking being installed at the Turlough junction today.



  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette


    The Westport relief road is the least advanced section of the project. I took some pics a few weeks back, hopefully things have moved on a bit since then.

    View from the Knockranny north roundabout, looking west towards the Lodge Road. Note the shared footpath/cycleway along the southern side of the road.


    The Lodge Road crossing looking west towards Allergan, this is where the tarmac ends. There is a ramp on the left for pedestrian access to the Lodge Road, this was a specific condition from ABP.


    The new Allergan roundabout is still under construction.


    Between the Allergan roundabout and the N59 things are still very messy.


    The new greenway underpass and the N59 tie-in in the distance.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,906 Mod ✭✭✭✭spacetweek




  • Registered Users Posts: 9,352 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    The N59 end section is moving along. The Newport roundabout is open. They still need to connect in the industrial estate junction in to the new road though.



  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette


    Progress visible on the Westport bypass since my own pics a few weeks ago.



  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭RogerThis


    There is a nice bit to be finished for the 18th of April. Just under 12 weeks away.

    Is there any date set for opening the Castlebar ring road?



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,352 ✭✭✭irishgeo




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  • Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭TnxM17


    I passed a few sections today and think its on track for April. The signs are being erected at pace on the north of the scheme from Turlough to current N5 crossing at Westport Road. The street lights at the N84 Ballinrobe junction were on. I stopped at Islandeady today and the median barrier is well passed there towards Westport.

    I thought the N59 section and the section around Allergan would be what delays things but passing the N59 today it has progressed considerably since I was that way 2 months ago. Also, from todays Jack Walsh drone shots posted above they have tarred a lot of the section around Allergan. That is about half the distance of what remained when I saw that part at Lodge Road a month ago.



  • Registered Users Posts: 10,017 ✭✭✭✭Oscar Bravo


    Connaught telegraph this morning

    Febuary opening earmarked for section of new N5 in Mayo

    Published: Sat 28 Jan 2023, 8:00 AM

    THE Castlebar section of the new N5 could open in February.

    The only thing holding it up is signage.

    Councillor Cyril Burke asked at a Castlebar Municipal District meeting if the section between the Turlough and Derrylea roundabouts will open in February.

    He was told potentially yes, with the only delay being with signage.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,221 ✭✭✭HBC08


    It was also reported that that section would be open before Christmas and then before end of january.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,352 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    The opening date for the rest of the road is slipping too. Now saying end of April/May.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭Cosmo Kramer


    This is really dragging on now, there should be more pressure coming from local officials to get the Castlebar section finished and open. It's basically done just to stick the signage up.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,388 ✭✭✭UsBus


    Ya its a bit embarrassing to be honest. From contractor progress updates that appear to be going backwards to the back and forth between which side is ready to open or who is holding things up.

    It's been one excuse after another from the get go with plenty happy to accept the delays. I never really got the impression that a section or bridge was ever flying along. Most days passing any of the junctions, there appears to be the bare minimum happening.



  • Registered Users Posts: 40 thomas385


    Cycled over and back from Attireesh to Turlough today. Median barrier complete as far as Derrada.

    Except for maybe 10/20% of the signage, the entirety of the Derrylea to Turlough section looks like it could open tomorrow.

    Old N5 seems to be designated as the R309 according to the signs.

    Also spotted a humourous error on the last sign approaching the Turlough roundabout where it srems the very bottom part of the sign is mixed up as it should include "SWINFORD", so as it is at the moment it almost looks like Swinford is a Gaeltacht town with just "B. Átha na Muice" on the sign.



  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette


    R309 makes sense as the R310, R311 and R312 all have Castlebar as a start (or end) point.

    It will be interesting to see how much traffic the old road will have. The stretch from Derrylea, through Castlebar and out the Dublin Road will remain very busy I'd say.



  • Registered Users Posts: 745 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette


    Full length flypast from DroneWest, showing new signage in place on the Castlebar bypass.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 40 thomas385


    From Cllr Brendan Mulroy on Facebook. Looks incredibly narrow for 2 lanes and a footpath??



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