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State of roads in Cork City

who_ru

I was struck by how bad some of the roads are in cork city while driving around it recently. I have to say that it gave me the impression of a city uncared for. That might sound over dramatic but it really was an eye opener. I don’t think I’ve driven on worse roads in a major town or city in the country. It’s in stark contrast to a lot of the stories I read in the media about how cork is on the rise, there are some impressive developments underway no doubt, but the road surfaces tell a different story.

McCurtain street’s road surface is very rough, although I accept a lot of work is going there at the moment but it really is awful. Along St Patrick’s Quays, heading towards the turn for Heineken brewery is a very poor surface too. But worse was to come when I drove the north ring road which can only be described as appalling.

I really had thought that the local authorities should be doing an awful lot better, particularly if they are trying to push the city as a tourist destination. I live in limerick city, a blow in, but the roads here are far better. Where the roads were in very poor condition the local authority has resurfaced them by and large. This does not seem to be happening in cork at all.

I like Cork city but it was disappointing to see how poor the roads are in some areas.

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TheBoyConor

Gotta love all the armchair civil Engineers here. lol.

"spreading a layer of tar" on roads every spring? Tar? good luck trying to stop in the wet with that. And tar has very very little strength in iteself, it is just a binder.

I think people very massively underestimate the amount of work or sheer expense that renewal of a road entails. It is expensive work.

They also underestimate just how hard it is to get any bit of funding from the Government to do any piece of work. It is very difficult and applications for worthy pieces of work are very very often declined.

Manholes are certainly not plonked into roads at "random" locations. Sure, it would be desirable to have them all off road, but that is rarely possible for multiple reasons: congestion of services, a need to intercept a sewer or duct at a particular point, land ownership or consent, wayleave or access issues, and any number of other constructability issues.
Having said that, you can be sure that there are probably many instances where better locations could have been chosen.

You will find that for many roads or areas which are in the worst condition, there are plans often being advanced for complete renewal incorporating improved facilities and public realm enhancement, rather than just resurfacing.

It would be profoundly wasteful to resurface a road only for it to be ripped up and totally regenerated and enhanced 2 - 3 years later. As I said, resurfacing a road is very very expensive business and those euros are very difficult to come by.

Just because a road is very poor, does not mean it is being ignored or that the authorities can't be bothered. There is a lot going on behind the scenes, and indeed, under the road surface, that the average road user has not got any insight into.

And at the end of the day, it really comes down to money. There are many conflicting demands, with everyone insisting that theirs is the the most urgent of urgent cases and local authorities have to prioritise as best they can. It would be great if Ireland were like the UAE or Saudi Arabia and had an bottomless bank account to revamp every boreen and highway to a modern standard. But that simply isn't the case and they have to deal with budget realities.

Again, having said that about the realities of funding, there are things that could be done much better

j8wk2feszrnpao

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Just because a road is very poor, does not mean it is being ignored or that the authorities can't be bothered.

Actually, that’s exactly what it means. If it’s in a very poor state, then it’s the councils remit to have it repaired.

TheBoyConor

It is of course. But design, planning and procurement of a contractor do complete the works is not done overnight. It is a complicated process especially when it is part of a wider enhancement of the road rather than just a relatively straightforward but still very expensive resurfacing. That doesn't even account for the delays and frustrations brought into the mix by serial objectors and the like. And it would be extremely wasteful to resurface a road while a wider remodelling is in the planning stages only to reconfigure it completely a year or two later. And if that was done, there are those pundits who would complain about that too and about how wasteful it was.

efanton

Potholes in Cork are not a new phenomena

We have them so big in places that people can actually swim in them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ylsTz2DgXc

We have roads never designed for the traffic they carry. The N20 is currently at 120% of it capacity, and yet we hear arguments against building a M20.

TheBoyConor

I would not be in favour of building more or bigger roads. You build roads, you simply invite more cars in to clog the place up.

efanton

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I would not be in favour of building more or bigger roads. You build roads, you simply invite more cars in to clog the place up.

When there is no public transport provision for areas outside of Cork city, increased numbers of cars is an inevitability whether a motorway is built or not.

