M28 - Cork to Ringaskiddy [advance works pending; 2024 start]

blindsider

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121810630#Comment_121810630

No idea Marno...doesn't seem very effcient to to it that way, but...who knows?

KrisW1001

The single is a short online upgrade through a built up area. It's possible that potential bidders simply told TII that they'd rather do just the new motorway build, and leave the town road to a smaller contractor that specialises in urban works.

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814841#Comment_121814841

Has the planned route changed ? The drawings I saw showed the single carriageway protected road scheme as an entirely new route through “green fields” in its entirety (i.e. from Barnahely onwards)

KrisW1001

My mistake. I had thought it was an upgrade of the current road.

DylanQuestion

I think the only online upgrade is between the N40 and Carr's Hill. I think the old road will be downgraded then (probably as an extension of the R609) and be a more active friendly route. I imagine those wishing to get from Carrigaline to Cork who can't go on motorways (e.g. learners) will use that road

DylanQuestion

As part of the upgrading of outdated signage across the city, the N27, R641 and N22 were updated, as well as roads approaching them (mostly swapping "Cork" for "City Centre", "Rosslare" for "Waterford" and "Airport" for "Cork Airport". I was surprised today to see that the N28 signage on the Maryborough Hill slip road has been upgraded. The sign originally said "Cork" and has been there since the area probably didn't have any houses. Now that it is fully part of Cork City, the signage has been upgraded to say "City Centre", still using N28. I didn't expect this to happen since it will be M28 soon. All the signage on the N28 remains the same, and there has been a lot more tree feeling on the bloomfield section of the road/the Rochestown Rd on ramp

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121814260#Comment_121814260

The tender process for the main contract (which involves construction of 10.9km of dual carriageway motorway from the N40 Bloomfield Interchange to Barnahely) happened towards the end of last year. Unless they scrapped that and there will be another tender for Barnahely roundabout to the port, then the funding has to be for the Bloomfield - Barnahely section.

Leatra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817777#Comment_121817777

That may be where the M designation will terminate, if the road north of it isn’t to motorway standard.

DylanQuestion

While that’s possible, that slip road will be closing with the motorway. I’m not complaining (I’m delighted, it was so outdated before), just confused why they went to the effort when there are so many sings all over Douglas, Rochestown and Grange that still use N25

blindsider

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121818070#Comment_121818070

Thanks Pete. I'm getting information 3rd hand, and I don't work in the civils/transport/planning field at all.

Just hurry up and build the road, lads!!! :-)

kub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121817777#Comment_121817777

That slip road was an after thought after the Mulcon Valley section was built, if memory serves me correctly I think that slip was commissioned in the mid to late 90's, this would have been after Broadale was more or less completed.

DylanQuestion

There is a City Council road alert stating that the northbound hard shoulder will be closed until August 30th to faciliate advance works at Carr's Hill

I wonder if there will be a list of numbered junctions for the new road like the N40 was given in 2012? If I was to guess, it would probably be something like

J1 Bloomfield Interchange

J2 Rochestown Road

J3 Mount Oval

J4 Carr's Hill Interchange

J5 Shannonpark Interchange

J6 Shanbally Interchange

J7 Barnahely

J8 Loughbeg

J9 Ringaskiddy

KrisW1001

Normal practice for Type 1 DCs says that there will be, and that they will be numbered from Cork outwards, as you have them listed.

AugustusMinimus

IMO, there needs to be another junction between Carr’s Hill and Shannonpark for a relief road to take traffic from there to the R613 and also have a junction with the Ballinrea Road.

The motorway will add even more stress to the R611 which is already at breaking point.

Limerick74

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121827884#Comment_121827884

9 junctions in a 12.5km scheme. Don’t think you could physically fit another one in tbh

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121830388#Comment_121830388

Of course you could. Plenty of space between the 2 junctions I’ve mentioned.

Cookiemunster

We're way passed the point of discussing junctions. That boat has long since sailed.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121830673#Comment_121830673

Certainly too late now. They’ll be talking about it once this scheme is complete though.

KrisW1001

Nine juctions in 12.5 km is about five too many already. This is claimed to be a motorway, but it will end up having slightly more juctions per km than N40, and twice as many per km as M50.

marno21

I don't think there's any justifiable reason to add in another junction to this motorway tbh. It'd be too much of a distributor and turn into the N40 then.

But of the 9 junctions, only 1 non terminal junction is an all movement GSJ.

Of the 9 (Only 7 are actual mainline motorway junctions):

Two are terminal motorway junctions (Bloomfield trumpet and the Barnhely roundabout)

One is a slip road into a housing development

Three are partial GSJs (Rochestown, Shanbally & Shannonpark)

One full GSJ at Carrs Hill

I wonder will there be scope for ramp metering here, especially at peak times if there's many shift changes happening at once, to protect Bloomfield?

DylanQuestion

I still can’t believe the Mount Oval slip road was allowed. The current slip road is so dangerous, going from 100km/h to 30km/h on a tight bend. I imagine the new one will be a lot safer, but still. How many motorways in the country have off ramps to the middle of a housing estate?

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121832242#Comment_121832242

Are they keeping this?

I thought it was to be done away with.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121832255#Comment_121832255

Residents campaigned and won to keep it. A crazy decision all told.

A more sensible idea would have been to build a new entrance / exit onto Maryborough Hill as part of this build.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121832299#Comment_121832299

An odd one. I thought motorway engineering standards made such junctions/off-ramps impossible.

Cookiemunster

With the short distances between junctions and the junction types, this will more than likely be a 100km/h limited motorway

DylanQuestion

Mount Oval is just an off ramp and I believe Carr’s Hill, Shannonpark and Shanbally are grade separated so I don’t see why at least some of it can’t be 120km/h

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121833597#Comment_121833597

Because the junctions are too close to each other. And such a short stretch of motorway won't have multiple speed limits.

spacetweek

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121832531#Comment_121832531

Only hearing this now! Travesty. You’re right, junctions like that aren’t usually allowed on motorways.

DylanQuestion

I wonder have they identified in the detailed design a new merge onto the N40. Obviously trees were going to be felled to accommodate the new road regardless, but they’ve felled trees all the way up to the Rochestown gantry sign, including behind the hotel. Seems excessive based on the original drawings?

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121855504#Comment_121855504

That’s to accommodate a whole new M28 to N40 West movement. A new viaduct is to be built over the Rochestown Road to accommodate this.