It was always the risk with this. There was a good reason to put it there on a tempoarary basis and reap some benefit from the first phase of the project. However once you've give people something it's very hard to take away even if it's for the correct reasons.
This is a mountain/molehill situation. Once it's gone most people will forget it was ever there. Hopefully TII (or whoever is in charge) will hold firm here and not compromise the overall design.
No I just think his ear is full of people from that general area looking to keep it open
Keeping it open with the section west of there open would render the new road a greater safety hazard than the old road I think.
I wonder does Cllr. Ted have some property in the vicinity of Carrigaphooka which would have its value enhanced by local access to and from the by-pass.
His argument about trucks needing access/egress to the by-pass at this point is real spurious.
And so it starts. There is a post up on Macroom notice board on Facebook stating the same thing, and if the comments are anything to go by there will be alot of pissed off people when this roundabout does get removed 😂
Tell me Ted what route will these imaginary trucks be taking? To Glengarrif? They'll at worst come off the Coolcower roundabout, turn left at Hartnett's Cross and not go through the town at all.
Any other trucks going from Cork to West Cork will have exited the N22 way before Macroom.
Right on time the first pile of Counciller approved sludge has appeared in the Independent.
The removal of a roundabout which was installed at Carrigaphooka to enable the early opening of the Macroom bypass could result in the return of heavy goods truck traffic jams to Macroom, a Fine Gael councillor has warned.
Cllr Ted Lucey was speaking to The Corkman this week following confirmation that the N22 bypass will be closed from August 8 until 11 am on August 11 when the bypass, extended to just Túnlán, just east of Baile Mhúirne in the Múscraí Gaeltacht, will re-open.
“My concern is that trucks coming from Cork bound for west Cork will drive through the town rather than come on the bypass to the exit near Millstreet Cross.
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/cork/news/fear-macroom-truck-traffic-may-return-once-roundabout-is-removed-outside-cork-town/a565161188.html
Those who designed the Turlough-Westport bypass apparently ...
Good news that there's less than eight weeks left for that roundabout. I think I've used this stretch of road just six times, but have seen some pretty close shaves at this roundabout on three of those occasions - it appears to be blind for traffic heading west on the old N22. The old-road traffic actually has priority heading west here, but it seems most drivers on the new road don't realise this fact, and just keep driving.
The sooner it's gone, the better.
Thankfully decision making isn’t at a councillor level.
What clown would want an at grade roundabout permanently plonked in the middle of a 2+2 road.
There will be a big clamour for the temporary roundabout at Carrigaphooka to remain I'd imagine, the local councillors will be out in force!
11th of August is the prelim date. To be confirmed but fingers crossed.
A pity, two weeks after the homecoming for the Cork footballers if last weekend is anything to go by so Ballyvourney residents will have to navigate the bends on route to the South Mall
(N22 Macroom bypass will close from the 8th to the 11th to facilitate the removal of the roundabout at Carrigaphooca)
October then for the last 6km
All per Radio Kerry just now.
Second phase of Macroom bypass likely to open in early August
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/cork/news/second-phase-of-macroom-bypass-likely-to-open-in-early-august/a269415039.html
Coming along nicely.
June 2023 DroneHawk Update:
Has there been any updates recently around progress, surely the weather conditions are enabling the pace to be maintained or increased?
Correct - if it can save 1 life get it opened.
If it’s ready to go it’ll get traffic off that horrendous section between Lissacresig and Ballymakeera.
It may save someone’s life.
I don't see the point in opening the carrigaphooka to Ballymakeera section if the whole thing will be finished a couple months later, they are flat out laying the road surface as far as the steel bridge on the western end. With good weather all summer it could be open by September.
Does anyone have any update on the (rumoured) early opening of the next section?
Yes, and it will get rid of that really unsafe temporary tie-in. I’ve only driven this road four times since it opened, and on three of those, I saw a near-miss involving traffic between the old and new roads on that temporary roundabout.
That intermediate section opening would be great as it has by far the bit of road being replaced on the whole scheme.
Yes indeed, Carrigaphooca-Tonn Lain in June/July, the rest later in the year.
Noticiable from DroneHawk's videos recently also with tarmac down on the intermediate section.
My understanding is that this next opening is only to the junction at eastern side of Bailie Mhic Íre.. the final small section out to the Western side of Baile Bhuirne won’t be ready until October.
Doesn't look like it's that close to being ready, as I pass. June would be great.
June, apparently. Oh that’s next month. Hmm.
Any date for when the next section is open
I go down a lot and it is far superior to the N72. The roads are of a decent standard, the only issue is the traffic in the towns which you would also get with N72 and, currently, via Cork/N40.
I have foreign friends who went on holiday in Kerry last month. I told them to go via M8 all the way to Cork then take N22. Driving in a foreign country is stressful enough without having to negotiate small towns too. And it’s not even that much longer in journey time: When the western section of this new road is open, the travel time difference between going via Mallow or via Cork will be only 10-12 minutes or so, but the drive itself will be so much easier.
I don’t know were other people are working these things out from, but using Google Maps: from Dublin Airport to the little park in Killarney where the jaunting cars are is 315 km and 3h21 (best time) via M8, N72 (the shortest route).
If you go all the way to Cork and take N40, N22 to Killarney, then it’s 353 km (+38 km) and 3h36 (+15 minutes) now. You really won’t notice the extra 15 minutes travel time on a journey that’s the guts of 4 hours anyway, but staying on major roads for the biggest part of the journey will mean you arrive far less tired than if you took the “shortest” way.
As for Limerick, I could understand why you’d to that if you were heading for the Dingle peninsula, but I’d never send someone that way for Killarney: it’s no shorter in distance than N72, and you have to go through so many towns and villages after Limerick.
Adare alone is worse than what Macroom used to be.
I'd find the Cork route less stressful outside of peak hours alright. Abbeyfeale, Newcastlewest, Adare versus JLT and Baile Bhuirne.
And soon only JLT, and also soon no more JLT. It will be a much more relaxing journey I think.
