M28 - Cork to Ringaskiddy [under construction; 2028 completion]

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122558206#Comment_122558206

Yeah, from that it looks like motorway restrictions will only begin 800m southbound and that seems to be the Irish way of doing things (look at Dunkettle). Openstreetmap seems to be the authority on what is a motorway and what isn't (based on a road being inescapable, or that every road inexcorably leading to a motorway being a motorway) so I reckon they'll have a field day with the M28 and the knot of slip roads floating around.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122560237#Comment_122560237

Don’t get hung up on trying to assign a route number to every link road in an interchange: it just doesn’t work like that. Unlike UK practice, the Irish road-numbering system prohibits one stretch of road from carrying two different route numbers. From that, you can reason out that in an interchange with shared links, the shared link roads cannot belong to any route.

OpenSteetMap is not in any way “authoritative” - its route-colouring algorithm just colours links red if they can lead only to a motorway, but those slip roads are actually not under motorway restrictions. The “start-of-motorway” sign is placed at the point where motorway restrictions begin - before that point, you are not on a motorway.

marno21

Post on SkyscraperCity that the eastern phase of the M28, the 1.5km of single carriageway from Barnahely to the port, will commence in late October

Main contract remains on track to start in early 2025

EDIT: From Seamus McGrath's FB page as below

• Works commencing in mid October 2024 for a duration of 20 months
• Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd are the main contractors
• 1.5km of single carriageway Protected Road from the R613 at Barnhely to the east of Ringaskiddy village, incorporating two terminal roundabouts and an intermediate roundabout at Loughbeg Road. Also includes a shared ped/cyclist underpass at Old Post Office Road.

Mr.CoolGuy

Yep, Seamus McGrath has a more detailed update on his Facebook. That section expected to take 20 months

AugustusMinimus

having had to drive to Carrigaline yesterday on the old N28 I am now doubling down on the single interchange with Carrigaline being the huge Achilles heel of this scheme.

Even with the current N28 delivering single lane traffic flow to Carrigaline, the R611 cannot handle the traffic flow at peak times with traffic backing out onto the Shannon Park roundabout and blocking traffic flow.

The M28 will concentrate peak time traffic entering Carrigaline even more so. I suspect it will result in huge traffic queues backing onto the M28 travelling southbound each and every evening. Not sure what can or will be done about this.

Chris_5339762

Agreed. This scheme should really have snuck in a proper western bypass of Carrigaline into it to distribute traffic around the city. That one junction is going to be very bad and there really is nothing that can be done about it save proper public transport, which we just can't seem to do.

There should be a tram going to the airport and across to Carrigaline.

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122707027#Comment_122707027

Your last sentence is what I was thinking as I read your post. I'm not sure what can be done.

I've heard people say it's officially the most car-dependent town in the country, it seems like they need to pour money into other modes. As much as I love cycling, that greenway's not a realistic proposition for a lot of Carrigaline commuters. I believe it's also the only town in the country above 16k people that won't have rail? NTA really need to get involved properly now, because their N28 investment will quickly be overrun.

DylanQuestion

The R609 is about to become a very dense corridor, and I assume the current N28 will be renamed as the R609. The R609 has a huge opportunity to add cycle lanes, even a tram line to Douglas and onto the City Centre. Hopefully they don’t mess it up..

marno21

If there's nothing moving on a tram connecting Ballincollig, the two colleges, CUH, the city centre, the Docklands and Mahon, there's absolute zero chance of a Luas anywhere near Carrigaline. It's just not going to happen.

Busses and cycling, big time.

snotboogie

Not to derail but a tram to Carrigaline got a one line mention in the all Island Strategic Rail Review:

It's the largest town in Ireland without a rail line planned, the topography and presence of the N28 means that it's far easier to connect (at least to Douglas) than the Airport. In the current climate it seems far fetched but if we ever do get serious about public transport, some version of Carrigaline-Douglas-City Center would be one of the most logical next up light rail routes in the country.

Chris_5339762

I dread to thing what the "longer" term actually is when the current Cork Luas is in the "long" term and seems to be not moving at all.

Anyway, back to the M28. Looking forward to seeing it starting; but dreading what the inevitable 60kmh limit on the N40 will do around the merge point.

blindsider

Coffey's are clearing this site for a compound - looks big enough….this is at the eastern end of Ringaskiddy on the southern side of the road

Aerial view

mydiscworld

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2024/1016/1475678-lidl-plans-new-200m-regional-distribution-centre-in-cork/

The company is to seek planning permission for the new facility at Wallingstown in Little Island.

