‘Treacherous, madness, and bedlam’: N25 traffic congestion worsens in East Cork
Midleton traffic. Picture: Dan Linehan
Traffic conditions on the N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton in East Cork have been described as “treacherous, madness, and bedlam”, with no sign of this easing.
That is according to Fine Gael councillor Rory Cocking, who lives in Midleton.
He claimed thousands more houses will be built in and around the two towns before the new road is opened and, in the meantime, this will only exacerbate the already chronic traffic situation.
“The main road infrastructure in East Cork has unfortunately not kept pace with housing development amid a continued absence of alternative transport options," said Mr Cocking.
"It has long been acknowledged that the stretch of the N25 route between Carrigtwohill and Lakeview roundabout requires a complete upgrade."
Mr Cocking said the road was treacherous, with dangerous median crossings and short approach slipways.
The situation has deteriorated further, with gridlock now a regular feature at Lakeview roundabout and tailbacks stretching as far as the Ballyrichard More exit, with some drivers resorting to parking on the hard shoulder.
As a result, rural roads at Carrigane and Baneshane/Ballintubber on either side of the N25 are increasingly being used as rat runs, particularly during peak commuting times.
“The main arteries to the Lakeview roundabout from the Midleton and Ballinacurra sides remain clogged and are either still undergoing works or future works have been proposed," said Mr Cocking.
"While the recent signing of a consultancy contract to examine potential options marks an important step in progressing the eventual upgrade of the Lakeview roundabout, interim measures to alleviate the current standstill of traffic must be explored as a matter of urgency."
While he acknowledged a flyover would be the ultimate solution for the roundabout, Mr Cocking said interim measures such as traffic lights or an additional slip road from Midleton towards Youghal could help improve traffic flow at Lakeview.
“It is welcome therefore that all options for the short- and long-term upgrade of the roundabout are being explored and that traffic surveying with a view to informing modelling and upgrade designs has already begun,” said Mr Cocking.
He said the Oatencake slip road, which connects Midleton to the N25 Cork-bound lanes, is so short it “is absolutely lethal".
Mr Cocking pointed out the last time this section of road between the towns was upgraded was in 1968.
Carrigtwohill, another rapidly growing town, is also gridlocked on most days. In addition to local traffic, thousands of workers travel into the area each day to jobs in the IDA industrial park.
Local Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry said: “Main Street in Carrigtwohill is chaotic and has uncontrolled pedestrian crossings. There’s basically what’s almost a motorway running straight into the town, and it’s probably only one in of its kind in Ireland. It’s getting progressively worse."
The then chief executive of Cork County Council, Valerie O’Sullivan, said in 2024 the decision not to fund the upgrade of the N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton "beggars belief".
Funding for the road was suspended by former environment minister Eamon Ryan for four years.
Mr Barry acknowledged there was no "quick-fix solution", but said if funding had been granted when first sought, construction would likely have commenced.
Mr Barry said traffic was regularly “backed up a mile and a half on the Carrigtwohill approach into Midleton, with many vehicles being forced to stay on the N25 inner lane before accessing the slip road, which is highly dangerous".
Money has been set aside to start planning a new road from Midleton to Youghal, which will bypass the gridlocked villages of Castlemartyr and Killeagh.
However, this is not expected to be completed for a number of years, with some councillors suggesting they “will be pushing up daisies” before it happens.
Fine Gael councillor Michael Hegarty suggested planners should first consider building small relief roads around villages, designed so they can later be incorporated into the wider network.
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Cork County Council's senior official for roads and transportation projects, Padraig Barrett, said it could take up to five years just to get the preliminary designs in place for this project. The council is starting to carry out traffic volume studies along that route.
A number of traffic studies are under way on the Midleton-Carrigtwohill dual carriageway and adjoining roads. The findings will feed into an overall plan for the route, including links to the proposed new road between Midleton and Youghal.
Mr Hegarty, Fine Gael's leader on the council, said they had repeatedly requested that the National Transport Authority meet with councillors to discuss the wide-ranging transportations issues in the region, but the NTA had declined to do so.
Social Democrats councillor Eamonn Horgan, an engineer based in Midleton, has in recent months highlighted projected population growth in the area.
He pointed to County Development Plan figures forecasting significant growth in Midleton, Carrigtwohill, and surrounding villages, warning of the urgent need to tackle what he described as substandard road infrastructure.
He described the situation as “a perfect storm”.
Census 2022 figures put Midleton’s population at 13,906, and Carrigtwohill at 5,568. By the time the new dual carriageway is built, the former is expected to more than double and the latter to more than treble.
Mr Horgan said the only realistic short-term solution was a strong, reliable, and frequent Local Link bus service.
Cork County Council has written to transport minister Darragh O’Brien and the NTA seeking funding to expand the service into a multi-frequency, daily operation.
Meanwhile, Cork County mayor Mary Linehan-Foley said a complete overhaul of public transport was needed to avoid further traffic disruption.
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