Best ever S2 or WS2 scheme completed?

Tech3 · 25-09-2009 11:26pm #1

Ireland has constructed some good single carriageways and wide single carriageways over the last 10 to 20 years. The motorway network is very important but some of the S2's were so badly needed to replace the twisty previous ones. Which would be your favorite based on the junctions, road surface, signage, landscape etc.

My top pick has to go to the N17 Claremorris to Knock which was completed in 2002. It probably has to be the most smoothest surface I have ever driven in this country.

Landscape is ok, I like the cut section of the Knock bypass. My choice is basically down to the most comfortable drive on a S2 really.

road_high · 25-09-2009 11:32pm

I found the N52 Mullingar bypass fairly impressive and also the new N52 section tieing in with the M6.

The N25 between New Ross and Wexford is fairly pleasant S2 with good wide hard shoulder throughout,especially the newest section (circa 2002) around Barntown.

Amtmann · 25-09-2009 11:40pm

The N25 at Kilmacthomas is a fantastic piece of road.

BluntGuy · 25-09-2009 11:52pm

I love the N15 Ballyshannon bypass, gorgeous stretch of road... brilliant to drive.

The Word Is Bor · 26-09-2009 12:07am

WS2's are a dog's abortion. Croom bypass lethal. Nenagh bypass lethal. N21 Abbeyfeale-Castleisland lethal. Charlestown bypass lethal.

Typewriter · 26-09-2009 1:12am

Furet wrote: »

The N25 at Kilmacthomas is a fantastic piece of road.

+1

Love that road, it's so spacious. You can fit two cars side by side in each land with out going into the hard shoulder.

murphaph · 26-09-2009 11:59am

N9 Moone-Timolin bypass.

Zoney · 26-09-2009 12:50pm

However much it perhaps should not have been built the way it was in the first place, I think it's fairly impressive to have converted the S2 (not even WS2) Nenagh bypass to D2M motorway with hard shoulder but for under one bridge!

I'd like to see a lot of the newer S2/WS2 bypasses converted to 2+2 - especially as some of them are already grade separated.

Croom bypass may get the motorway conversion too, but it wouldn't be as tricky a feat as it is fairly wide WS2.

Agree with The Word Is Bor re: safety of WS2.

Abbeyfeale-Castleisland is a nice stretch of road nevertheless, and all the more so for what it bypasses!

Tech3 · 26-09-2009 1:11pm

Zoney wrote: »

Abbeyfeale-Castleisland is a nice stretch of road nevertheless, and all the more so for what it bypasses!

Probably the best scheme completed in Kerry.

It was a good route selection elevating above headleys bridge with a great view of the village Knockagoshel looking from the N21 especially heading north. The bridge which crosses the river feale is also impressive which can be seen from the old N21.

I agree that the old road was surely one of the worst national primary routes at the time before construction.

JupiterKid · 27-09-2009 2:35am

For sheer improvement over what went before, I'd say the N4 Curlews bypass has to top the list. It was a complete transformation of that section of route.

The N21 Abbeyfeale-Castleisland comes a close second.

But the golden era of WS2 road improvements on deficient width/aligned National Primaries and Secondaries really belongs to the 1970s and 80s. The past decade has seen much of these replaced in turn by motorways.

Roryhy · 27-09-2009 9:30am

Theres a lovely section of road that was built bypassing Kildavin Co. Carlow, north of Bunclody on the N80. Very very beautiful section on a sunny day, especially the section with the climbing lane.

road_high · 27-09-2009 12:10pm

Roryhy wrote: »

Theres a lovely section of road that was built bypassing Kildavin Co. Carlow, north of Bunclody on the N80. Very very beautiful section on a sunny day, especially the section with the climbing lane.

