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N4/N5: How should they be developed?

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Comments

  • #152
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Ren2k7 wrote: »
    I remember hearing a while back about a possible cross country route from sligo via cavan to dundalk. As someone who used the cavan to dundalk stretch a lot I can tell you it's badly needed.

    You did indeed, it is mentioned in other threads.It was a proposed Sligo-Dundalk road 'via' Cavan. Pete Cavan then excises that border hopping road and also the N4 from Mullingar to Carrick on Shannon and proposes to extend the M3 in between them instead. These traffic stats are related to that border road proposal I think.

    However we have done the N5 quite extensively in this thread and the fact is that it only carries something like 5000 vehicles a day across Roscommon and east Mayo as far as Swinford...thereafter to Westport is busier.

    There is no justification for HQDC on that eastern part of the N5 as in zero as in zip. None at all.

    Once the N5 and N4 join then something approaching HQDC may be justfiable THEREAFTER to Mullingar and Westip has made an excellent case for doing so in Carrick on Shannon not in Longford and abandoning the current N5 across Roscommon to an R road...in the main.

    2+2 could be considered on the N5 only in extremis but best build hybrid 2+2 and offline single ( widen it out from single to 2+2 for 5km every 20km so you can dodge the doddery micra driver and then back to single again. The Charlestown bypass could be retrofitted as 2+2 it is so wide.

    If you build offline single and stop the locals from building country and western lounges, tractor dealerships and the like along its length then you can widen it in future. Not protecting such an alignment would be criminal. I would do the same with the N21 and N22 , mix 2+2 and s2 offline and ruthlessly protect the alignment.


  • #153
    Pete_Cavan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,699 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    Jayuu wrote: »
    I can't really agree with this idea. Given the upgrade of the A5 in the north to DC standard it would seem to me that it makes more sense that the M3 be routed to meet this north of Monaghan which would give Derry a proper DC quality link to Dublin and justify in some way the construction of the M3.

    It would make a lot more sense to continue the N3 to Sligo, not Monaghan. For Monaghan traffic and traffic coming from the North using the A5, using the M1 is a much more direct and much faster route to Dublin with Castleblaney and Carrickmacross bypassed. Extending the M3 to Monaghan would just add a lot of time and distance to the journey by bringing Monaghan and Northern traffic south-west towards Cavan while the M1 is less of a journey as the crow flies.
    Jayuu wrote: »
    I also think that the N5 improvements could be done starting now even given our restricted financial situation as they wouldn't be massive costs involved. The N4 could be worked on in tandem.

    Why bother with improving both of these roads when, again, they take a very indirect route to Dublin. Doing constant small improvement works and the odd bypass is not going to improve things in the region. Just build a new N5 to Castlebar but route it almost due west from Longford, running to the north of Ballyhaunis and to the south of Knock airport. This would be a lot shorter than the existing N5. Then downgrade the existing N4 and N5 to R roads, which better reflects their condition, and let the county council maintain them.
    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    2+2 could be considered on the N5 only in extremis but best build hybrid 2+2 and offline single ( widen it out from single to 2+2 for 5km every 20km so you can dodge the doddery micra driver and then back to single again. The Charlestown bypass could be retrofitted as 2+2 it is so wide.

    2+2 would be good enough for the N3 and N5 I am describing. Bear in mind that it will be at least 10 - 15 years before these projects could progress to construction in which time all the other major roads projects would be completed. At this stage spending money to improve the roads in the part of the country which has the poorest network could be justified. You may say there is not the volume of traffic to justify 2+2 but the only way to spark investment and development in this part of the country is to build proper roads there.

    This is my view for the primary road network in the west and border region. Note the Atlantic Corridor is not shown but the new N3 and N5 would tie into this.


  • #154
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    Then downgrade the existing N4 and N5 to R roads, which better reflects their condition, and let the county council maintain them.

