threeball wrote: » Any Limerick to Cork motorway should not follow the current N20 but should instead follow the tipperary waterford road and merge with the m8 at cashel. The road could then in time continue to waterford taking in carrick on suir, clonmel etc. The N20 is quite sufficient as is if the trade and visting traffic were routed away towards mitchelstown/cashel. this would then mean you could get round the country from any major city/town to any other with relative ease.
JCX BXC wrote: » I dread to think of the nightmare that would be the Kinsale road roundabout. Would the route be any faster than just travelling the current N20?
ricimaki wrote: » There was another thread discussing this point a while ago. A traffic survey of the N20 route found that most of the traffic is commuter, not city to city traffic. I agree that the N24 route does need upgrading, but the N20 is a much worse route with more traffic on it. Mallow, Buttevant and Charleville will all have to be bypassed eventually, so its better to incorporate it into the one scheme. The N20 route would also be shorter for inter-city traffic.
Isambard wrote: » what?
Isambard wrote: » the Dunkettle interchange is planned (at some stage) to be upgraded and no doubt that would be included in the scheme.
JCX BXC wrote: » Constructive. I meant the Dunkettle interchange, but of course anyone who really wanted to discuss anything would have guessed that immediately.
Isambard wrote: » meanwhile word is that rebuilding the railway station roundabout in Mallow is imminent to allow re-designation of lanes to help the traffic flow. Not exactly good news for the hoped for M20 but needed all the same.
KC161 wrote: » The M20 will most likely be a Lego type project, built in stages.
Isambard wrote: » . The section south of Mallow isn't too bad and just had miilions spent on it.
Reputable Rog wrote: » The section south of Mallow is very poor and is at capacity, just because they resurfaced it does not make it a good road.
marno21 wrote: » Mallow - Cork should've been dualled from day 1. No idea why it was built as a massively wide SC. At least the existing road will be used for the motorway.
marno21 wrote: » I was on the road a good bit last week and it actually feels worse every time you drive it. Between the Ballybeg bends, the bends around Lisballyhea, Buttevant and Charleville towns, and what I find surprising that they don't mention more, the section between the southern end of the Croom bypass and O'Rourkes Cross. The cross section of the road along this stretch is very narrow, and there's severe bends between the Croom BP and Banogue, which are only slightly less twisty than the Ballybeg bends. You'd nearly **** yourself at times when you're going southbound and there's a truck coming against you. It's barely upto the standard of a regional road in parts. Between the number of deaths last year, the amount of people who use it and complain about it, I'm baffled at times that it's such a political non issue. Next year you can drive from Tuam to Patrickswell on a motorway/high quality DC and then at Patrickswell you're carted onto a twisty botharín as you transit towards the biggest city on the Atlantic Corridor. Hopefully between Martin likely being next Taoiseach and Coveney being a possible FG leader, it'll become more of an issue and be sorted. It's scandalous it hasn't been sorted yet. Especially with the continued expansion of Cork Port and Foynes Port, and the need to rebalance the country's economic growth towards the second and third cities.
Isambard wrote: » Another benefit of building the M20 would be taking many trucks and other traffic off the truly awful N73 (to the M8 Mitchelstown). It wouldn't remove Rosslare bound traffic, but Dublin bound vehicles would use the M20 M7 route no doubt. (for me the difference is only 10km) The N73 is a dreadful road, and the N72 to Fermoy is little better
Shane Ross wrote: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. As I have indicated previously, I have agreed that TII can proceed with some early activities related to restarting planning for the upgrade of the Cork to Limerick link. As Minister I have to work within the capital budgets available to my Department and in this context additional funding will be needed if the project is to be progressed further. I will review the scope for advancing work on the Cork to Limerick link once the planned Review of the Capital Plan is completed.
Shane Ross wrote: As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
Shane Ross wrote: I have agreed that TII can proceed with some early activities related to restarting planning for the upgrade of the Cork to Limerick link.
Shane Ross wrote: I will review the scope for advancing work on the Cork to Limerick link once the planned Review of the Capital Plan is completed.
Shane Ross wrote: As Minister I have to work within the capital budgets available to my Department
The Irish Times wrote: Minister for Transport Shane Ross will be granted one of his main demands for entering government, with the reopening of a Garda station in his constituency set to be announced within weeks. The Independent TD pushed for the reopening of Stepaside Garda station in the Dublin Rathdown constituency. A review of all closed stations was included in the government deal he concluded with Fine Gael.Such is Mr Ross’s anticipation of the decision that he has prepared leaflets, understood to include pictures of him in the surrounding housing estates, welcoming the station’s reopening.
Isambard wrote: » It's not about Cork City and Limerick City infrastructure, it's about infrastructure for people travelling to those Cities and beyond. It's an essential link for us, as it stands I am about an hour from the nearest motorway access and I'm in the very north of Co Cork. Much of Kerry and West Cork will be much further still away from the network. We need this link, not just for commuting but also for trade and tourism.
Isambard wrote: » It's not about Cork City and Limerick City infrastructure, it's about infrastructure for people travelling to those Cities and beyond.It's an essential link for us, as it stands I am about an hour from the nearest motorway access and I'm in the very north of Co Cork. Much of Kerry and West Cork will be much further still away from the network. We need this link, not just for commuting but also for trade and tourism.
pigtown wrote: » I get why this is said and I was very much in agreement but I've realised that no one has said why it's essential. I get the theory that it will increase trade but have any studies been undertaken to prove this? Do we know if it will be detrimental to Limerick as the smaller city? By how much will tourism to Kerry and Cork be increased? It's easy to assume that a new road and faster connections will be a great asset but I'd like these decisions to be made with cold hard facts, and the businesses that would be affected, positively or negatively, to be fully aware of the implications.
