Cork motorists to face 20km diversions as Dunkettle roadworks continue

Westbound N25/N8 approaches to the Dunkettle roundabout will close from Friday evening until at least 9pm on Saturday

Cork's newest bridge (yet to be named) was lifted into position just after midnight on Friday morning. Picture: Larry Cummins

Thousands of motorists face a nearly 20km diversion in and around Cork City this weekend as Dunkettle Interchange works continue.

It comes a day after the N40 South Ring Road closed overnight for the installation of the Grange to Tramore Valley Park pedestrian and cycleway bridge.

Engineers working on the Dunkettle project will close a section of the westbound N25/N8 approaches to the Dunkettle roundabout on Friday evening until at least 9pm on Saturday to upgrade the waterproofing on two new structures — the Dunkettle River bridge and the overbridge crossing the Cork to Cobh/Midleton railway line.

Picture: Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Project

It means city-bound or M8-bound traffic coming from the east faces a lengthy 12km diversion via the Jack Lynch Tunnel, along the N40 to the Kinsale Road roundabout and the South City link road to get to the city centre, with motorists travelling north facing another 8km trip along the Lower Glanmire Road and Tivoli towards Glanmire.

The temporary closure of the N25 Westbound on approach to the Glanmire Roundabout was implemented as planned at 7.30pm yesterday.

It's the second big road closure in Cork following Thursday's overnight closure of a section of the South Ring Road when a 650-tonne crane operated by East Cork Crane Hire hoisted the 51-tonne main section of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge into place over the N40.

But it will be autumn before people can use it. And the public process for choosing its name continues to generate debate ahead of next week's deadline for submissions.

Naming process

The Lord Mayor, Cllr Deirdre Forde, has urged people to get involved in the city council's naming process and get their submissions in by Friday’s deadline.

“Suggested names which honour, celebrate, or remember a person, group or events of significance that have helped to shape the City of Cork will be considered,” she said.

The Grange Frankfield Partnership has urged people to consider naming it after nearby Vernon Mount House, while the Sanctuary Runners movement has made a submission calling for it to be named The Sanctuary Bridge.

They said as well as a bridge being a powerful symbol of integration and connection, many Sanctuary Runners use the park regularly for training and fun runs.

Funded by the National Transport Authority, the 63m-long bridge and the adjoining 1km-long pathway will, once opened, link Grange and Frankfield on the southern side of the N40 to Tramore Valley Park on the northern side.

The main contractor, Jons Civil Engineering Company Limited, began construction on site in July 2022 and works are continuing on the approach ramps and steps to the bridge and on the 4m-wide cycle pathway from the Donkey Field in Grange through to the southern approach to the bridge.

The bridge was built by Thompson of Carlow and comprises two sections, the first of which, at 13-ton, 16m long, just over 5m wide and 1m high, was installed on the southern side some weeks ago. 

The main section installed in the early hours of Friday morning tips the scales at 51-ton, it is 46.6m long, just over 5m wide and 4.65m high, with a 5.7m minimum vertical clearance over the N40.

Once construction work is complete, it will be accessed by a strengthened embankment on the southern side and by a concrete ramp and stairs on the northern or park side.

Completed application forms with naming suggestions can be submitted on https://consult.corkcity.ie, by post marked “Grange to Tramore Valley Park Bridge Naming” to Barbara Creed, Administrative Officer, Infrastructure Development, City Hall, Cork, T12 T997 or by e-mail to [e-mail].