    Barring the north-of-Castlebaldwin section, the N4 is one of the most consistantly high quality single carraigeway N roads in the country and also has DC sections at Roosky and in to Sligo (HQDC there). Its nothing like the N5!


  • #155
    marmurr1916
    Registered Users Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭marmurr1916


    The link from the M1 to the N2, along with improvements to the N2 will probably go ahead at some point - whenever's there's money!

    But I can't see your proposed road from the M3 to Sligo ever being built, or the other road.

    It's most likely that the NRA will develop the N4 as dual carriageway (a mixture of 2+2 and HQDC) from Mullingar to beyond Boyle, and from Castlebaldwin to Sligo.


  • #156
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    They're not going to leave a 10km gap between Boyle and Castlebaldwin either ;) (I expect you meant that, just it reads like two distinct stretches with a gap left)


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  • #157
    Ren2k7
    Registered Users Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Ren2k7


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    It would make a lot more sense to continue the N3 to Sligo.

    The N3 already serves a large town, Enniskillen. The existing alignment is fine but i see your point about the N5. If its ever upgraded the NRA will probably realign it in a similar fashion to what was done with the N6 past Athlone to Galway.


  • #158
    Jayuu
    Registered Users Posts: 740 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    Don't want to go off topic here and talk too much about the M3 but I really don't agree with an N2 link to the M1. All that will do is push all the old N2 traffic into the same corridoor as the M1 with potential for problems at the end of the M1/M50.

    If the M3 was going to be extended as far as Cavan anyway then the distance between there and the A5 at the border is actually less than the distance between the A5 and the M1. It would be better to create an alternative route into Dublin for this traffic that pushing it all onto the M1 and it makes the M3 a far more useful route.

    Actually I don't think either route will be built in the near future but I'd hate to see no improvement on the N4 which needs it now for the sake of some future possible M3 project.


  • #159
    veryangryman
    Registered Users Posts: 5,528 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    Jayuu wrote: »
    Don't want to go off topic here and talk too much about the M3 but I really don't agree with an N2 link to the M1. All that will do is push all the old N2 traffic into the same corridoor as the M1 with potential for problems at the end of the M1/M50.

    Wow - one bottleneck. For the sake of the money saved by doing the N2-M1 link, they could use whats spare to sort out the junctions.

    Even if they didnt, and it added an extra 5 minutes at M1/M50, who would care. You could have the Derry and Belfast routes covered at such a reduced cost. Id sooner sit 5 mins in traffic than be paying for this through the nose in tax.

    The N3 idea is not a runner IMO. Its already DC for too far and hopefully the voting public will realise this and vote pokerface Dempsey out come next election.


  • #160
    Chris_5339762
    Registered Users Posts: 5,848 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    The M1 will not be linked to the N2 as then everyone will avoid the M1 toll. Its not going to happen, and is the sole reason why the Slane bypass still isnt being pushed.


  • #161
    Pete_Cavan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,699 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    Jayuu wrote: »
    Don't want to go off topic here and talk too much about the M3 but I really don't agree with an N2 link to the M1. All that will do is push all the old N2 traffic into the same corridoor as the M1 with potential for problems at the end of the M1/M50.

    A short section of the M1 is currently being upgraded to 3 lanes at the Dublin end and this can continue to be upgraded. The M3 coming into Dublin is by no means the ideal approach into the city. The M1 approach will require upgrading anyway so makes more sense to upgrade the M1 approach to accommodate N2 traffic then it does to redo all the work currently being done on the M/N3 approach in a few years time to accommodate N2 traffic.
    Jayuu wrote: »
    If the M3 was going to be extended as far as Cavan anyway then the distance between there and the A5 at the border is actually less than the distance between the A5 and the M1. It would be better to create an alternative route into Dublin for this traffic that pushing it all onto the M1 and it makes the M3 a far more useful route.