Have to agree, very nice with the mountains either side..could almost think you are in Switzerland for a split second! The road itself is of a very good standard. Why can't all our N routes be like this?!
Pity the section preceding it is so bad; the hill like a rollercoaster

murphaph · 27-09-2009 12:21pm

Oh the N30 scheme around Davidstown? is class for a WS2, grade separation and all that stuff and a nice straight alignment and good surface. Should hev been 2+2 in hindsight of course! Probably a candidate for retrofitting when it falls due for resurfacing.

mysterious · 28-09-2009 2:32am

The Mallow Cork road was pretty impressive back in the day before the majority of WS2 roads. I remember as a kid been amazed of the standard of this section of N20 was incomparison to other national routes such as the N7 and N8 at that time.

Nenagh bypass is also impressive for WS2. I think its not as wide as WS2 but its deffo wider than the Standard S2. The hard shoulders are fairly wide on the Nenagh bypass incomparison to the mainline N7. The bypass itself was also wider than most of the existing N7, but it didn't seem as wide as some other WS2 like Kilmacthomas bypass for example.

28-09-2009 7:52am

The old N6 between Kilbeggan and Tyrollspass was a bit like a runway for a couple of miles, pity it's now limited to 80kmh.

Zoney · 28-09-2009 10:21am

mysterious:
Nenagh bypass was standard two lane - it was a hair-raising experience overtaking there with oncoming traffic (as I had misfortune to experience as a passenger). The hard shoulders were also standard width, and indeed disappeared altogether for the climbing lane section (and again, traffic was quite close together if side by side in that section). There was *substantial* work to widen it for the motorway, as not only were the hard shoulders extra width, but the existing road wasn't quite wide enough for four lanes when the central barrier is included.

I agree about Mallow-Cork, although only really after the section that is now 2+1 (before 2+1 it was even more nerve-wracking with the junctions there if someone decided to overtake). The section winding down in the bit of a valley/cutting, and along the side of the hill there is just beautiful - I really hope we do get the experience of that as motorway in the not too distant future. Such a pity it wasn't DC as planned originally (you get a taste of what might have been just at the end as you come in to Cork).

L1011 · 28-09-2009 10:43am

That 2+1 on the N20 could easily win "Worst ever separated carraigeway scheme completed" now, though. In serious need of some maintenance also.

Zoney · 28-09-2009 11:22am

MYOB:

I would argue it surely provided useful data as a "pilot" scheme, in terms of how 2+1 affects safety on a stretch of road with many intermediate junctions. I think it's no harm that the initial 2+1 schemes were a variety of approaches (there was a retrofit on a better piece of road somewhere else, and the new build 2+1 on N24 also). All we know is that NRA now think 2+2 is the best approach - we don't know how much the 2+1 pilots affected that decision.

Despite how horrible it is to drive down now, I wonder if it is better or worse now in terms of safety? I'm sure it wasn't great before having people waiting in floating islands to turn right when there are potentially people ignoring road markings and overtaking on approach to junctions.

nordydan · 28-09-2009 11:34am

N2 Carrickmacross Bypass is as good as it gets

Carawaystick · 28-09-2009 11:36pm

The N25 Kilmacthomas bypass, fully grade separated. This is where the Croom bypass fails. It has one AT GRADE junction to ruin it.

benralph · 03-10-2009 2:52pm

tech2 wrote: »

Ireland has constructed some good single carriageways and wide single carriageways over the last 10 to 20 years. The motorway network is very important but some of the S2's were so badly needed to replace the twisty previous ones. Which would be your favorite based on the junctions, road surface, signage, landscape etc.

My top pick has to go to the N17 Claremorris to Knock which was completed in 2002. It probably has to be the most smoothest surface I have ever driven in this country.

Landscape is ok, I like the cut section of the Knock bypass. My choice is basically down to the most comfortable drive on a S2 really.

i agree, great stretch of road! good interchanges, no interuption to traffic because of no roundabouts!

murphaph · 04-10-2009 2:02pm

I'd love to see some pics of the grade separated S2s if anyone has any...

Best ever S2 or WS2 scheme completed?

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