Limerick Transport

[CologneMike]

Commuter Rail

Certainly there is great potential for a Dart type of commuter service to link the main towns with Limerick city. The present rail network infrastructure would facilitate most of it. In four decades time (2050) we would probably see a doubling of the population living in urban areas around the mid-west.

• Limerick 100.000 -> 200.000
• Ennis 25.000 -> 50.000
• Shannon 10.000 -> 20.000
• Nenagh 7.500 -> 15.000
• Thurles 7.500 -> 15.000
• Tipperary 5.000 -> 10.000
• Newcastle West 5.000 -> 10.000

With this type of critical mass one could operate a decent enough electric rail service (Dart) between these centres with stops at the numerous villages (P&R) along the way.

Gluas / Luas

The way we choose to live today in the city i.e. an ever expanding spawn of housing estates out into the country side just makes public transport in general unattractive and expensive to operate. I think we don’t live compact enough (i.e. apartments) to get the benefits from the economies of scale from such investments

I fear the motor car (electric) will remain the number one choice for commuting.


Colbert Station

The big question would be in which direction will the city centre expand?

• Down river: after a transfer of the docks to Foynes?
• Across the river: either side of Condell road?
• Towards: Kings Island / Clare Street (Park canal)?
• Outwards: Mulgrave Street?

Will the city council re-focus the expanding direction of the city centre towards the railway station?

Certainly the area around the station like you said, should have a high density mixed use to make it an attractive destination to travel to from outside the city. The nearby three story council flats on Hyde road don’t meet today’s standards or the boxed-in Jackman park is pretty much handicapped here to develop to its full potential as a soccer stadium.

Hyde Road

This road could have been the ideal direct link between the planned city centre orbital route and the Rosbrien interchange junction for Dublin, Waterford and Cork. Of course that would have meant re-locating a school and Young Munsters playing grounds.

Ennis-Limerick Commuter: Image by [url=flickr.com/photos/kpmarek/2413942543]Kpmarek[/url]

[Dan Sullivan]

I've been messing around with a route for a light rail/electric bus system for a while.

Link: <http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=113341239231791236211.00044ec59976d67c1ad7e&z=12>

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=113341239231791236211.00044ec59976d67c1ad7e&z=12

I must admit to finding the proposals from the cllrs about having the bus lanes moved quite odd. Shouldn't they first be proposing that the routes move and then look for the new lanes in those areas? They won't of course because they would be opposed to the routes changing, so we were to follow their logic we would end up with bus lanes with no buses.

[jpsartre]

colognemike

The renovation of the Patrickswell to Charleville section of the old Great Southern will probably appear in the next NDP if not before. In addition to reducing the journey time on the Limerick-Cork line to just 1hr by some accounts it would also mean rail access to Limerick for Charleville, Bruree & Croom. The City Council would prefer people not to commute at all and to move to the city centre to work but I believe 'total journey quality' is the way to go wtih quality intercity/regional rail links serving train stations in cities, light rail networks serving the main spine(s) of cities and a range of buses from imps to double deckers radiating out from the centre and other strategic locations serving all the other neighbourhoods and areas of the city. Well planned quality public transport is imo the only way to attract owner occupiers esp. families into the c/cs because cars aren't really an option in the middle of a city, at least not 2 per family. Many Londoners don't have cars and don't miss them.

I had a look at the city centre strategy yesterday and in fairness to the council they do recognise the land in the Hyde Park area is underutilized and ripe for development. What they intend doing about it to attract developers in is another thing. It ought to be a priority imo. The right sort of development there could also stimulate regeneration of the Georgian quarter .(v. important). It will need to dovetail in with the planned regeneration of B.Weston & Southill aswell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauban_(Freiburg)) ).