    The M3 may be closer to where the A5 meets the border then the M1 but to link the A5 and M3 you would have to bring the traffic south-west towards Cavan, adding a lot to the journey. As the crows flies, the shortest (and cheapest to construct) route from the border to Dublin is via Castleblaney, Carrickmacross and Ardee and onto the M1.
    Chris_5339762 wrote: »
    The M1 will not be linked to the N2 as then everyone will avoid the M1 toll. Its not going to happen, and is the sole reason why the Slane bypass still isnt being pushed.

    The M1 toll is south of Drogheda and Ardee so the N2 could be linked to the M1 through the N33 at Ardee and traffic travelling to Dublin would have to pay the toll. Makes a lot more sense to improve the short stretch of N33 between Ardee and M1 then to improve the N2 from Ardee to link with the M2 at Ashbourne. The M2 is the most pointless motorway in the country and should never have been built.


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  • #162
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    Jayuu wrote: »
    Would seem to be a fairly sensible route in that it necessitates only one crossing on the Shannon and avoids the railway line. It would be great to see this project completed as Carrick-on-Shannon is a major bottleneck on the N4. Are there definite plans to build this or is it just a case of bringing it to the design stage?

    I travel the N4 quite a bit and TBH, this plan looks great but I cannot see it getting high up the priority list, Carrick on Shannon can be a bottle neck but the traffic does not go through the town centre anymore, and the real hold ups tend to be when there is flooding of the road between the Tesco Roundabout and the second roundabout coming in from Dublin, and if that road is flooded there must be weather bad enough to say don't bother driving!On the whole the N4 is now a pretty good route, I think the priority on the route has to be the DC from Longford to Mullingar, and long term to Carrick, but that said passing through Carrick as a bottle neck does not fill me with the kind of depression one would have approaching Enfield a few years back.

    Ren2k7 wrote: »
    I remember hearing a while back about a possible cross country route from sligo via cavan to dundalk. As someone who used the cavan to dundalk stretch a lot I can tell you it's badly needed.

    .

    Yesterday I had to travel back to the northwest from Drogheda and took the cross country - route - Slane, Kells, Cavan, Belturbet, Derrylin, blacklion (via Florencecourt), on to Sligo on the N15. My god it made me angry about the promise for a cross border route from either Newry/Dundalk to sligo as promised in the programme for Government. The new DC from Kells to just short of Virginia is a massive fillip but the N3 approaching Belturbet and the border remains one of those roads I must put on the to be avoided at all costs list. Its a death trap - and it doesn't help when a horse trotting rally/meeing is allowed to use the road for a meet on a Sunday afternoon (yes only in Ireland would a national route be allowed for this kind of shenigans).

    On the N4/5 debate I stick with the idea of develop the N4 to Carrick (although I can't see the Dromod Carrick section happening too soon) and throw in a link road to the N5 across north roscommon (less pavement to be laid and avoids the Tulsk issues), but man oh man - that cross border route is important - for the North and for the North west, it was promised in the programme for Government but very little has been done. For the kind of journey I undertook yesterday I would be quite happy to drive to Dundalk and take a left to cross the country on a safe border straddling East-West axis route - Indeed this route could have been the solution for dublin bound (and Dublin Airport bound traffic in particular) for Monaghan/Cavan/Leitrim/Donegal/Fermanagh/Tyrone/Derry an indeed Sligo - as the primary route to Dublin. It should have been the priority to fill in the grid system on our national road network instead of harking back to the radial routes from Dublin (ie following the old route plans), alas the powers that be just wanted to try and get a motorway to everytown and county and Dempsey wanted three motorways to his county.