This certainly won't help the East Cork traffic if granted

Chris_5339762

An accident of some sort has closed the N28 today, chaos across the south of Cork. Currently jammed from the Kinsale Road roundabout back to the tunnel. And its not even rush hour yet.

blindsider

Carr's Hill northbound was closed at 4:30pm. Douglas was not great as a result….:(

Mr.CoolGuy

Does anyone know what current election hopefuls were involved in the M28 Steering Group? I know Jerry Buttimer was a member of it and quite vocal in supporting them. I think Micheál Martin attended meetings but I'm not sure if he was necessarily supportive of them. (For what it's worth I have no problem with politicians attending events/meetings like this because they should be aware of all concerns)

But I'll have a few words for those who outright supported them, like Buttimer, when they call to my door.

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726597#Comment_122726597

Its reopened now, so was closed from about 11am through to about 830pm. One of the worst days for traffic in Corks history I think. Imagine if it had happened yesterday with that rain thrown in.

I am so sick of commuting.

cantalach

You have to wonder about how long it takes in these kinds of incidents for Gardaí to gather whatever evidence they need and then get the affected road reopened asap. It sure as Hell doesn’t take 9.5 hours to reopen major arteries in other countries after a 2-vehicle collision! I hope that doesn’t seem unsympathetic to those directly involved in the collision, but the chaos today probably affected 10-20,000 people and there clearly wasn’t enough urgency.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.irishexaminer.com/property/commercial/arid-41321884.html

“The wider Moneygourney area is where MO’S just this week revealed plans for a 580-unit development, to be accessed from Carr’s Hill/Carrigaline Road via a new bridge as the M28 route unfurls.”

Anyone know what this new bridge is and how it aligns with the M28? Does it somehow link the current N28 with the Maryborough Hill?

cantalach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122729963#Comment_122729963

Given where Moneygurney is, it certainly sounds like the site falls between the existing N28 and Maryborough Hill. But it’s difficult to know what the bridge might be because there’s nothing to bridge over.

Edit: I didn’t notice at first that the story was from Feb. That 580-unit scheme was granted permission last month and they’re already started construction. The site lies to the west of the M28 and the existing N28. The bridge goes over a stream/watercourse.

http://planning.corkcity.ie/AppFileRefDetails/2442632/0

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122729963#Comment_122729963

Confusing headline. The Murnane & O'Shea Limited development isn't in "outer" Moneygourney, "wider" Moneygourney or anywhere else in Moneygourney - apart from a very small sliver it is actually in Castletreasure (other side of the N/M28), immediately South of the Cairn development (Bayly). The site consists of a number (not all) of the ploughed fields in the following map and the woodland to the right. The existing N28 is clearly visible. The site runs right up to the M28 CPO boundary. The bridge will run from the site to Carr's Hill, similar to the "new" bridge on Woodland Drive further North. It will be located about 100m North of the fork at the top of Carr's hill, opposite the three bungalows that are on the right as you head down the hill - I've roughly indicated the site of the bridge in yellow. There will a further bridge crossing the stream further South as part of the Ballybrack Cycle Scheme.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CaEGup8vnBbA8xo47

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727160#Comment_122727160

Very good point.

There were a number of discussions about this earlier in this thread if you fancy trawling back. It was also mentioned in post #1262 in this thread:

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057734629/should-the-m28-cork-ringaskiddy-motorway-be-built-project-approved

Adrian Kavanagh currently lists the following candidates for CSC:

Cork South-Central (5 seats):

 Deputy Micheál Martin (Fianna Fáil), Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Féin), Senator Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael), Cllr. Séamus McGrath (Fianna Fáil), Cllr. Úna McCarthy (Fine Gael), Cllr. Shane O’Callaghan (Fine Gael), Cllr. Laura Harmon (Labour Party), Cllr. Pádraig Rice (Social Democrats), Mick Finn (Independent), Anna Daly (Aontú), Monica Oikeh (Green Party)

Buttimer was 100% against the M28 as proposed by the NRA/TII/CCC and an ardent support of the self styled "M28 Steering Group"

Martin didn't say much but attended a number of the events organised by Harrington and his "M28 Steering Group". His PA and loyal side kick Mary Rose Desmond, who wouldn't blink without his assent, was a vociferous supporter of the "M28 Steering Group" attending and being photographed at many of their events and this could be taken as a clear indication of where Martin's support lay, while allowing him to remain aloof. As always, there is almost noting on the record with which he can be confronted…..