Dan
Interesting plan. Nice to know there's somebody else in Limerick seriously thinking about this. I guess you're opting for a tram-train solution. I'm not sure if that's the right way to go. The existing rail alignments skirt round the city and don't really penetrate the heavily populated areas so I'm not sure if you'd get the ridership to make it viable here. Also I'm not a big fan of single track and passing loops (even though I suggested employing them myself) because they'd slow the system right down. Trams every 15 minutes! No other trains, like freight trains or future Cork intercity trains could use this piece of track with that kind of burden on the line. And you don't have any route for the north of the river either. Why not?

That said I certainly agree the route must come into contact w/ Colbet station and the city centre. There's no way of avoiding Charlotte's Quay either which is a pity because that pinch pont at Baal's bridge won't accomodate 2 lines of track (my plan) and heavy orbital road traffic as well.

[dave123]

What will the Hyde and Colbert station quarter become ?
Railway quarter?. This part of the city is ripe for development for sure. To be honest, This part of town, is crucial to have a good balance of prime building's landmarks fronting onto colbert station. This is the frontage to the city for many commuter's coming into the city by Rail and Bus. This part of town, needs investment to counter balance the Georgian and newly redeveloped blocks in town.

I notice that Catherine street is coming along now, and many derelict sites have got planning permission to redevelop many parts of this street. Is this street part of the Hyde road/Colbert station quarter. I'm excited to see the plans I must say.

Query, does anyone have any maps of the current road layout of the Inner ring road proposed that actually runs along Colbert station? How are they going to conjoined this with the new city quarter on this block:confused:

[CologneMike]

I've been messing around with a route for a light rail/electric bus system for a while.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=113341239231791236211.00044ec59976d67c1ad7e&z=12

Dan: There's no way of avoiding Charlotte's Quay either which is a pity because that pinch pont at Baal's bridge won't accomodate 2 lines of track (my plan) and heavy orbital road traffic as well.

Maybe a Schwebebahn ~ Suspension Tramway solution from Wuppertal (pop. 350.000) would be interesting for Dan’s proposal. Sure its visual impact would be way over the top, but cheaper than a metro and traffic congestion free!

The river route could look like this:

• Raheen Industrial Estate
• Mid-Western Regional Hospital Campus
• Crescent Shopping Centre
• Former Greenpark Race Course
• Mary Immaculate Training College
• Docklands Business Park / Proposed Re-development Of Ted Russell’s Docks
• Riverpoint / Along The Quays / Over Sarsfield’s Bridge
• Arthur’s Quay (City Centre)
• Suspended Over The River Abbey
• Suspended Over The Canal
• Through Rebogue
• Rarkway (Valley) Shopping Centre
• Castletroy Hotel
• University Campus
• Technological Park

Images below from © Peter Bosbach

[Dan Sullivan]

colognemike

The renovation of the Patrickswell to Charleville section of the old Great Southern will probably appear in the next NDP if not before. In addition to reducing the journey time on the Limerick-Cork line to just 1hr by some accounts it would also mean rail access to Limerick for Charleville, Bruree & Croom. The City Council would prefer people not to commute at all and to move to the city centre to work but I believe 'total journey quality' is the way to go wtih quality intercity/regional rail links serving train stations in cities, light rail networks serving the main spine(s) of cities and a range of buses from imps to double deckers radiating out from the centre and other strategic locations serving all the other neighbourhoods and areas of the city. Well planned quality public transport is imo the only way to attract owner occupiers esp. families into the c/cs because cars aren't really an option in the middle of a city, at least not 2 per family. Many Londoners don't have cars and don't miss them.

I had a look at the city centre strategy yesterday and in fairness to the council they do recognise the land in the Hyde Park area is underutilized and ripe for development. What they intend doing about it to attract developers in is another thing. It ought to be a priority imo. The right sort of development there could also stimulate regeneration of the Georgian quarter .(v. important). It will need to dovetail in with the planned regeneration of B.Weston & Southill aswell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauban_(Freiburg)) ).

