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N22 - Macroom to Ballyvourney (Macroom Bypass) [open to traffic]

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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    If they’d said “Coolcower to Millstreet Road” I’d believe them, but as you say, there’s no way to link the bridge at Carrigaphooca to the existing N22. The Millstreet Road (R582), on the other hand, is right on the western edge of Macroom, and has a junction onto the new road: just being able to get from there to Coolcower will free up the town centre enormously.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,964 ✭✭✭cantalach


    That would work well for Cork-bound traffic but not for Killarney-bound traffic. Vehicles coming down the R582 from the new junction would then have to turn right at the Millstreet Cross onto the current N22. That would be a cluster you-know-what. In theory, the Killarney-bound traffic could be diverted from the new junction via Clondrohid to Ballymakeera. But I think there would be a lot of pushback from the local community at the unplanned imposition of all that traffic on them for a year or more (bias: I have family there).



  • Registered Users Posts: 14 Ballincollig Blow In


    As a regular user of that road, it’s great to see a new bit of progress every time I’m on it and I can’t wait to never have to see Macroom tailbacks or the bends after Ballyvourney ever again 😁

    I think it will defo be more of an advantage and time saving when heading to Kerry? Once you will hit the start of the bypass at Coolcower, you’ll have two lanes all the way to the top of the county bounds? And then very decent wide road all the way to Killarney practically.

    Any “Driving Miss Daisy” types as I call them tipping away at a steady 60km/hr will only hold you up to that point and you can make your progress and pass them, which will be relatively short (I’m talking about between end of Ballincollig bypass and start of the new bypass of Macroom)

    Whereas going to Cork, you’ll make some gains up to Coolcower, but after that, you’re again at the mercy of “Driving Miss Daisy” on the crappy 80km/hr section that they’re not doing, and you could possibly be behind them all the way to the Ballincollig bypass 😕



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭KrisW1001



    It would be a temporary measure, in place for at the very most 12 months, and I can’t believe it would be less convenient for westbound traffic than the current option of using Main Street in Macroom. Remember that the main reason it's so hard to turn right for Killarney from the Millstreet road right now is because you have to wait for a gap in the high volume of traffic from Cork that had to pass through Macroom. With that small section of the new N22 in place, the number of cars east of the Millstreet Road into Macroom will be much, much lower.

    The disadvantage is that the Millstreet Road itself will temporarily get congested, but again, this would a short-term measure, and any congestion is still an order of magnitude better than what's there now.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,963 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Just quoting my own post from last year about time savings. Worth a look given the discussion at the moment.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,964 ✭✭✭cantalach



    Yeah, I see your point that it should be easier to turn right at that T junction. Most of the cars coming from your right will be turning to their left, with few continuing on straight into Macroom. Very true. But this assumes that they have indicated correctly, thereby enabling you to pull out. And it requires a leap of faith that an approaching car with its left indicator on is actually going to turn left. I tend to trust an indicator in a situation like that but many don’t…perhaps once bitten twice shy. As herself likes to say, there is no point being in the right but dead.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Most of the roundabout at the eastern end is complete with tarmac down on most of the approaches along with paving for the roundabout elements.

    Itll be interesting to see when they start moving road works to the current N22 which will have to be cannibalised to finish this junction (same as east of Ballyvourney where the roundabout that’s half finished requires breaking up the active lanes to finish it)



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Picture of the eastern terminal roundabout from last weeks Corkman. Photo is taken facing east



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Signage up at Coolcower now warning of severe delays for 4 weeks commencing Monday coming with a stop go in place. Presumably theyre going finishing the tie in of the new roundabout to the existing road network.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3 Road paver


    It will take a while longer than 4 weeks I'd say



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  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,963 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Its 2+2, there won't be hard shoulders.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    Coolcower to Millstreet Junction looks to be only 3-6 months away from completion. I'd say there's a decent chance of it opening before the end of the year, as rumoured. As I've said a few times, even if they put down traffic cones and ran one lane of traffic each way at 60km/h it would still be preferable than driving through Macroom town centre.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Agreed with all that. The area around Coolcower is so far ahead of the rest of the scheme now it can’t be a coincidence.