  • #163
    saywhatyousee
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭saywhatyousee


    i travel the n4 quite a bit
    i think it is a decent enough road except for small parts. The changes i would make are
    HQDC from castlebaldwin to sligo
    By pass carrick
    the rest is fine i think castlebaldwin to colloney is a dangerous death trap
    and needs the be sorted immeditaly


  • #164
    marmurr1916
    Registered Users Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭marmurr1916


    MYOB wrote: »
    They're not going to leave a 10km gap between Boyle and Castlebaldwin either ;) (I expect you meant that, just it reads like two distinct stretches with a gap left)

    A good part of that stretch was improved in the 1990s with climbing lanes added on the hilly sections, bends removed etc. I don't think it's going to be upgraded to 2+2 because of the hilly nature of the terrain and the fact that the 1990s upgrade has given a v. good quality road, with sufficient overtaking opportunities (except for the very impatient!).


  • #165
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    Jayuu wrote: »
    Don't want to go off topic here and talk too much about the M3 but I really don't agree with an N2 link to the M1. All that will do is push all the old N2 traffic into the same corridoor as the M1 with potential for problems at the end of the M1/M50.

    .

    The M1 is under utilised for its capacity. M1/2/3 north south axis should all have been on the same axis corridor. M2 or HQDC of the N2 is totally unnecessary - steer all the traffic to M1, makes sense and fully utilises the M1. Most Irish motorways bar the few miles of radial routes into dublin and the M50 at peak times are totally underused in terms of capacity.

    this thread though is steering off topic from N4/5 to M3/2/1 so perhaps the conversation should take place elsewhere.


  • #166
    Pete_Cavan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,699 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    Ren2k7 wrote: »
    I remember hearing a while back about a possible cross country route from sligo via cavan to dundalk. As someone who used the cavan to dundalk stretch a lot I can tell you it's badly needed.

    Extending the N3 as I described (via Cavan, Carrick-on-Shannon and on to Sligo) along with the Leinster Outer Orbital Route (Navan to Drogheda section) would basically cover this border route. The LOOR has a good chance of being built, although unlike in the next 10 years. Extending the N3 to serve Cavan, Leitrim and Sligo, with a combined population of 150,000, would make more sense then having two national primaries to serve the region.


  • #167
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    Extending the N3 as I described (via Cavan, Carrick-on-Shannon and on to Sligo) along with the Leinster Outer Orbital Route (Navan to Drogheda section) would basically cover this border route. The LOOR has a good chance of being built, although unlike in the next 10 years. Extending the N3 to serve Cavan, Leitrim and Sligo, with a combined population of 150,000, would make more sense then having two national primaries to serve the region.

    Pete I wouldn't disagree with you nor would many others - trouble is no one with a nouse of sense was ever involved in the planning of these routes. A grid system of national motorways or HQDC's should have been the plan from day one:

    East - West route straddling the border (to serve North west and north) - on an an across and down route to dublin or across and up route to Belfast.

    East - West rout on the N6 - done.

    East - West "loop" route running from Limerick to Thurles and Carlow with spurs to Cork and waterford - would have delivered good connectivity with less road pavement laid.

    connect up the ends of each of these east west axis with north south axis either side of the country.

    It would have meant a lot less road pavement and delivered a more equal motorway system to the entire country - no one would have been more than a 40 minute drive from a DC system that would link the entire country. Yes routes would not have been as direct but traffic management woudl have been perfect.


  • #168
    Ren2k7
    Registered Users Posts: 1,161 ✭✭✭Ren2k7


    TBH, I don't think the govt has the stomach to go about overhauling the national roads network. The Dublin centric National Primary Routeways will probably remain as the template for any future dc/motorways despite if more sensible route alignments are suggested.


  • #169
    Neworder79
    Registered Users Posts: 607 ✭✭✭Neworder79


    "The Taoiseach, who was accompanied by officials of the Department of Transport, told the deputation that both the Longford bypass and the Ballaghaderreen bypass would go to construction in 2011....In relation to the 35km stretch between Scramogue and Frenchpark — another key concern of the Mayo Industries Group — he said that an environmental impact study would be a priority"

    Mayo industries group met with the the Taoiseach again last week to discuss the N5 following the expansion announcement by Hollister in Ballina. If those two schemes do survive the budget it will probably be the last we'll see on N5 for a long time.

    http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/32538


  • #170
    Sponge Bob
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Neworder79 wrote: »
    "The Taoiseach, who was accompanied by officials of the Department of Transport, told the deputation that both the Longford bypass and the Ballaghaderreen bypass would go to construction in 2011.... If those two schemes do survive the budget it will probably be the last we'll see on N5 for a long time.