Dan
Interesting plan. Nice to know there's somebody else in Limerick seriously thinking about this. I guess you're opting for a tram-train solution. I'm not sure if that's the right way to go. The existing rail alignments skirt round the city and don't really penetrate the heavily populated areas so I'm not sure if you'd get the ridership to make it viable here. Also I'm not a big fan of single track and passing loops (even though I suggested employing them myself) because they'd slow the system right down. Trams every 15 minutes! No other trains, like freight trains or future Cork intercity trains could use this piece of track with that kind of burden on the line. And you don't have any route for the north of the river either. Why not?

That said I certainly agree the route must come into contact w/ Colbet station and the city centre. There's no way of avoiding Charlotte's Quay either which is a pity because that pinch pont at Baal's bridge won't accomodate 2 lines of track (my plan) and heavy orbital road traffic as well.

My idea is that the route should follow areas that would then be designated to allow for higher density development. To create the local population nodes that would make the service viable. Also while some of the route does go over existing train lines, those lines are not in use in many cases.

[reddy]

I've never seen that system in Wuppertal before. Its class. It'd be very interesting to see what modern engineering, architecture and technology could do when building a system like this to reduce visual impact.

[PoxyShamrock]

colognemike

The renovation of the Patrickswell to Charleville section of the old Great Southern will probably appear in the next NDP if not before. In addition to reducing the journey time on the Limerick-Cork line to just 1hr by some accounts it would also mean rail access to Limerick for Charleville, Bruree & Croom.

It's gonna appear in the next NDP?
How certain is this?
It would be a great asset to Limerick as the route passes just by Raheen and other areas of the city.

But hasn't most of that route been turned into a walkway for the People of Abbeyfeale and NCW???

A Direct service to Cork would be amazing but how likely is it that it would happen?
Slim to nothing in my opinion.

[jpsartre]

I read in the paper this week that St. John's Pavillion is to be pulled down to make way for an orbital route through road.

Here's a revised city centre LRT route map that avoids Charlotte's Quay and locates the main terminus at Brown Thomas - no way of avoiding Mallow street though (which forms part of the orbital road route).

[ATTACH]8680[/ATTACH]

PoxyS.
In my view a direct line between Cork & Limerick will probably appear in the next NDP. The current plan runs till 2013 and Transport 21 till 2015 so you're talking the bones of 10 years before the first sod is turned. I'm also assuming the economy picks up again sooner rather than later and there won't be a great backlog of other infrastructural projects on the Minister's desk.

The Regional Planning Guidelines (which inform the NSS, which in turn provides a framework for the NDP) for the South West Region said this back in '04.

In view of the proximity and populations of the Cork and Limerick Gateways, the direct linking by rail of Cork and Limerick is an option for consideration, as critical mass increases. Rail connection between Cork-Mallow and Limerick is currently via Limerick junction, involving a change of trains.The Regional Authority proposes that a feasibility study be undertaken to examine the construction of a new rail link between Charleville and Patrickswell, thus directly linking Cork and Limerick. This strategy would have an additional benefit of adding to the overall viability of the proposed Western Rail Corridor, by making the route more direct and cutting journey times. It would also contribute to the revitalisation of the Limerick-Foynes line, by creating the potential for improved access for commuters to both Gateways and for freight traffic. The route for this proposal needs to be protected...

...both councils should consider the land use strategies, which could be adopted to make the economic case for reinstating this line and developing direct Cork-Limerick rail services. Some of these are already in place - for example, the CASP land use proposals from Midleton to Mallow – but similar integrated strategies are required right along the line. The adoption of such strategies would underpin the feasibility of reinstating direct Cork-Limerick rail services.

This was quickly followed by other spatial strategy related reports such as the Atlantic Gateways Iniative ('06) which also made a case for the line being reopened but only after more pressing infrastuctural deficits such as inadequate connectivity between the regional cities and the capital city were addressed.

The M20 will be the big stumbling block imo. Noel Dempsey recently said that the proposed Shannon-Limerick rail link had been a victim of improved road infrastructure in the region which made it much less viable than it otherwise would've been. (I assume he was referring to the toll road and tunnel etc.)

I also think we haven't woken up to the future consequences of of total oil dependance in this country yet. When we do the investment focus will switch to rail as is already happening in most other industrialised countries.

