N21 - Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale [delayed until after 2027]

marno21

According to TII's website, the N21 Adare-Abbeyfeale scheme (which will be shortened due to the M21 going to Rathkeale, has been reactivated for appraisal and will be considered instead of relief roads for Abbeyfeale and Newcastlewest.

I have created this thread rather than the old ones for the scheme which is to start from scratch.

If this is incorrect and the two relief roads go ahead I will close this thread and go back to those 2 threads

road_high

Would it be at least a decade before any major improvement to this road beyond Adare/Rathkeale?
Anytime I've driven it it's non stop traffic oncoming and rows of cars miles long often behind slow locals or hire cars. I'd hate to drive it daily I think I'd end up in a lunatic asylum tbh. Coupled with the triple horror of Adare/NCW/Abbeyfeale. Puts me off completely from visiting Kerry for a few days.

marno21

road_high wrote: »

Would it be at least a decade before any major improvement to this road beyond Adare/Rathkeale?
Anytime I've driven it it's non stop traffic oncoming and rows of cars miles long often behind slow locals or hire cars. I'd hate to drive it daily I think I'd end up in a lunatic asylum tbh. Coupled with the triple horror of Adare/NCW/Abbeyfeale. Puts me off completely from visiting Kerry for a few days.

Indeed, the N21 is a joke. Slow queues of traffic and 3 towns as you say. The only solution is complete replacement from Feale Bridge through to the Foynes junction at Rathkeale.

The M21 would only make the problem worse in my eyes so further dualling is merited

road_high

marno21 wrote: »

Indeed, the N21 is a joke. Slow queues of traffic and 3 towns as you say. The only solution is complete replacement from Feale Bridge through to the Foynes junction at Rathkeale.

The M21 would only make the problem worse in my eyes so further dualling is merited

You’d hardly average 50/60 kmh on the whole thing really. By 1980s standards it was quite a good road but is obsolete now.

RikkFlair

So 2 bypasses being designed instead of a motorway...

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/358835/design-work-starts-on-bypass-routes-for-two-county-limerick-towns.html

ongarboy

Have to smile when reading the article saying that Newcastle West traders perceive the town as already being bypassed....just because N21 traffic doesn't go through the main shopping street. Using that logic, Henry Street is a bypass of O'Connell Street in Limerick!! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

road_high

These both sound like Mickey Mouse efforts- something like the Mitchelstown relief road circa 2006.

marno21

road_high wrote: »

These both sound like Mickey Mouse efforts- something like the Mitchelstown relief road circa 2006.

I'm delighted someone finally ****ing said it - talk about pissing away money

Anyone who knows this road like I do knows how fruitless these pisstake "bypasses" are. Of all the roads in the National Development Plan the N21 is the only one getting this ****e - thanks Patrick

wotswattage

I see Templeglantine is being completely resurfaced again, it seems like only a few years ago the road surface through the village was poorly done with an uneven surface. Or am I loosing track of time?!

Shades of Buttevant..

BIGT4464

Its not that bad a road guys, wide hard shoulders. you can go 90-100 kph at ease. A few bypasses would do the trick nicely, even upgrade them to 2+2 lanes like at Castleisland.

marno21

BIGT4464 wrote: »

Its not that bad a road guys, wide hard shoulders. you can go 90-100 kph at ease. A few bypasses would do the trick nicely, even upgrade them to 2+2 lanes like at Castleisland.

You can do 90-100km/h at 3am alright. Unfortunately not during the day which is where the problems lie

annfield1978

Project is out to Tender at present via a TII Framework so not visible on e Tenders

marno21

annfield1978 wrote: »

Project is out to Tender at present via a TII Framework so not visible on e Tenders

Is this with the other 20 TII projects?

annfield1978

marno21 wrote: »

Is this with the other 20 TII projects?

Not sure what you mean but this is the framework through which thse projects, when approved by DTTAS/DPER/ TII, are issued for mini bid tender for the planning phases

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders/ViewNotice/209641

marno21

annfield1978 wrote: »

Not sure what you mean but this is the framework through which thse projects, when approved by DTTAS/DPER/ TII, are issued for mini bid tender for the planning phases

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders/ViewNotice/209641

That's what I was getting at; the other 20 or so projects which are at the same stage are currently out to tender too. Thank you for your information

annfield1978

marno21 wrote: »

That's what I was getting at; the other 20 or so projects which are at the same stage are currently out to tender too. Thank you for your information

This scheme is one of the first via the framework. Some larger ones may still come via E tenders.

marno21

https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/376948/calls-for-safety-audit-of-junctions-on-dangerous-stretch-of-limerick-road.html

This is a waste of time.

There are comprehensive dualling plans in the NDP for the N2, N3, N4, N11, N14, N17, N20, N22, N24. The N21 for some reason was omitted from this approach and instead gets relief roads for the two towns along the route, a problem solving technique which has been proven from precedence to be largely ineffective and requires revisiting after a number of years (see Mitchelstown, Loughrea, Kinnegad, Nenagh, Roscrea, Rathkeale, Killarney, Castlebar, New Ross, Mallow, Clonmel, Dungarvan, Longford, Edgeworthstown).

It's also pretty well accepted that the N21 problems, both in relation to safety and congestion, are as bad between the towns as they are in the towns. The Abbeyfeale-Newcastlewest stretch is plagued with accidents and is very very slow with limited overtaking opportunities.

It's an awful pity time is being wasted on these relief roads when the obvious solution is being ignored. Would it happen if there was a Minister for State from a town on the N21 who is currently the Minister for State in the DPER and was previously Minister for State in the Department of Transport? Oh wait

steeler j

Relief roads don't work and never will

marno21

MOD:

TII have appointed consultants for Phases 1-4 for single carriageway (as of now anyway) bypasses of Newcastlewest and Abbeyfeale.

Discuss the individual bypasses in their respective threads and use this one for discussion of the eventual clear need to dual Abbeyfeale-Rathkeale

marno21

The routes were published yesterday for the N21 Abbeyfeale and N21 Newcastlewest bypasses. Given the current environment, these types of bypasses will likely be prioritised for delivery in the NDP. Small in relative terms, with great benefits for both towns. These two are to go to ABP in 2023 and the earliest the M21 can start is early 2024.

This leaves two sections of the N21 in Limerick as legacy road:

9km of single carriageway between Rathkeale and Newcastlewest

13km of single carriageway between Abbeyfeale and Newcastlwest including the village of Templeglantine.

IMO, the 13km further west would be the more important upgrade should these go ahead, with the village, the relatively narrow section between Barnagh and Abbeyfeale with limited hard shoulder. The 9km section further east is wide and has hard shoulders, and very straight along its length.