    The fact that they’re working heavily on the tie in at the eastern end is a massive plus too. No reason for them to be putting a roundabout on the existing N22 if it’s not going to be needed for 18 months.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,457 ✭✭✭dmeehan


    Latest public notice re Upcoming road works at Coolcour on the Cork approach to Macroom: http://www.n22bbm.ie/n22bbm-fogra-poibli-public-notice-2/


    TLDR:

    "Online roadworks to construct the new junction between the existing N22 and the new N22, at the Cork end of the scheme at Coolcour, Macroom, are being carried out from early May until Friday 3rd June, using Stop/Go traffic management."



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Latest footage from DroneHawk


    Taken over this weekend. Remarkable progress since the turn of the year.

    I reckon it’s time to start talking about the when and how regarding a sectional opening



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,533 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Is there a definitive list of the number of entrances/exits on the bypass, or is that simply marked on the bypass map route and I'm reading it wrong?



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    There’s an exit at the Millstreet Road (R582), on the Ballymakeera-Clondrohid Road and at the western terminus with the existing N22. Roundabout with the existing N22 at the eastern end. No at grade junctions along the route and no junctions at the 2 locations the new road crosses the existing route (which will become the R608).



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  • Registered Users Posts: 34 FreedomOfSpeechAndChoice


    Does that mean that at the western end, the existing N22 will flow seamlessly onto the new DC?



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21




  • Registered Users Posts: 34 FreedomOfSpeechAndChoice


    Great. Although OSM currently shows it as a roundabout under construction.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,533 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Thanks Marno. So unless I'm misunderstanding you, that's three exits for 22 kilometres of road? Tbh I assumed there'd be a lot more.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    OSM is incorrect here; the underbridge part of the grade separated junction is already built.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Two exits really as the western junction is really a terminal junction connecting the old N22 through Ballyvourney to the new route. The only other junction you could argue for would be a Macroom West junction at Carrigaphooca but the terrain around here is tricky for one.



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  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Western junction diagram



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Some detail on the new Toonlane junction east of Ballyvourney

    Roundabout interface with the existing N22 to be built in Q3.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,457 ✭✭✭dmeehan


    Where did you get this diagram from, I'd like to see this detail for the other junctions



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,963 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Thats handy, thanks. I thought I looked for an EIS ages ago but couldn't find one. That detail is something thats been missing from this scheme.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,720 ✭✭✭serfboard


    That's great, thanks very much for posting that. I too had assumed that OSM was correct.

    When you combine the Western end with the existing 2-3km of dual carriageway that's already there, it means that travelling West, after Coolcower, you'll have, what, 25km of dual carriageway? At a constant 100km, that's a 15 minute journey. Probably halving the time it takes now. Fantastic.

    Post edited by spacetweek on


  • Registered Users Posts: 34 FreedomOfSpeechAndChoice




  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    2 lanes of road rather than dual carriageway, technically

    There’s approx 3km of climbing lane between the western terminus and the Kerry/Cork border near Christy Lucey Transport at the top of the hill. Add this to the scheme and you have 25km of twin lane road between Coolcower and Kerry, ideal for overtaking trucks, tractors, and trundlers. You can do this at the speed limit in 15 mins



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,963 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    The only thing we urgently need is a 3 lane motorway (has to be motorway) bypass of Glenflesk. Its unfair to expect drivers to slow down to 60kmh for all of a few hundred meters. We need a motorway there and a trumpet junction AT THE VERY LEAST.

    https://goo.gl/maps/Ti2GRbCJPi2cYZyk8



  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭confidentjosh


    🤣 You're hilarious Chris. A 3 lane motorway bypass for Glenflesk???? I'd love to know what you're smoking? 😂



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Tarmac down on both sides of the road now as far as the Coolyhane Rd underbridge. That’s 2.3km of the route tarmaced now. It’s about 5.5km from Coolcower to Millstreet Road.

    Post edited by marno21 on


  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Corrected my earlier post, it's actually 5.5km from the eastern end to Millstreet Road. 2.3km of this has tarmac down, they are getting ready to lay the tarmac at Coolyhane Upper which is 3km from the eastern end and the concrete gullys are down at Kilnagurteen which is 4.8km from the eastern end. They're also flat out at the westbound on/off slips at Millstreet Road.