Abbeyfeale is on the North Kerry line that terminated at Listowel(?). But the Charleville to Patrickswell alignment is in a no better state right now as far as I know.

[CologneMike]

Can anyone direct me to where I can see how the new Motorway to Dublin ties in with the existing roundabout beyond Finnegans restaurant - its impossible to work out where traffic coming down the Newport road will meet the roundabout .

N7/M7 Newport Interchange (Annacotty)

I came across this image at the weekend and needless to say I’m not too impressed with the NRA’s solution for the Newport Interchange at Annacotty.

The interchange feeds onto one large roundabout which distributes the flow of traffic for three slipways of the new N7/M7 (i.e. Southbound diverge, Southbound merge, Northbound diverge) and a new re-aligned road (R-445 East) which serves the separated Northbound merge slipway.

The old N7 primary road (R-445 West) from the city and the original Newport road (R-503) also feed onto the roundabout.

It seems that the N7 / M7 will run under the roundabout.

One would think with all the land available outside the city that they could easily build an interchange on just one site. No instead they choose a spot in the middle of a cluster of one off bungalows and a very small housing estate thus restraining itself to separate the Northbound merge from the rest of the interchange proper.

No lessons learnt here from the flawed Ballysimon, Rossbrien and Dooradoyle interchanges!

[Tuborg]

Yeah I'm afraid the NRA have bottled it once more, they simply cannot design motorway interchanges. Here they have gone for the bargain basement option, the one that handles traffic the least skillfully! What is the point in building such a basic interchange when the likelihood is that it will have to be upgraded with great difficulty and at huge expense in the not too distant future?:rolleyes:

Realistically, the only interchange that is up to the required spec on the Southern Ring Road is the tie-in with the N18. The Rossbrien interchange may be free-flow but crucially it is lacking two movements (N20 to Childers Road and N7 Southbound to Childers Road) which will have a knock-on impact on the substandard Newport, Ballysimon and Dock Road interchanges.

[Tuborg]

Unfortunately things arent going well on the Limerick - Nenagh project.

Apparently only a skeleton staff have been working on the scheme since January. The motorway is being built by an Irish-Portugese joint venture (RAC Eire/ Bothair Hibernian) but issues have emerged over the non payment of local subcontractors. As a result, work has slowed right down and at the moment is unclear whether the road which was due to open in May will actually be completed at all this year!:mad:

I've managed to rob some photos from Furet at Boards.ie

The N-L scheme looking towards the tie-in with the Nenagh Bypass from the Limerick side.


The N-L scheme looking towards Limerick from just off the N7 past the Limerick end of the Nenagh Bypass.


The L-N scheme close to Birdhill looking towards Limerick.


The L-N scheme close to Birdhill looking towards Nenagh.

[CologneMike]

Park and Ride facility plans stalled

Limerick Leader 13 March 2009 By Nick Rabbitts

PLANS for Limerick's first ever park and ride facility near Annacotty has stalled after the NRA objected to the proposals.

Last month, Limerick County Council gave the green light to the plans, which also provide for facilities including a restaurant, shops, a tourist information centre and a play area.

But following a written submission by the National Roads Authority, the case has been referred to An Bord Pleanala.

The NRA has said that granting the application will put the safety of that stretch of road at risk.

Tara Spain, NRA senior planning policy advisor, wrote: "In the opinion of the authority, the decision to grant runs counter to the objectives of protecting the carrying capacity, operational efficiency and safety of the national roads network."

The authority also raised concerns on additional congestion in the area, and the number of facilities planned for the development – which will be named the Newport Interchange.

At the start of this year, Limerick city councillors were presented with a public transport feasibility study which investigated the possibility of introducing additional green routes in and out of the city.

The study will go to Transport Minister Noel Dempsey this summer.
And the NRA feels that until a report is given off the back of this, plans for a park and ride are "premature."

"The authority is also aware that Limerick City Council is required to undertake a public transport feasibility study.