    Yep, until they accept Westtips plan to go straight from Ballaghadereen to Carrick on Shannon.


  • #171
    Pete_Cavan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,699 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    I remember seeing on etenders last week that the consultancy contract for the Longford bypass has been awarded.

    http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT177441

    They are only at prequal stage for appointing consultants on the Ballaghaderreen Bypass.

    http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=OCT177355


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  • #172
    marmurr1916
    Registered Users Posts: 2,091 ✭✭✭marmurr1916


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    Yep, until they accept Westtips plan to go straight from Ballaghadereen to Carrick on Shannon.

    It makes no sense to have the N5 starting at Longford, especially given the archaeological complex at Rathcroghan near Tulsk.

    It would be much better to start the N5 either at Carrick on Shannon, roughly following the line of the R370 or at Boyle, roughly following the line of the R361.


  • #173
    Tech3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭Tech3


    Drove the entire length of the N4 last week and have to say it is one of the better N roads in this country. Carrick-on-Shannon was ok passing by but I can imagine this is the most congested bit of the N4. The worst bit of the whole route is from Cloonamahon-Castlebaldwin where the road is narrow single carriageway with dangerous bends.

    When I passed this stetch it has crosses erected along it to symbol the deaths this part of the N4 has caused over the past few years. It's also part of a campaign to get this stretch upgraded promto:



    White crosses on N4 mark rising death toll of road




    N4crosses.jpg




    White crosses have been erected on the notorious stretch of the N4 between Castlebaldwin and Cloonamahon to highlight that there have been 29 deaths on the road over the past 40 years.

    The wooden crosses were put up along the road side on Sunday morning by members of the N4 Action Group, which has been campaigning for the past three years to have the stretch upgraded.

    Action group member Bernard Mulhern said that they had erected the crosses to highlight to drivers just how dangerous the road is.

    “Already the feedback we are getting is that traffic has slowed down.

    “I think it has had a spine-chilling affect on motorists. People are shocked at the number of crosses, each of which represents a death, on such a short stretch of road.”

    And he said that apart from the fatalities there were numerous other crashes.

    “They are happening on a weekly, even a daily basis. A lot of them are not even reported. People travelling that road on a daily basis will have had numerous near misses.”

    This 11kms section is the only part of the Sligo-Boyle road which has not been upgraded. That is one of the reasons why Bernard Mulhern feels it is so dangerous.

    “People are coming off very good roads from both ends on to what is a substandard road.”

    He said that they had got permission from families of the deceased to erect the crosses. But he said that out of sensitivity they were not in the exact spot where someone was killed but close to it.

    Those erecting the crosses also cut grass and bushes along the roadside so that the crosses would be very visible.

    “We want to alert people to just how dangerous the road is and get them to slow down.”

    He said that the group wanted to see the road prioritised for upgrading but that in the meantime remedial work should be carried out to the most dangerous parts.

    “That work needs to be done now and a lot could be done for very little.”

    The action group are hoping that their initiative will help save lives by making drivers aware of the danger.

    “If it prevents even one fatality it will have been worthwhile,” said Bernard.


    link


  • #174
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,820 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    tech2 wrote: »
    Drove the entire length of the N4 last week and have to say it is one of the better N roads in this country. Carrick-on-Shannon was ok passing by but I can imagine this is the most congested bit of the N4. The worst bit of the whole route is from Cloonamahon-Castlebaldwin where the road is narrow single carriageway with dangerous bends.

    link
    Strangely, I was thinking about this yesterday (when pondering over various threads that claim that Sligo is the most shafted place on the PLANET)

    The N4 as a whole is pretty high standard. The new longford bypass (of the by pass) though seems to be the most extravagant waste of money proposed by the authorities that be.
    Dangerous sections like Castlebaldwin that have never been upgraded to a decent standard surely must take priority over building a dual carraigeway, to replace a reasonable standard of road, linking the least (Leitrim) and second least (Longford) populated counties in Ireland!!