    Nearly time to start taking guesses on when Millstreet Rd-Coolcower will open at this rate

    (For reference, last week tarmac was down on both sides of the route for 800m and on the left hand part of the route for a total of 2.3km - its now fully tarmaced for 2.3km).



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,533 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Thanks for all the updates Marno, very interesting to read. Do you reckon they'd really open Millstreet Road - Coolcower first? Would that not cause huge backlogs back the Millstreet Road with all the people coming off the new road?



  • Registered Users Posts: 4 bypasser


    The pavement layer being laid at the moment is called CBGM (cement bound granular material) and is now complete from Coolcour to Coolyhane Underbridge - this layer has to "cure" for 7 days before the blacktop layers of road base and binder course can be laid on it. The pavement makeup consists of 5 different layers = 150mm thick layer of Clause 808 stone, 170mm layer of CBGM, 85mm layer of road base tar, 55mm layer of binder course tar with the last layer being a 30mm thick layer of SMA wearing course tar. The laying of blacktop will commence from Coolcour heading west from late next week with the crew continuing to lay CL808 and CBGM from Coolyhane Underbridge to Ballyveerane and onwards.



  • Registered Users Posts: 44 peter.teahan




    As far as Millstreet / Rathmore traffic coming from Coolcour would be concerned this would be their new road complete as they would just head off to the right and only what's left for say Ballyvourney bound would head left back onto the existing N22.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    As most traffic between Rathmore/Millstreet to Cork already uses a rat-run via Masseytown Rd and the Mill Road to avoid Macroom town centre, this will have an additional benefit for people living along the northern edge of the town.

    I really don't think that bringing N22 traffic as far as the Millstreet Rd junction will cause any significant backlogs on the Millstreet Road itself: Joining N22 from the Millstreet Road right now, your biggest delaying factor is the long wait for a space in the stream of traffic coming from Macroom itself. Opening the new road will dramatically reduce that stream, and make that right-turn (for Kerry) much quicker it is at present. Coming the other way, it's a simple left turn.

    In any case, whatever traffic there it does cause would be a temporary situation, lasting for a year at most – and as compensation, the town itself will be freed from its appalling traffic problems a little earlier.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,555 ✭✭✭kub


    I have just seen a post by the Principal contractor of this project in LinkedIn

    There is a picture of the road with very long section of it already with a layer of tarmac on it.

    What I am wondering is, is there not a concrete barrier going along the middle of that road ?

    Or does that get put on after the tarmac, just I would have assumed the concrete barrier would go first due to it needing a solid grounding



  • Registered Users Posts: 829 ✭✭✭DumbBrunette


    No, the N5 is the exact same, barrier to go down after:




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,963 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    2+2 roads like this have a wire barrier, not a concrete one. That gets drilled into the tarmac layer afterwards.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    Here's an example:




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,555 ✭✭✭kub


    So more of The Mallow Road cheese graters, is this just a cheap alternative to the proper concrete ones on Motorways ?



  • Registered Users Posts: 210 ✭✭highwaymaniac


    The wire rope has been replaced by a steel barrier - see example picture from N4 Collooney Castlebaldwin.




  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Tarmac down now as far as the eye can see past the Coolyhane Overbridge, which is 3.4km from Coolcower by my estimate. That leaves 2.1km to go to Millstreet Road.

    The next overbridge for visibility is Kilnagurteen which is 4.7km from Coolcower and 800m from Millstreet Road. At this rate they’ll have gone past that bridge within 2 weeks.

    They are absolutely motoring.



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 14,459 Mod ✭✭✭✭marno21


    Notice from the contractors about works at Coolcower:


    From now until June 24th: works continuing offline with minor traffic management required

    From June 27th for 2 week: traffic restricted to one way flow controlled by flag men and traffic lights 24/7 5 days per week

    From July 11th til October: daytime stop go systems in place.

    That 2 week period from June 27th on will be absolute Armageddon at peak times.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭KrisW1001


    The tie-in works on this were always going to cause total mayhem at Macroom, two weeks isn’t so bad. I notice an advance warning sign has been set up on N25 advising people to divert via N20 if possible, but it gets a bit lost in amongst all the other signage for the Dunkettle upgrade.

    But, I wonder is that schedule also a hint that the Eastern section will open in October..?



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