"It is considered that such a study must investigate, interalia, the provision of park and ride facilities in support of improved public transport options.

"Thus the proposed park and ride element of the permission granted by Limerick City Council in respect to this proposed development may be considered premature pending the completion of the Public Transport Feasibility study to inform a coherent strategy for the provision of park and ride facilities and sites in tandem with the provision of dedicated or improved public transport corridors," Ms Spain wrote.


When the local planning authority granted permission to the development, they ruled out the building of a garden centre. But the NRA does not feel this goes far enough.

"While the authority supports the decision by Limerick County Council to omit the garden centre, it is the view of the authority that the range of facilities provided in a service area should be targeted solely at servicing the needs of the road user rather than endeavouring to attract additional custom through other facilities and thereby creating additional journeys on the network," Ms Spain wrote.

Residents of Lisnagry also lodged objections to the plan, but these were considered invalid by the national planning authority.

An Bord Pleanala has until the end of June to make a ruling on the application.

The developers, David Murphy and Finbarr Smiddy, were not available for comment.

I think the Limerick County Council are hell bent on adding more potential havoc at the Newport Interchange. Is it not the remit of the NRA to decide where motorway services are located?

[Goofy]

I agree with the NRA here. This 'Park and Ride' is nothing more than a shopping centre where the carpark is also used as a park and ride. It would attract extra cars into this area rather than take them off the road. The NRA has every right to object as it would seriously undermine the juction they are building at the moment. (which is inadequite anyway.)

I dont think any services are needed this close to the city. A pure park and ride facility could work though. It would add extra traffic to the junction, but it would also do a lot to reduce traffic in the city

[Tuborg]

A couple of years back the NRA belatedly announced the rollout of service areas along the main inter-urban routes.

Basically their plan is to have service areas at 50/60 km intervals on major roads. At the moment, the proposed locations along the M7 are outside Mountrath and at a location between Nenagh and Roscrea. It makes absolutely no sense to locate a service area this close to the city. There are 3 filling stations located a short distance away along with many other facilities.

Bus Eireann have already admitted anyway that they are not in a position to offer any increase in services along this route. Indeed I believe they are in process of reducing their Limerick fleet.

[dave123]

Can somebody clarify something to me here.

Do the dinosaur county council want to build a monotrosity off the Newport interchange and have direct access to it.

That is not going to happen, No fucking way.

[Tuborg]

The Limerick Tunnel Spring newsletter is now available.

It looks likely that the first 5 km’s of the road (from Rossbrien to the Dock Road) could open this autumn. Laying of the road surface is set to begin in early summer.

The St Nessans Road overbridge should be open to traffic in the next week or 2, this will allow construction to begin on the SRR mainline underneath.

You would think that this partial opening would be a positive move but the traffic chaos at the Dock Road interchange dosent bear thinking about!:eek:

[CologneMike]

Limerick County Council ~ N21 ADARE BYPASS

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

CONSTRAINTS STUDY & ROUTE CORRIDOR OPTIONS

Limerick County Council announces that it is to revisit and review the Route Corridor Selection for the N21 Adare Bypass. Changes in national infrastructural policy along with the recent announcement of the Emerging Preferred Route for the M20 Cork to Limerick Motorway Scheme have led to the reevaluation of the original preferred route of the Adare Bypass.

As part of the review process, Limerick County Council will host a public consultation event – entitled “Adare Bypass: Constraints Study and Route Corridor Options” – in the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare on Thursday 2 April from 2.00pm to 8.00pm.

The current review once completed will result in an Emerging Preferred Route for Adare Bypass being announced in May 2009. Following completion of the relevant statutory procedures, it is anticipated that the construction of the Adare Bypass will commence as part of the overall M20 Cork to Limerick Motorway scheme.

It has long been an objective of Limerick County Council to bypass the town of Adare, removing through traffic from the town centre, improving journey times both locally and on the strategic National Road network, thereby promoting local and regional development.