You argument makes no sense whatsoever, when there is no alternative to using a car.

corks finest

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Gotta love all the armchair civil Engineers here. lol.

"spreading a layer of tar" on roads every spring? Tar? good luck trying to stop in the wet with that. And tar has very very little strength in iteself, it is just a binder.

I think people very massively underestimate the amount of work or sheer expense that renewal of a road entails. It is expensive work.

They also underestimate just how hard it is to get any bit of funding from the Government to do any piece of work. It is very difficult and applications for worthy pieces of work are very very often declined.

Manholes are certainly not plonked into roads at "random" locations. Sure, it would be desirable to have them all off road, but that is rarely possible for multiple reasons: congestion of services, a need to intercept a sewer or duct at a particular point, land ownership or consent, wayleave or access issues, and any number of other constructability issues.
Having said that, you can be sure that there are probably many instances where better locations could have been chosen.

You will find that for many roads or areas which are in the worst condition, there are plans often being advanced for complete renewal incorporating improved facilities and public realm enhancement, rather than just resurfacing.

It would be profoundly wasteful to resurface a road only for it to be ripped up and totally regenerated and enhanced 2 - 3 years later. As I said, resurfacing a road is very very expensive business and those euros are very difficult to come by.

Just because a road is very poor, does not mean it is being ignored or that the authorities can't be bothered. There is a lot going on behind the scenes, and indeed, under the road surface, that the average road user has not got any insight into.

And at the end of the day, it really comes down to money. There are many conflicting demands, with everyone insisting that theirs is the the most urgent of urgent cases and local authorities have to prioritise as best they can. It would be great if Ireland were like the UAE or Saudi Arabia and had an bottomless bank account to revamp every boreen and highway to a modern standard. But that simply isn't the case and they have to deal with budget realities.

Again, having said that about the realities of funding, there are things that could be done much better

Reality is no planning whatsoever goes into our road repair etc,no sooner down than eir,gais,etc are digging it up again,,,,,, having lived all over the world,I reckon bar India, Africa republic of IRELAND is the pits at housing) roads/ hospitals/ schools

s1ippy

Complete this survey to inform research about walking in the city:
https://cacsss.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dm97ekoBfiuxv6d

I'm not affiliated with the study, just really want them to get lots of feedback because a lot needs to change in Cork in terms of pedestrianisation, cycling and use of cars.

Personally I think the Paul Street is an obvious candidate for restricted access. You can install bollards that go down for tradespeople at the points with the green dots in the map I drew below, allowing access for deliveries etc only on that section of town. It will improve the flow of traffic around the city considerably and make it safer for pedestrians.

The Marina is another place that should definitely be keep free of cars.

Cork Trucker

https://twitter.com/padraigosull/status/1265040709305974792?s=20

Cork Trucker

Height restricting barriers needed here.

https://twitter.com/CorkTruckDriver/status/1266297687344734209?s=20

ofcork

Cork Trucker wrote: »

I written to the council about it numerous times on twitter, no joy

The only road resurfacing ive seen done lately is in ringaskiddy by shanbally as the road falls apart from the hundreds of trucks up and down.

opus

I took a walk to the An Post delivery office in Churchfield yesterday to collect a package & couldn't help but notice these on the footpath leading into it. What are they expecting, a lightening panzer attack

ofcork

No our cultural cousins would park up there!!!

Cork Trucker

ofcork wrote: »

The only road resurfacing ive seen done lately is in ringaskiddy by shanbally as the road falls apart from the hundreds of trucks up and down.

And it’s going to get a heck of a lot worse.

Cork Trucker

opus wrote: »

I took a walk to the An Post delivery office in Churchfield yesterday to collect a package & couldn't help but notice these on the footpath leading into it. What are they expecting, a lightening panzer attack

As ofcork says, our cultural cousins and nice camped out on those footpaths on their mobile dwellings. Been like that for 15/20 years now and the cost to remove them is circa. €112k

opus

Cork Trucker wrote: »

As ofcork says, our cultural cousins and nice camped out on those footpaths on their mobile dwellings. Been like that for 15/20 years now and the cost to remove them is circa. €112k

Don't doubt that cost, to say they're solid defenses is an understatement!

