N8/N25/N40 - Dunkettle Interchange [open to traffic]

I never made any reference to that article.

Any time I travel from west of Cork city (Bandon etc) towards Limerick and vice versa, the N40/JLT/DKI/M8/R513 features as the either the optimal route on Google Maps, or in second place by 2 or 3 mins compared to the twisting dirt track that is the alternative. Combined with my preference for the M8/R513 vs the N20 it's certainly my route of choice, and I know others who feel the same. If the N40 ring road, a stated objective of TII which incorporates the Cork NRR, were ever to be completed, I wouldn't need to go anywhere near the DKI. Similar, to address your question, there must be a large number of people heading from the N25 to points west of the city who could take a northern arc rather than a southern arc based on traffic conditions and time to destination.

The South Ring section of the N40 is currently at capacity and further upgrades are challenging to say the least and unlikely to improve the situation. It is also a massive single point of failure. Completion of the NRR can only relieve both of these issues with knock on effects for traffic coming from the N25 and other inbound routes.

The only other possibility to alleviate the current capacity constraints is to build an outer southern bypass and rename this as the Southern section of the N40, and reclassify the SRR as a southern distributor. But I'd suggest that as the N40 ring road including the NRR is a higher priority.

Nearly got my bonnet flattened by a large tractor making a last minute dive across from the left lane of theN40 to the M8 as I was heading to the N25 in the righthand lane.

Judging by the cacophony of horns from following vehicles after I hit the brakes other drivers were not impressed by the tractor drivers stunt either.

There really needs to be repeated large markings on the N40 indicating that the M8 is only accessible from the righthand lane.

They have responded again

"Thank you again for your email… below.

A full review of signage in the Dunkettle area is taking place in relation to the use of “Cork” and/or “City Centre”. We expect that this review will be completed over the coming period and any necessary changes will then be implemented.

Thank you again for bringing this item to our attention and matters will hopefully be progressed to a satisfactory conclusion over the coming period."

Me too, about the signage for the M8 on the N40 which indicates the M8 is accessible from both lanes of the N40, resulting in some drivers making a last minute dive across lane 2 of the N40 after they exit the tunnel.

roadconstruction@ccc-site.com

Yeah, but Google Maps has always been pretty crap as a navigation app. It's usually the last to get updated any time a road opens.

If the signage was correct, this would be okay, but it's not, so it makes the problem worse.

The most important instruction is "Use right lane for Dublin". I think a two panel "All other routes | Dublin" gantry would be the clearest and safest option. Everyone else has a chance to move lanes, but Dublin traffic is kind of screwed if it emerges from the tunnel in the left lane.

Its just pure bad driving there thesedays. People forcing the merge, people tailgating in the overtaking lane. Result: crashes.

How the merge atvRathcoole on the N7 is done, it ain't rocket science

N7

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pbNuXhERCkNCtLNw8

I think it might help by forcing people to continue on the merge lane due to the barrier separating the lanes. There's still a long merge opportunity without the barrier. I'm not sure there's the same amount of room at the Bloomfield Interchange but it might help.

The issue at Bloomfield is there are 2 lanes from the N28 running parallel to and unseperated from the N40 with chaotic merging onto the N40 from both.

The 2 N28 lanes should be merged into one while separated from the N40 by a barrier, like on the N7 near Rathcoole. It is only after the emerging of the two N28 lanes should the resulting single lane be able to merge with the N40.

Only having one lane merging, a la N7, should reduce the present chaos which is resulting in the current high rate of crashes in the area.

Two separate merging lanes a couple of hundred metres apart is still one too many, considering the volume of traffic on the N40. Is it not better to merge the two on the N28 into one and have just one merge onto the N40.

I do know it’s only one lane the whole way from the roundabout at Rathcoole, I was only mentioning that location as an example to demonstrate how it is done in a better way than simply plastic bollards which don't survive for long.

Back in 2007 I'd say it got a bit interesting.

There is a school of thought that says to make roads safe, make them feel dangerous. Maybe they were ahead of their time back in 2007!

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/to-make-roads-safe-make-them-feel-dangerous/386336/

and Mahon