Booming Midleton will 'stagnate' without better infrastructure, say locals as road upgrade stalls 

It caused consternation amongst senior county council officials, public representatives for the region and locals.

The N25 upgrade was identified as a crucial infrastructure project more than 20 years ago along with the development of the IDA site at Ballyadam (frequently referred to as the Amgen site).

The upgrade was postponed following the global economic downturn of 2008.

In 2020 the scheme was back on government plans, much to the relief of the council and TII. The project is listed in the National Development Plan 2018-2027.

Currently, the 5km dual carriageway section is, according to TII, “of a lower standard than the rest of the N25 from Cork to Carrigtwohill.” The road carries more than 40,000 vehicles on it daily and there are numerous junctions, median crossing points, and direct access points along this section.

Planners say the benefits of upgrading the section are reduced congestion, quicker journey times, improved journey reliability, and higher levels of road safety on the route.

Funding

Midleton-based Fine Gael councillor Susan McCarthy said for some “inexplicable reason” the upgrade scheme did not secure government funding to even progress the project planning and design stages.

“Around €1.25m of taxpayer money has been spent on this to date. If this study is not reinstated, that funding will be wasted and the entire project would have to be recommenced at a date in the future,” she said.

The N25 has not been upgraded since it was built more than four decades ago. Traffic on this stretch is well over capacity.

It’s unrealistic to think we can do without an up to standard road network in rural Ireland. 

"Of course, we recognise the role of improved rail service, public transport, and multimodal transport in alleviating the pressure on our roads, but the bottom line is the rail corridor was never intended to replace the road network, but rather to complement it,” said Ms McCarthy, whose family runs a newsagent’s in Midleton’s main street. 

The current road hazards in the area are plain for all to see. There’s a very short slip road onto the Cork-bound lane off the flyover on the western side of the town, from which emerging cars have very little time to get onto the dual carriageway safely.

There have been several rear-endings as a result of this, Ms McCarthy says, pointing out that her own father was a victim of one of these all too numerous incidents.

Worse still, is the slip road in the same area that comes off the Cork side of the N25 into the town. It used to be just at peak times that traffic would back up on the inside lane of the N25 before being able to turn onto the dedicated slip. That’s now becoming more common at other times of the day.

The traffic can often back up to the Waterrock area, causing serious safety concerns and congestion.

There’s also no proper lighting on the flyover and a footpath so narrow it can't accommodate buggies or wheelchairs.

It seems incredible in this day and age that this still hasn’t been rectified, especially as a large number of children now cross the flyover to and from Gaelscoil Mainistir na Corann.

“We’re trying to encourage cycling and investment in cycle networks, yet this key link from school and the large residential area at nearby Baneshane to town has been ignored for years as was to be addressed with the upgrade,” Mr McCarthy said.

Impacts of inadequate infrastructure

The inadequate infrastructure is likely to have other impacts. The local authority has a masterplan to create around 2,500 houses, a school, shops etc at Waterrock, to the west of the town.

This will significantly increase traffic on an already congested N25 and on local roads.

Ironically, one massive road upgrade which is progressing is likely to further exacerbate traffic problems in the Midleton and Carrigtwohill areas.

Both Ms McCarthy and Carrigtwohill-based Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry said the upgrade at the Jack Lynch Tunnel interchange is going to speed up the volume of traffic coming their way.

They claim this will lead to a “bottleneck effect” at the Cobh, Carrigtwohill and Midleton N25 exits which all remain substandard and increase the likelihood of more accidents.

Midleton Chamber president Adrianna Hegarty said she’s hearing on a “weekly basis” concern from residents and businesses about the decaying infrastructure which is not designed to support an increasing population.

Ms Hegarty, an auctioneer, predicts the lack of infrastructure will prohibit development of the area. 

“We know regional development is  a priority for the government. However, regional development will stagnate without proper infra-structure in place, and the road network is currently not fit for purpose. It is quite literally prohibiting the development potential of East Cork,” Ms Hegarty said.

“Already in the Midleton area we have noticed significant traffic issues which are only going to worsen as new developments have been announced within the radius of Midleton town centre. It is of great importance that infrastructure can support the influx of more traffic,” she said.

One woman who wants to sell her large house to downsize is unable to do so because she’s in the corridor which is still 'sterilised' in case the road upgrade actually goes ahead someday. Houses can’t be built within it and she can’t sell hers because nobody wants to buy it in case it’s the subject of a CPO and has to be demolished.

Theresa Tobin lives in Banshane, around 100m from the N25. She’s lived there 23 years but has been on her own for the last six years since her husband, Edmond, died.

“I was in the process of selling it, but the people pulled out because of the uncertainty about the road upgrade,” Ms Tobin said.

“I don’t know if it's going to be CPO’d and it’s still in the designated sterilisation zone. A number of other householders are in the same boat as me. It has been very frustrating. I’m not getting anywhere with it,” she said.