    Well..... if the road is THAT important, maybe the 10s of millions a year in subsidising a rail Line through the 2 least populated counties in Ireland could be diverted into upgrading the road :D

    BTW talking about low population!
    I never realised that the population of the entire COUNTY of sligo was a mere 60,000 . Only Monaghan or Carlow are lower, aside from Longford/ Leitrim.

    Is the importance of the N4 more a factor of its low numbering then, as opposed to any major importance in linking up ANY centres of population?
    (and i say that half in jest, half brutal seriously)
    Cork/ Kerry/ Limerick have a joint population of 806,000, 13.5 times that of Sligo yet somehow Sligo must have a motorway/ dual carraigeway to Dublin according to the din from that part of the country just like other "outlying areas" do

    Madness


  • #175
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    Strangely, I was thinking about this yesterday (when pondering over various threads that claim that Sligo is the most shafted place on the PLANET)

    The N4 as a whole is pretty high standard. The new longford bypass (of the by pass) though seems to be the most extravagant waste of money proposed by the authorities that be.
    Dangerous sections like Castlebaldwin that have never been upgraded to a decent standard surely must take priority over building a dual carraigeway, to replace a reasonable standard of road, linking the least (Leitrim) and second least (Longford) populated counties in Ireland!!

    Well..... if the road is THAT important, maybe the 10s of millions a year in subsidising a rail Line through the 2 least populated counties in Ireland could be diverted into upgrading the road :D

    BTW talking about low population!
    I never realised that the population of the entire COUNTY of sligo was a mere 60,000 . Only Monaghan or Carlow are lower, aside from Longford/ Leitrim.

    Is the importance of the N4 more a factor of its low numbering then, as opposed to any major importance in linking up ANY centres of population?
    (and i say that half in jest, half brutal seriously)
    Cork/ Kerry/ Limerick have a joint population of 806,000, 13.5 times that of Sligo yet somehow Sligo must have a motorway/ dual carraigeway to Dublin according to the din from that part of the country just like other "outlying areas" do

    Madness

    The N4 doesn't solely serve Sligo, it serves Donegal, Leitrim, Roscommon and parts of Mayo too.

    County Sligo + County Donegal = over 200,000 people alone. There's probably another 50,000 in the catchment of the sections which are to be upgraded to DC.

    Bear in mind that Donegal has *nothing* in terms of other transport. The airport is in a very isolated part of the county nowhere near the population bases; it has no rail line; and even going through another country to get back to the Republic still requires a relatively poor road (A5) and a very poor road (N2 or N53).

    Traffic counts are higher than you'd likely imagine if you think its just for Sligo.


  • #176
    westtip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,282 ✭✭✭westtip


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    Yep, until they accept Westtips plan to go straight from Ballaghadereen to Carrick on Shannon.

    Believe me Sponge this is the only show in town - as the debate long ago I think on this very thread clearly showed Tulsk and the surrounding townlands is a complete non-starter. They lay down less pavement and solve the whole issue of connectivity to the west and northwest from Dublin with the northern link road. I must fish out the letter I got from Fred Barry on it - he certainly did not deny this idea - in fact he referred directly to it as Plan B. As ever with planning in this country when the flabby white boys start making comments - it gets frightening, how we can leave the plannnin of our infrastucture down to the decision making abilities of our politicians is quite beyond comprehension. As that well known irish supermarket says.

