N5 - Westport to Turlough [open to traffic]

What was said here previously was that it was the expected high volume of traffic using that junction which is why it is a RAB and not a GSJ. I don't see why it would be a particularly high usage junction, only traffic from west of Castlebar looking to access certain parts of Castlebar would use it, for other parts of Castlebar they'd continue to another junction. Anything from east or south of Castlebar would use other junctions too.

I don't think the roundabout is such a big deal. I drove the whole road today and it didn't feel like it held me up much once I was bypassing both towns. Also while the new road was busy I noticed a fair bit of traffic still on the old N5, which is to be expected from the western outskirts of Castlebar and also the fact that the population between this roundabout and the first westport roundabout still has to use the old road as there is no access to the new road for these areas in between.

So the roundabout is probably there to give all 4 roads accessing it the opportunity to slow down but not get stuck in backed up traffic which may happen for cars on the old N5 coming off a GSJ. The roundabout on the Turlough road side is probably there for the same reason.

The main reason for the new road is to improve safety and relieve congestion in the 2 towns and I think the designers knew what they were doing.

Also the relatively new N4 section between Castlebaldwin and Coolooney also has roundabouts along it so it seems it's not unusual to have them on a 2+2.

The old N5 will still have considerable traffic using it, hence the roundabout.

Being able to bypass Castlebar is great.

Drove it yesterday evening to Newport. Fantastic piece of infrastructure. One point, Newport should be signposted from Castlebar via the main road. It’s a faster and safer route. You’re literally at the edge of Westport in minutes. You could almost call Castlebar and Westport twin towns now they are that close.

The moaning online is hilarious. People saying the €250 million should have been “given” to the hospital. That’s not how funding works and I wouldn’t trust the management of the hospital with a bucket.

Also I’m a firm believer in building for the future. Build it and they will come. This new road will hopefully entice more investment and jobs in the area. I live in south Mayo and the upgrading of the Castlebar to Ballinrobe road is a must in my opinion along with the road to the motorway to Tuam via Kilmaine.

The moaners today would have been against the building of knock airport in the 80s.

Yep, but they're still talking about Pee's (and by extension Bev's) great achievement of getting the previous N5 bypass for Castlebar 30 years ago. "They might have been crooked but sure look what they done for the county!" You should try it sometime!

Also,

• Additional 75 bed ward for Sacred Heart home.
• 12 million euro Lough Lannagh leisure complex - an excellent facility IMO
• Signed off a Strategic Development zone (SDZ) status for Knock Airport, which can potentially generate over 4000 new jobs. (unlikely it would have even been considered if he was not Taoiseach)

So yeah he did nothing. And remember the first half of his term was about getting the country off its knees when funding for capital spending was severely curtailed.

Threads here regularly cross over into politics, it seems to be considered entirely acceptable as long as a politician/political party is being criticised.

I didn't even want to post because I've basically written the same thing too many times at this stage, but since others brought it up...

I don't enjoy the near-constant party politics in this forum. I don't have any interest in politics. I don't care whether they're green or FF or FG or anyone. If I was interested in politics I'd be on the politics forum.

The idea that Enda Kenny is a great man for "getting de road done" is equally as sickening to me as Eamon Ryan stopping a road from being done for "reasons". I want tax money spent properly and don't enjoy reading about people abusing it. It's pure backwards stuff as far as I'm concerned.

Probably not surprising. A few weeks after the Tuam bypass opened I saw a car coming the wrong way down an off ramp at the Kilmaine road junction. Some people are just absolutely clueless.

Indeed, and some ancillary work may need to be done to protect people from themselves (and from others).

IIRC, the bollards at this junction of the M18 were installed in response to a motorist ending up on the wrong side of the Motorway. Since they have been installed, the problem has not re-occurred.