At the Coolcower rounadabout today, good bit of traffic. I'd say 4 cars going the bypass to one going for Macroom.
In my experience, drivers in Italy, Spain and Greece are far more aggressive, seem to feel entitled to drive as fast as they want and willing to risks in overtaking. On single lane roads, I have seen cars driving on the wrong side at high speed for quite a distance, only returning to their side when a car is approaching in the other direction. They will force their way in to a line of cars on the correct side to avoid a head on collision but nearly causing a on their side. For many, their standard position is with their vehicle's wheels on the centre line, if not over it.
In Ireland you get the odd ejit but nothing like the blatant disregard for life I have seen from a considerable portion of drivers in certain other countries.
I actually find driving to be generally very good in Spain, inevitably with a few exceptions (like the 150 kph taxi ride I survived today). The 2022 road fatality stats also show Spain to be amongst the best, along with Ireland, much to my surprise.
Can anyone guesstimate if traveling from Killarney to Clondrohid will actually be quicker using the bypass when it opens? The start of the bypass isn't very far from Clondrohid anyway, although the bypass is obviously much better road.
I’m not following. Even if you exit immediately after Ballymakeera and take the old road to Clondrohid, you’ll still have benefitted from not having to go through Ballyvourney and Ballymakeera.
I meant going from the start of the bypass to Clondrohid via exiting at the Millstreet Road junction. But I actually didn't even think of the exit at the toon lane junction. So I guess now I'm asking what will be the best way to Clondrohid from the Killarney side, exiting at Millstreet Road, toon lane or just using the existing route?
When the full road is opened, if I was travelling from Killarney to Clondrohid I think I’d exit the N22 at Toonlane. That will drop you directly onto the Ballymakeera to Clondrohid road, i.e. the one that goes past Pat Pats (Kellehers) garage. This is 8.4 km. If you exit at the Millstreet Road, you’ve a 3.7 km journey from there back to Clondrohid so any gains on the new road are more than wiped out.
Apparently there have been a number of crashes involving deer on the new road.
https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/gardai-issue-unusual-danger-warning-27639478
There was always deers on the old road, so it was bound to happen with the new road. That should have been considered when they were planning the road
Thanks for that very informative post. I work in the Clondrohid area and had always wondered whether the bypass would actually improve my journey times at all. But I didn't realise I'd be able to exit at Toon lane when coming from Kerry. Should save me three or four minutes in the morning anyway. I'll take it!
How exactly were they the plan for the deer?
10 ft fences either side😯
Animal underpasses are normally used in most countries to allow them traverse under new motorways/roads in rural areas.
A mathematical formula does not kill.
Having travelled on many Autobahn at various speeds - even at speeds that show the fuel needle moving - there is absolutely nothing wrong with speed.
I think what you might be alluding to is that speed while impaired or speed while not concentrating on driving can be dangerous to the point of death - but the convienent soundbyte of 'speed kills' is not correct.
Speed doesn't kill.
Stopping suddenly does.
... there’s the wisdom of someone who didn’t pass their Physics exam in school. Impact force increases exponentially with speed (look up the formula, note the “v-squared” term). The faster you’re going when you crash, the worse your outcome. An impact at 90km/h is over twice as bad as a 60km/h one. You are a superior driver, but that doesn’t stop some idiot pulling out, slamming the brakes or changing lane right in front of you while you’re demonstrating your driving prowess by exceeding the posted limit, and in the inevitable impact, your chance of starring in your own funeral depends on how fast you were going.
It’s not much of a boast to have driven fast on an Autobahn... Even the oldest autobahn stretches are designed with wide lanes, shallow gradients, long sight-lines and curve radii unchallenging enough for a modern car to drive at 150km/h plus. This road, though, is designed with sight-lines, gradients and curve radii safe enough for a modern car to drive at 100 km/h. Don’t believe the urban myth about design speeds being higher than posted limits - it’s not true.
Two recent videos from Dronehawk. First one gives a better idea of the scale of works involved in parts of this project:
Video from Sep 6 on current state of the final stage bypassing Baile Bhúirne:
Wow, what progress! Does anyone have an idea as to when the remaining stretch will be opened?
October 27 based on how long the speed limits are in place:
That article is from Aug 10 but could still be on the money.
More recent drone fly-by from Sep 23
P.S. Keep an eye out for some interesting phenomena from 3.30 onwards
The bird flying laps around the drone?
The cattle doing Michael Jackson's moonwalk.
Hoping to head to Tralee from Waterford in the next 2 weeks and was wondering when will the Macroom Bypass be open.
Already open, as far as east of Ballyvourney. That section is only weeks away from opening as well.
The temporary traffic management orders expire in the last week of October. Make of that what you will...
Latest update from DroneHawk
Simply remarkable. What an incredible stretch of road it now is. Seeing the western tie in as it is now makes it feel very complete.
I strongly suspect that lots of people from outside the area will see such a road upgrade and start asking their local deputies why they have to endure the shite roads around the rest of the country. It would be most welcome.
Agreed.
Mind you, convincing the push bike salesman of this will be like trying to nail a jelly to a rainbow..
"nailing jelly to a rainbow"
I'm stealing that one!
