Suggested National Road Needs 2018 (Motorways)

Middle Man

I think the time has come for a new national road needs study - the last one for the primary network was undertaken in 1998 - how about a 2018 study? I have identified possible new motorway schemes using the following criteria...

Road Design Year:
Base Year (2018) + 5yrs Procurement + 30yrs Operation = 35yrs (2053)

Traffic Growth Predictions:
AADT (2018) + 2% Compound Growth per annum over 35 years

Traffic Patterns - Do Something Scenario
For most rural routes, it might be assumed that the vast bulk of mainline traffic will transfer to a replacement road with the likelihood of traffic remaining on the old alignment being offset by motorists attracted to the new route from other relatively parallel routes (regional roads or local roads acting as bypasses for example).

Now, there are a few surprises in the list but I'll let you guys peruse...


Suggested National Road Needs 2018 (Motorways)


Motorways: Major Projects > 40km (New Build)
M03 - Extension to Cavan ( 11,000+ )
M04 - Extension to Longford ( > 11,000 & < 13,000 )
M20 - Cork to Limerick ( > 9,500 & < 16,000 )
M21 - Patrickswell to Abbeyfeale ( > 10,500 & < 16,500 )
M25 - Middleton to Waterford ( > 10,000 & < 16,500 )
M45 - Leinster Outer Orbital Route ( M50: 130,000+ )


Motorways: Intermediate Projects > 20km or > 10km Urban (New Build)
M06 - Galway City Outer Bypass ( no data on TII site )
M22 - Ovens to Macroom ( 20,500+ @ Ovens )
M24 - Cahir East to Clonmel N76 Jct. ( > 10,500 & < 14,000 )
M40 - Cork Northern Ring Route ( N40: > 39,500 & < 78,500 )
M71 - Cork to Bandon ( > 14,500 & < 19,000 )


Motorways: Minor Projects < 15km (New Build)
M02 - Ashbourne to Kilmoon Cross ( 15,500+ )
M05 - Castlebar East to Bohola ( 12,500+ East of Castlebar )
M11 - Oilgate to Wexford ( 13,500+ )
M14 - Letterkenny to Lifford ( 11,500+ pending Brexit )
M25 - Waterford to Glenmore North ( 11,500+ )
M28 - Cork to Ringaskiddy ( 24,500+ )
M32 - Drogheda Southern Approach ( 19,500+ @ Julianstown )
M33 - M1 to Ardee Link (Upgrade from current SC) ( 11,000+ )
M52 - Tullamore Northern Approach ( 12,500+ near M6 Jct. 5 )


Motorways: Upgrade from Grade Separated DC (Major Civil Works)
M03 - Castleknock to Clonee ( > 56,000 & < 72,500 )
M04 - Jct. 13 to Jct. 15 ( new alternative road & eliminate Jct. 13 )
M07 - Naas to Red Cow ( > 80,500 & < 101,500 )
M11 - Jct. 6 (Bray) to Jct. 12 ( 50,000+ -> may require new alignment )
M18 - Jct. 4 to Jct. 6 ( 35,500+ -> may require new alignment )
M20 - Blarney to Proposed M40 ( 21,000+ )
M25 - Carrigtohill to Middleton ( major reconfiguration work required )


Motorways: Re-designated from HQDC (Minor Civil Works)
M01 - Dundalk to Newry ( section of alternative route required )
M02 - Finglas (M50) to Cherryhound ( alternative linkup required )
M04 - Mullingar Bypass ( Jct. 15 to Jct. 17 )
M06 - Oranmore to Galway
M11 - Jct. 12 to Jct. 14 ( alternative route and some ramp realignments )
M18 - Bunratty to Shannon ( Jct. 6 to Jct. 9 )
M18 - Limerick Tunnel ( Jct. 1 to Jct. 4 )
M22 - Ballincollig ( Jct. 1 to Jct. 3 )
M25 - Dunkettle to Carrigtohill ( pavement reconstruction required )
M25 - Waterford Bypass ( entire HQDC section )
M51 - Navan Western Approach ( to protect existing 2km HQDC section )


Note: AADT Figures that are quoted in brackets are based on current readings from TII traffic counter data (2016)

D Trent

Wtf have you been smoking ?

I wouldn't mind some of it..

JupiterKid

I agree that there's a need for a new roads needs study. BTW the original 1998 one was largely ignored in favour of new inter-urban motorways whilst the improvements recommended for the National Secondary routes were largely ignored.

