Cork to Limerick motorway: Bypassing congested towns a priority, with hopes work will start by 2028
Some 200 farms, many in the rich agricultural Golden Vale region, and up to 20 homes along the route, will be directly impacted by compulsory purchase orders
Priority will be given to bypassing congested towns first as part of the massive Cork to Limerick motorway project, amid hopes work could start on the scheme by 2028.
As the complex €1bn to €3bn transport project moves towards a planning application, it has been confirmed some 200 farms, many in the rich agricultural Golden Vale region, and up to 20 homes along the route, will be directly impacted by the compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) required to build the more than 80kms of motorway, active travel infrastructure, and the seven transport hubs proposed between the two cities.
The project, which includes some 100km of walking and cycling infrastructure, will be the largest single active travel project to be undertaken in Ireland, and the country’s first multi-modal transport scheme.
It will have six transport hubs, each with EV chargers, park and ride connections to public transport, car sharing and car charging options, and connections to active travel links, as well as one freight hub at Mallow, with rest and welfare areas for truck drivers and EV charging points for heavy goods vehicles.
The details were outlined on Monday during the latest update for public representatives from the engineering team overseeing the delivery of what is one of the State’s largest ever road projects.
They have finished the design and environmental evaluation stage — the fourth phase of a seven-phase process — clearing the way for the finalisation over the coming months, and the submission before the end of this year, of a preliminary business case for the Department of Transport.
It needs Cabinet approval before a planning application can be made.
It is hoped planning will be submitted to An Bord Pleanála by the middle of next year, that the scheme will be delivered in up to four separate contracts, and pending the various Cabinet and planning approvals, construction could start in 2028, and take seven years to complete.
Public representatives were told on Monday priority would be given in the early stages of construction to building bypasses of the various congested towns along the route, including Mallow, Buttevant and Charleville, to ensure there is an early benefit to people in the towns.
The N/M20 will replace one of the most dangerous roads in Ireland, providing a road five times safer than the existing single carriageway. But the massive transport scheme also proposes a range of transport hubs, public transport improvements, and active travel measures to improve connectivity and promote a modal shift.
Among those measures are plans for six transport hubs, with new bus stops, and park and ride opportunities, where people can avail of a shared bike scheme, electric bikes, car sharing or e-car charging, at the following locations:
- Rathduff — 30 car parking spaces and 20 bike parking spaces;
- Mourneabbey — 80 car parking spaces and 40 bike parking spaces;
- Mallow — 30 car parking spaces and 40 bike parking spaces;
- Buttevant — 30 car parking spaces and 20 bike parking spaces;
- Charleville — 80 car parking spaces and 40 bike parking spaces at a revised location following public feedback in the earlier design stages;
- Bruree — 30 car parking spaces and 20 bike parking spaces;
- Croom — 30 car parking spaces and 20 bike parking spaces.
An estimated 100km of ‘shared use active travel facilities’, including bike paths and footpaths, will be built connecting the communities of Blarney, Rathduff, Mallow, New Twopothouse, Buttevant, Ballyhea, Charleville, Bruree, Banogue, Croom and Patrickswell.
Engineers have refined the active travel route designs, with connections now provided to better demonstrate how the south-to-north N/M20 corridor 'spine' will link into dozens of communities via existing local roads.
The scheme aims to provide 93km of shared use facilities for people walking, wheeling and cycling, with 65km of that running alongside or parallel, but separate to the motorway, and 28km offline, primarily along the existing N20 corridor. There will also be 2km of dedicated cycle track, and 7km of footways or footpaths.
Separately, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, along with the relevant local authorities, is progressing a number of greenway and active travel projects in the region that will tie into the N/M20 active travel facilities to ensure an integrated network.
The freight hub will be built at Mallow given its strategic location. It will provide 30 HGV parking spaces, rest and welfare facilities for drivers, and EV charging facilities.
It has been previously announced the M20 will have distance-based barrier-free tolling, where users pay on the basis of distance travelled, with a lower toll charges for zero-emission vehicles.
This demand management measure, along with plans for restricted access to the motorway at the nine strategic junctions, in combination with the transport and freight hubs, are all designed to help segregate local traffic from strategic national traffic, encourage sustainable transport options, and improve road safety.
