Watch: Details unveiled for Cork-Limerick road and greenway  

An 80km dual carriageway combined with what could become one of Ireland’s longest greenways has been recommended as the preferred transport solution to connect Cork and Limerick.

Bypasses are proposed for Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville, New Twopothouse and Banogue, with the notorious accident blackspot at the Ballybeg bends, just south of Charleville, also set to be bypassed, and there are recommendations too for enhanced bus and rail services between the two city regions.

The news emerged today as details of the preferred transport solution and route corridor for the N/M20 project were unveiled.

It follows the consideration of public feedback on a consultation process that took place in late 2020 and early 2021 on a number of proposed road-based and rail-based options, and the integration of active travel modes, which it was deemed could feasibly be delivered within a 500-metre corridor between the two cities.

It has now been confirmed that the road-based option, with protected pedestrian and cycle lanes, along the entire route is the preferred option.

The solution, the highest level of intervention, proposes the construction of 80kms of grade-separated dual carriageway within a 500m corridor from south of Blarney, bypassing several towns, to the south of Patrickswell, and the construction of a segregated bike and pedestrian pathway along the entire route.

There have been 62 fatalities on the existing N20 over the last 25-years, with 95% of those deaths on the sections of road between the various towns.

Improving road safety was one of the key factors considered with estimates that the proposed new road could prevent up to 200 fatal or serious injury collisions over the next 30-years.

It is hoped to use between 30% to 40% of the existing N20 route, which will be widened and upgraded to dual carriageway status, where possible, but a new stretch of road will be required along the rest of the route.

The road infrastructure will also benefit bus-based transport, providing an opportunity for more frequent and more reliable service, and cutting the Cork to Galway journey to about 2.5 hours.

Three rail options were considered but the N/M20 project team has recommended enhancements to the existing service, including the addition of an extra train every hour, via Limerick Junction, reducing intercity rail journey times by over 20 minutes between Cork and Limerick. The data and analysis from the N/M20 project will be submitted to the All Ireland Strategic Rail Review.

Letters will be issued today to people who own some 700 individual landbanks along the 500-metre route corridor but engineers said many will not be affected given that the road itself will require a corridor of about 100-metres once the detailed design work gets underway.

Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD, said today’s announcement is an important step forward in progressing a range of transportation solutions connecting Limerick and Cork as identified in the Government’s National Development Plan 2021-2030.

In a joint statement, Cork Chamber and Limerick Chamber welcomed the announcement.

Cork Chamber, which has spent over a decade highlighting the economic importance of linking the two city regions with proper road infrastructure, said it was a big step on the journey to finally delivering the project.

“This mixed-modal solution is essential to decongesting and transforming towns along the route that typically see heavy and dangerous traffic conditions,” Chamber CEO Conor Healy said.

“Upon completion of the project, we can expect to witness greater connectivity between Cork, Limerick and Galway, an indispensable element to improving the region’s economic attractiveness to investment.

“It is vital to the success of the project that strategically placed ‘Park and Ride’ services and mobility hubs remain high on the agenda as the project progresses.” 

Limerick Chamber CEO Dee Ryan welcomed the multi-modal approach and said once delivered, it will better connect Ireland’s second and third largest cities, opening up the west of Ireland by improving journey times all the way up to Galway.

“Connectivity is a cornerstone for business development and economic growth, and Limerick and Cork Chambers have long advocated for improvements in journey times and accessibility between our two cities,” she said.

“In 2017 we jointly commissioned a study to examine the possible benefits of the investment. Analysis revealed those benefits to include a projected decrease in annual road accidents, time savings on journeys, increasing the labour force size within a 45-minute commute of large employer centres and the expansion of catchment area of Shannon and Cork airports as well as Foynes Port and Port of Cork.

“The option selection announced today represents more than just plans for a road, it represents plans for a unique transport corridor made up of rail, road and active travel options including a greenway.

“The inclusion of a greenway, which is anticipated to be the largest and longest in Ireland, will add to the existing greenway infrastructure already in place or under construction and will add value to the regional tourism offering.”