    The difference is we're irish. (in fact this supermarket has far fewer irish shareholders than Tesco's - the irish supermarket is owned by one family as opposed to thousands of worker company sharescheme share holders and people whose pension funds have some ownership in Tesco - another aside but......


  • #177
    Neworder79
    Registered Users Posts: 607 ✭✭✭Neworder79


    Despite all the progress of the last 10 years, the W/NW region stands out as the last access blackspot in our national road network. It will likely remain that way for at least the next 5 years as most of the BMW region road projects are on hold or without funding.

    I doubt a new Government will have much to offer with further budget austerity likely to hit capital spending, unless part of a stimulus plan. Latest policy from Fine Gael is an "Adopt a road" scheme to attract private funding, which doesn't inspire much hope.

    An article in this weeks Mayo News shows Mayo Co Co have given up on progressing long planned projects as NRA funding projections look grim. Some minor realignments going ahead but most of the budget now for maintenance.

    http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11962:road-block-for-n5-and-n26&catid=23:news&Itemid=46

    Having a look around online at current project status in Connaught region:

    Probably safe
    N5 Longford bypass Funded, scheduled to commence 2011
    N17 Tuam bypass PPP Tender stage
    N59 Westport - Mulranny Funded 2011 (realignment)
    N5 Ballaghaderreen bypass passed CPO/OH but not on NRA program for 2011.

    Life support
    N5 Westport - Castlebar Design funded 2011, pre CPO
    (Reduced scheme includes Westport northern relief road and Castlebar bypass).
    N17 Tuam to Claremorris Not funded 2011
    N17 Tobercurry - Knock Bypass Not funded 2011
    N17 Colooney - Tobercurry Not funded 2011

    Dead
    N26 P2 Ballina - Bohola Not funded (may as well be Suspended).
    N60 Castlebar - Claremorris Suspended (some funding for realignment)
    N5 Scramoge to Ballaghderreen Suspended
    N59 Ballina Relief Suspended
    N59 Ballina - Crossmolina Suspended
    N84 Ballinrobe Relief Suspended
    N60 Ballyhanus Relief Suspended

    (couldn't find any details on Sligo projects)


  • #178
    Tech3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭Tech3


    This might ruffle a few feathers but why develop the N5? The N17 is more priority as it is part of the Atlantic corridor. Why not invest into the N17 Tuam-Claremorrris project and upgrade the N60 after the M17/M18 is built or during construction?


  • #179
    saywhatyousee
    Registered Users Posts: 1,511 ✭✭✭saywhatyousee


    Tech3 wrote: »
    This might ruffle a few feathers but why develop the N5? The N17 is more priority as it is part of the Atlantic corridor. Why not invest into the N17 Tuam-Claremorrris project and upgrade the N60 after the M17/M18 is built or during construction?

    between colloney and tubbercurry is in bad need of an upgrade,i hate collecting friends and relatives in knock,i feel embarrassed by the state of the road :o


  • #180
    Cosmo Kramer
    Registered Users Posts: 3,989 ✭✭✭Cosmo Kramer


    So despite the shelving of most of the planned road schemes in Leo Varadkar's announcement, it looks like there may be hope for the Ballaghaderreen bypass. Even then, there doesn't seem to be anything definite in terms of timescales for its development, but at least it seems to have jumped the queue a bit. It would at least take away a portion of the misery involved in travelling by road from Mayo to Dublin at present.


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  • #181
    veryangryman
    Registered Users Posts: 5,528 ✭✭✭veryangryman


    Tech3 wrote: »
    This might ruffle a few feathers but why develop the N5? The N17 is more priority as it is part of the Atlantic corridor. Why not invest into the N17 Tuam-Claremorrris project and upgrade the N60 after the M17/M18 is built or during construction?

    Combined demand of Westport, Ballina, Castlebar, Swinford, Foxford and the fact that all have been poo-poo'd for individual bypasses makes it remotely viable. Plus the fact that Taoiseach is from Mayo.


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