In March 2005 following an extensive study, Limerick County Council announced the Preferred Route Corridor for the N21 Adare Bypass, the Black Route Option to the north of the town of Adare.

In the intervening years, changes in infrastructural policy have occurred in the development of the strategic National Road network. Following the publication of Transport 21, the Western Corridor, linking the west coast with Waterford via the N24, was replaced by the Atlantic Road Corridor, linking the west coast to Waterford via the N20 and the N25.

The M20 Cork to Limerick Motorway scheme forms an integral part of the Atlantic Road Corridor, and is a priority scheme under Transport 21 and the National Development Plan. In October 2008 the Emerging Preferred Route for the M20 Cork to Limerick Motorway Scheme was announced by Cork County Council.

The provision of the associated M20 infrastructure in the vicinity of Adare has necessitated a review of the N21 Adare Bypass route corridor selection process. It is now essential that Limerick County Council revisit and review the Route Corridor Selection for the N21 Adare Bypass in order to ensure that the most appropriate route option is taken forward to the statutory processes, and that the return on public investment is optimised.

In light of these new developments, Limerick County Council, in conjunction with the National Roads Authority (NRA) is working with consultants Jacobs Engineering to examine and develop route corridor options for a bypass of the town of Adare. A revised Constraints Study Area has been developed which extends further south and east of Adare than the 2004 Constraints Study Area.

A brochure outlining the constraints study area and route corridor options along with a questionnaire will be available at the public display on the 2nd April 2009 and then from Limerick County Council’s Mid West National Road Design Office in Lissanalta House, Dooradoyle. The brochure will then also be made available for viewing online at http://www.midwestroads.ie .

The closing date for submissions is Monday 20th April 2009.

For further information contact:

Mid West National Road Design Office,
Limerick County Council,
Lissanalta House, Dooradoyle, County Limerick

Telephone: 061 496 800; Fax: 061 583 150 Email: adare@midwestroads.ie Web

N21 Adare Bypass

New Preferred Route Corridor Selection: May 2009

Originally the northern route along the railway line was the preferred choice. Though it does make sense to integrate it with the planned M20 Limerick / Cork (Atlantic Corridor). That could mean the bypass would run south of Adare instead?

[dave123]

It would make more logic to bring the Adare M21 straight to the M20 just North of Croom and proceding directly west to the south of Adare. Leave the existing Patrickswell N20 junction for Adare and Croom traffic.

Building a Free flow futher Southwest would be more suited than a having a free flow just south of the Patrickswell interchange, that arrangement would make this section of road chaotic with weaving.

This is the cheapest and most econmical route IMO. Note this is simalar to the Porlaoise M7/M8 layout. It was not intentional. But I just don't see the point in building the M20/M21 interchange just a km south of the existing N20 TOTO (as explained above) and then the N21 proceeding very close to Adare town with many crossing's (including a rail bridge). The motoroway to motorway exist should be clearly much further southwest. Giving the M21 Adare bypass a more direct route inlign with the current M20. The current N21 bypass is to near and off the mark IMO. The advantages it would give, would make the Adare bypass have motorway restrictions and keep off road developments spriinging up. The Motorway motorway interchange is better located. The route I provided is much straighter and direct. The southern interchange should be fairly easily worked out, with the current regional road joining the N21. This can give acess to Adare town and the local road itself. The black dots are the best locations for interchanges.

P.S my map is not exactly on line for the M20 but close as I can get it to be from my memory of where the M20 goes by.. The M20 actually goes slighly more to the East near Croom on the map. So apolgies for my blunder there.

[dave123]

• Red dots, are overbridges, interchanges
• Black line - is preferred old route
• Blue line, is new route incoporated into M20

There is an excessive amount of overbridges and structures to be built on the Old preferred route. This was my favourable of routes, in the previous Adare route selection.