Cork Trucker

opus wrote: »

Don't doubt that cost, to say they're solid defenses is an understatement!

Here's one of the articles

https://www.echolive.ie/corknews/Threat-to-block-the-road-to-Apple-over-a-delay-in-removing-unsightly-concrete-bollards-1a1fb2e2-7a16-4b3b-8acc-874c9c273d80-ds

City Hall director of environmental services Valerie O’Sullivan has said it may cost as much as €112,000 to remove them.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

So is there just no usable footpath at all on that road?

Cork Trucker

Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »

So is there just no usable footpath at all on that road?

The footpath on the opposite side of Kilmore Road is unhindered. In the industrial estate there’s no footpath to accommodate wheelchairs and buggies. They must go onto the road. It’s a very dangerous place up there where the dump is as well, a literal dump but not a landfill.

Look up John F. Connolly Road on google maps as well as Kilmore Road Knocknaheeny.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

It looks absolutely dreadful.

Cork Trucker

There’s chicanes further up the road as well. It’s like that forever really, the bollards actually improved things believe it or not.

efanton

opus wrote: »

I took a walk to the An Post delivery office in Churchfield yesterday to collect a package & couldn't help but notice these on the footpath leading into it. What are they expecting, a lightening panzer attack

Unfortunately anywhere that provides free grazing for a pony, enough space to park a caravan, and is relatively close to amenities will inevitable by occupied by the traveller communities. If there is not grass verge its unlikely the travellers will use it as an illegal halting site.

I would prefer the council spent money on expanding the size of, and improving the services, at official halting sites, and dealing with the issues of pony ownership. If the councils is not going to set up a scheme where their is grazing provided, or an affordable way for travellers to purchase their own paddocks and grazing land, then they should enforce the law and impound the ponies and keep doing it unitl the issue is fully addressed one way or another.

Rather than put concrete obstacles up ,I think the councils should consider removing that grass verges completely, when they have been previously used for pony grazing. If there is no grazing available the there will be no ponies.
Use the extra space to put in cycle lanes or widening the road to enable dedicated bus lanes to be constructed, it seems to me to be a far better use of council funds that blocking paths and verges so that absolutely no one can use them. It would also reduce the constant cost of mowing verges.

corks finest

opus wrote: »

I took a walk to the An Post delivery office in Churchfield yesterday to collect a package & couldn't help but notice these on the footpath leading into it. What are they expecting, a lightening panzer attack

There years to keep illegal caravan parking away

Cork Trucker

corks finest wrote: »

There years to keep illegal caravan parking away

The ones in that particular photo are there since 2004/5. At one point there was a security hut/barrier there to stop vehicles other than those designated to companies in there from entering, with a security guard on duty 24/7

ShamoBuc

A real pity they didnt have a 2 foot deep 2 foot wide concrete trough with a foot or two encased with earth on top with low growing plants. Something of that order could surely have been done with a pillar or two every 10 foot, that would have grown into something nice rather than an eye sore.

Cork Trucker

ShamoBuc wrote: »

A real pity they didnt have a 2 foot deep 2 foot wide concrete trough with a foot or two encased with earth on top with low growing plants. Something of that order could surely have been done with a pillar or two every 10 foot, that would have grown into something nice rather than an eye sore.

If you’ve seen the local €5 million halting site that was purpose built then nothing is sacred.

Rhys Essien

https://twitter.com/irelandticker/status/1270362931323113477?s=21

Cork Trucker

Rhys Essien wrote: »

https://twitter.com/irelandticker/status/1270362931323113477?s=21

Praise the lord! I’m tweeting the city council for over a year about it

leahyl

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Praise the lord! I’m tweeting the city council for over a year about it

Does this include the very dangerous loose paving across the way from the Flying Enterprise by the River when you come over Nano Nagle bridge? Where on Grand Parade are they talking about? Didn't think it was too bad there?

Curb Your Enthusiasm

leahyl wrote: »

Does this include the very dangerous loose paving across the way from the Flying Enterprise by the River when you come over Nano Nagle bridge? Where on Grand Parade are they talking about? Didn't think it was too bad there?

Grand Parade is dreadful. Esp the roadway directly outside the English Market. Potholes and poor, random patching everywhere.