N70 - Milltown bypass

Pete_Cavan

They sound like something from Fr Ted, the existing road through the town wont be taken in and never put out again! People who want to stop in the town will still be able to do so, it would actually become more attractive to do so when not competing with lots of traffic which doesn't want to be there. Forcing people with no intention of stopping in to go through it is more likely to put locals off going into the town at certain times of the day.

marno21

I go through Milltown on the N70 and the R561/R563. I often stop when using the R563 (which will be the same post bypass) but I never stop going N/S on the N70.

There's plenty of reason to stop in Killorglin 5km down the road when heading north/south, or in Farranfore/Tralee depending on where you're coming from/going to. If you're heading east west there's less places to stop, which is business Milltown will retain.

This bypass route is a nice halfway house for the town. Remove heavy vehicles, still retain traffic movements but remove the ones causing conflict.

KrisW1001

This is an old, old argument against bypasses, but every time a town is bypassed, trade ends up increasing. The objectors are not counting the hundreds and thousands of potential customers who would have stopped, but were deterred from doing so by the heavy traffic through the town (which makes it really hard to hunt for a parking spot).

I can just about remember Naas before the motorway completely bypassed it. People were up in arms about that road too, claiming that it would kill the town's businesses. I think it's fair to say they were wrong.

KrisW1001

KrisW1001 wrote: »

This is an old, old argument against bypasses, but every time a town is bypassed, trade ends up increasing. The objectors are not counting the hundreds and thousands of potential customers who would have stopped, but were deterred from doing so by the heavy traffic through the town (which makes it really hard to hunt for a parking spot).

I can just about remember Naas before the motorway completely bypassed it. People were up in arms about that road too, claiming that it would kill the town's businesses. I think it's fair to say they were wrong.

People really have to have a look at Milltown on the map and see the size of it.
It's tiny.
Comparing to Casleisland is incorrect, comparing it to Naas even more so.

It's two streets.

It has a tail back between 8.45am and 9am when people from the south turning right up to the schools have to yeild at Larkin's to traffic going to Killorglin.

I'm not sure if that will even exist when school gets back because most of those going to Killorglin are now working from home.

Another poster suggested that local people would be more likely to go into the town because if less traffic of there was a bypass.

That's not the case, traffic congestion was never a reason not to go into the town because other than the example I gave the place was never congested.

A bypass is not going to bring people into the town who would otherwise avoid it, because in all honesty there is nothing to come in for anyway.

I don't even know why I'm calling it a town, its a village.

KrisW1001

I know the place, and I agree with you. I think the only reason people stop there now is that they need fuel, coffee, something to eat or a pee. The bypass road won't change those factors. A big brown sign at the new roundabouts either side of the village saying there's food and drink available is really all that's needed to keep the passing trade, and getting the through traffic out of the main street will make it easier for people who want to stop to actually stop.

There's never much of a tailback in these small places, but like every other built-up area on the Wild Atlantic Way, in Summer you do get really long platoons of cars that make it hard to cross the main road - you only need one foreign tourist who's uncomfortable making right turns to block traffic for minutes at a time.

marno21

• Investigative surveys (Traffic, Ecology, Topographical and Ground Investigations) have been undertaken.

• Archaeo-Geophyscial Surveys have uncovered an unchartered archaeological feature and subsequent surveys of this feature were recently undertaken to confirm its significance.

• The Project Team has developed a number of alternative route options and alignments which avoid / minimise the impact on this Henge-like feature and these are being appraised at present by our consultants RPS.

• Consultation on the new preferred solution for the mainline alignment will be undertaken with relevant stakeholders upon completion of this appraisal in Q4 2023.

• The Design which will be developed through Q4 2023 with a view to commencing the Statutory Consent process in early 2024 subject to the necessary approvals. 

embraer170

Not much new on the Milltown bypass scheme these days.

Traffic in Killorglin is getting worse every summer. These days at the wrong time of day it can take 15-20 minutes to get from the Astellas Plant to SuperValu, but I suppose that cannot be fixed without a big bypass and new Laune bridge. Probably not in my lifetime.

marno21

Milltown bypass:

Work on the design of the refined preferred route, including public consultation with the relevant stakeholders and the initiation of the Statutory Consent process, will be progressed subject to the availability of funding and the necessary approvals.

Kerry County Council are also progressing a realignment of the last stretch of dross between the end of the 2018 N70 Kilderry bends scheme and Killorglin - the N70 Tinnahalla to Stealroe realignment

• Archaeological and Ecological surveys are currently being undertaken. Topographical survey is complete

• Preliminary Options are being prepared having regard to the constraints identified along this road section.

• Engagement with the landowners is ongoing as the proposals along this section of the N70 are being developed.