But I think it's to much hassel skirting the N21 north of Adare when the Current M20 goes far south. Bear in mind, the Old N21 has to be upgraded. The M20M21 interchange is not in a suited location. I'd rather the M20/M21 placed in my new layout, And defer Adare and local N21 traffic exit at Patrickswell N20 interchange. This makes the route far more efficient and direct. The preferred old route, will cause urban sprawl around Adare also. I think the N21 incoporated into the M20 make's more sense.

What are your views?

[Tuborg]

N21 Adare Bypass

New Preferred Route Corridor Selection: May 2009

The local gombeen county councillors have been quick to react to this news, by calling for the NRA to be scrapped!:o

These are the same councillors who recently voted in favour of rezoning up to 200 acres of land surrounding the village for housing. They're probably angry because this re-think scuppers their attempts to treat us to another exhibition of poor planning on lands opened up by the original bypass route!:rolleyes:

The reason behind the re-evaluation of the route is that it now looks likely that the Adare Bypass will be lumped in with the M20 Limerick - Cork PPP project. As part of this, a new free-flow junction between the M20/M21 or M20/N21 will be built to the south west of the existing Attyflin junction.

The Adare bypass is without question one of the most badly needed projects on the national road network. The fact that we still have Dual Carriageway volumes of traffic ploughing through the main street of a heritage town is absolutely pathetic!:rolleyes:

[Tuborg]

Limerick Southern Ring Road Phase II Construction (Dooradoyle)

The following pictures were taken by Zoney at boards.ie


View from Dooradoyle Road roundabout (Crescent shopping centre to the right)


View from Dooradoyle Road side of rbout (Dooradoyle Road has a link to N20 junction 1)


View of bridge from shopping centre car park, note the railway locomotive emerging from under the bridge - this is the Mungret line which has a level crossing on the existing St. Nessan's Road (such as remains for the next couple of days). Nice timing. There is a slip off the ramp into the shopping centre carpark - just off frame to the left.


View of the southwest ramp. There is a bus bay just to the right, and the aforementioned slip is where the red car is. The dooradoyle roundabout is behind the vantage point of the photo. Note the temporary lane markings and studs for diverting both lanes of traffic over the complete half of the ramp.


View on existing St. Nessan's Road of the bridge and diversion under. The northeastern bridge ramp sits right where the old road used to be - until last week the traffic was diverted to the left of this in the photo (while the initial diverting of Ballinacurra Creek and construction of the bridge took place). SRR still to be built under bridge once the traffic is diverted over it.


View of the SRR mainline taking form to the west - the Ballinacurra Creek is just on the left edge of the frame.


View of the bridge from the east, and the traffic diversion beneath - where the SRR mainline will be constructed. Mungret railway line is under the furthest span in the frame, the creek is in a culvert.


View of SRR mainline to the east.


Northeastern end of the bridge - there is a junction with the South Circular Road immediately left of the frame - complicating matters just a tad! The surface and pavement is pretty much entirely tied in on the northern side of the ramp - just left of frame.

[CologneMike]

M20 Cork-Limerick Motorway Scheme

Proposed Schedule

Emerging preferred route corridor consultation (October 2008)

Preliminary design of preferred scheme (March 2009)

What is the current status regarding the proposed route between Charleville and Patrickswell and its proposed junctions?

I have not heard much feedback (Limerick Leader) from the communities it is proposed to serve. Have they all given it the thumbs up?

I hope the Limerick County Councillors are aware of all pros and cons of this route!!!!!

From what I see on the map below the following junctions could have the following traffic patterns.

• Junction 7 Croom area (predominant direction Limerick)
• Junction 6 Charleville / Kilmallock areas (predominant direction Limerick)
• Junction 5 Charleville / Kilmallock areas (predominant direction Cork)

[Tuborg]

The M20 is now being progressed as a PPP, split up into 2 seperate projects (northern & southern sections). The preferred route is due to go on display in the next week or so.

Another major PPP scheme will be going out to tender pretty soon and if the money cant be secured for that project, then unfortunately things will look pretty bleak for the M20 aswell.

Fingers crossed!

[dodgyman]

On the midwest roads map, which option for the Adare bypass seems the most obvious, red, green or blue?