But there is a real overkill of proposed motorways in the OP's new proposals. Most of the motorways required have already been built. The need now is for an M20 Cork-Limerick motorway, M28, possibly sections of M25 and the M6. Galway outer bypass. No need, for instance, for an M3 extension to Cavan when a 2+2 upgrade will more than suffice.

Irish_rat

A lot of fantasy projects mentioned there.

Regarding the N21 HQDC as far as Newcastle West would be ideal. 2+2 from there as traffic is quite low.

Middle Man

Irish_rat wrote: »

A lot of fantasy projects mentioned there.

Regarding the N21 HQDC as far as Newcastle West would be ideal. 2+2 from there as traffic is quite low.

An M21 to Newcastle West would be a good job - 2+2 from there to Tralee should suffice for at least 2 decades - not sure about 30 years (a road's structural lifetime?) though.

Middle Man

JupiterKid wrote: »

I agree that there's a need for a new roads needs study. BTW the original 1998 one was largely ignored in favour of new inter-urban motorways whilst the improvements recommended for the National Secondary routes were largely ignored.

But there is a real overkill of proposed motorways in the OP's new proposals. Most of the motorways required have already been built. The need now is for an M20 Cork-Limerick motorway, M28, possibly sections of M25 and the M6. Galway outer bypass. No need, for instance, for an M3 extension to Cavan when a 2+2 upgrade will more than suffice.

Don't forget that we have a rapidly rising population and with car ownership rates still below EU norms (in most counties on the last count), we may be talking about a different situation nationwide by the time many of these roads are actually built. Was on the N3 2+2 (Kells North) section recently and it was IMO adequate for now - only 6 years into its operational life, it seemed by no means overkill - will this stretch be fit for purpose in 2030 let alone 2040? We'll just have to wait and see.

I'm sure when the Athlone Bypass was first proposed, the White Coats might have been on standby - Galway's new road infrastructure in 1992 (same year the Athlone Bypass opened) seemed more than adequate and would have put Dublin to shame. However, look at Galway now - it's the laughing stock of our five cities - yet Athlone's Bypass only required resurfacing during our Interurban Motorway programme and it should still be quite some time before it requires major upgrading/bypassing.

It pays to think very far ahead - not just the 20 years that the TII seems to use - we also need to be very mindful that when we damage the environment during road construction, we should make sure that we're not repeatedly disrupting our eco-systems during major upgrades after only 20 years, just because the road was under specified in the first place...

Middle Man

D Trent wrote: »

Wtf have you been smoking ?

I wouldn't mind some of it..

I will admit that my motorway wish list is a pure mathematical exercise based mostly on statistics - that said, I could have thrown in an M81 Blessington to Dublin, but as the Blessington Road is purely a commuter route, such a motorway would be contrary to sustainable planning. However, the majority of the motorways that I have listed are replacing strategic roads that are mostly unfit for purpose and given the cost and disruption of such schemes, I felt it would be prudent to do a job that would last many decades and generate significant savings in the long run - both environmentally and economically.

Mint Sauce

Any reason why the HQDC N4 from Sligo to Colloney can't be re catorgorised to M Road. Is it because it's just slightly to short?

marno21

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Any reason why the HQDC N4 from Sligo to Colloney can't be re catorgorised to M Road. Is it because it's just slightly to short?

They don't want sections of motorway disconnected from the rest of the motorway network.

There was a plan a few years ago for a motorway grade DC as far as Castlebaldwin on the N4, a motorway grade DC bypass of Sligo and several kilometres of N15 DC north of Sligo.

The Collooney-Castlebaldwin section is now going ahead as 2+2, the other two projects are suspended.

Carawaystick

marno21 wrote: »

They don't want sections of motorway disconnected from the rest of the motorway network.
.

M2, M3, M11, M6, M7, M18.... all disconnected from the rest of the motorway network

loyatemu

Carawaystick wrote: »

M2, M3, M11, M6, M7, M18.... all disconnected from the rest of the motorway network

all of those are on routes that are a mix of motorway and grade-separated DC.

The N4 has a lot of single carriageway between where the M4 ends and the DC at Sligo begins. Maybe that's the reason.

Carawaystick

I was just stirring alright. The reasons seem "made up as the nra go along" ad-hoc stuff.
I'm not sure why the N25 with a ban on non-motorway traffic bypassing Waterford isn't motorway, given it leads from the M9