Congested Mahon off-ramp set for major extension
Blackrock At Larry Informal Shoulder The Jacob’s File Ramp Times, Traffic Off Junction N40 For As Hard Is At To Mahon An 10 Exit Used And Cummins Westbound Queuing Peak Picture: Island, For
One of the most congested off-ramps on Cork’s busiest road is set for a major extension in a bid to improve road safety and reduce the risk of collisions involving queuing traffic.
Plans for a near 1km extension of the N40 South Ring Road’s westbound off-ramp at junction 10 Mahon have been published for public consultation, with submissions invited.
If Part 8 planning is approved, it is expected the work could take up to four months to complete.
At peak times, the N40 hard shoulder at junction 10 is used as an informal off-ramp for westbound traffic queuing to exit for Jacob’s Island, Mahon and Blackrock.
But the off-ramp is relatively short and the queuing traffic heading to Mahon often spills onto the adjacent hard shoulder.
Engineers say this practice is undesirable both for motorists queuing on the hard shoulder and for motorists continuing westbound along the N40.
“The hard shoulder was not designed for this purpose, and it is anticipated that traffic queuing may become more frequent after the Dunkettle Interchange is fully operational if the proposed safety interventions are not carried out,” they said.
To address the issue, engineers have prepared plans to reallocate the existing westbound road space on the approaches to junction 10, by expanding the existing lanes into the central median and converting a 750m section of the existing hard shoulder into a formal purpose-built off-ramp.
There are also plans to replace the existing open box beams safety barrier in the area, with an upgraded safety barrier system along a 1.3km stretch in the works area.
The planning documents say the project will increase road safety for westbound motorists exiting at junction 10 and those continuing westbound along the N40, will improve traffic flow, and reduce the risk of collisions.
Junction 10 provides connectivity to Blackrock, Mahon, and Jacob’s Island, with an average of 32,040 eastbound traffic movements and 31,662 westbound traffic movements daily.
Submissions on the scheme will be accepted on the council's consultation website until June 14, after which a report will be prepared for councillors, who will vote on whether to proceed with the scheme or not.
Meanwhile, work on the Dunkettle Interchange is continuing, with surfacing works south of the N25 due to finish this week.
The final wearing course of the road surface in this area will not be laid until finishing works, including the erection of a safety barrier and road kerbing, have been completed.
Surfacing works are also taking place this week on a section of the M8 southbound, close to the approaches to the tunnel.