The McGrath brothers as with so many issues, did a two faced thing in order to please everybody, on the one hand saying that an improved road was extremely necessary for the hard pressed long suffering residents in their Carrigaline fiefdom, while at the same time that the voices of the residents needed to be listed to attentively and their views taken on board. In other words saying everything and nothing as is typical.

I'm not aware of any of the others listed as candidates having taken a stance on the matter.

The above mentioned were complicit in the absolutely pointless 3 year delay in the road proceeding. Not one CSC politician was openly or vocally in support of the M28. Of course as I've said before that won't prevent any of the claiming the credit or turning up for Fanta and buns when the road is opened.

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727845#Comment_122727845

As with yourself, I am hugely conscious that a person was very seriously injured in the crash and I really hope they recover and that the injuries are not life changing etc so thoughts go out to them.

However I do think the Guards have serious questions to answer about what happened on Wednesday. They fully closed Bloomfield access to the N28 but that also took out the possibility of aaccessing the Rochestown Road. That caused absolute chaos and led to the bizarre scenario of forcing traffic coming through the tunnel to go as far as the Kindale Road roundabout to either loop around and try to take one of the Douglas W or Douglas exits or exit through Turners Cross/City Link to take the Douglas or South Douglas Roads or go up through Frankfield etc. There appeared to be no reason whatsoever to not let cars access Bloomfield exits but then be prevented from going onto N28.

At the same time, there wasn't a Guard to be seen at any junction whatsoever to try to help traffic flows - Well Road jct, Douglas W exit, Skehard Road jct etc etc. Meanwhile the twitter posts, including the Guards own post, simply said N28 closed, use alternate route without any suggestion whatsoever as to what the alternative might be.

I appreciate this was an unusual scenario, but I thought that was what contingency planning should be, by definition, planning for...?

blindsider

Not strictly M28, but I understand that works to improve the 'streetscape' in and around Ringaskiddy is starting next week. Might mean more disruption for those going to the NMCI, public park, Haulbowline and the Crematorium.

Hibernicis

November M28 update from the amazing Dronehawk

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xxHop_MPYr0

marno21

The embankments through and west of Raffeen Quarry are remarkable. Great to have such major earthworks done before any main contract commences.

Going by the eastern 1.5km on the video this is effectively under construction now

Hibernicis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122851453#Comment_122851453

The embankment looks great and logically it makes sense to get the major earthworks out of the way as early as possible, especially if fill is available. However I'm glad to see it completed for another reason. There has been a cloud hanging over Ballyhemiken (Rafeen) Quarry for quite some time. As he slammed the door on his way out, after accepting defeat in the Judicial Review and the subsequent failed appeals, the leader of the 10,000 ranted about a potential poisoned pill. You'll remember that despite all the grandstanding that the objectors did about the proposed M28 dividing communities, quality of life, impact on Rochestown etc etc, the grounds for the judicial review and later appeals related most solely to the quarry and the quarrying licences/permissions. Harrington claimed that the plan to supply 50% of the fill required for the project by re-opening the quarry for extraction was in breach of the original quarrying permission (predating the M28 plans) as the amount to be extracted was the total amount permitted over the life of the quarry, and that the permission allowed for this quantity to be extracted evenly over the multi-decade life of the quarry. He contended that extracting the full amount in one or two years as was now proposed was a significant material breach of the original quarry permission and that no new permission had been applied for or granted. In his final rant there was a sweeping "we will be watching and won't fail to consult with our legal advisors" threat and I've always worried that this could re-emerge in the form of an injunction when the quarry reopened. Looks like it's too late for that now and that extraction is well underway and the risk has passed proving once again that he was nothing other than a pompous, cantankerous, egoistical and totally ineffectual windbag, who cost the taxpayer an awful lot of money and ended up with nothing to show for it.

sonnyblack

One would hope that all these advance groundworks will shorten the overall build significantly when it starts next year

annfield1978

Any word on whether the Construction Tender has been awarded yet?

blindsider

DroneHawk's latest video - focusing on the 'last mile' single carriage-way road from Ringaskiddy to the M28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itrgj9CPJCg