Night-time works blitz to finish €215m Dunkettle project by end of February
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A night-time working blitz is planned right across next week to help finish the massive €215m Dunkettle interchange road project in Cork within the next few weeks.
Engineers are focusing on completing Link C — the new route for N25 westbound traffic wishing to head north onto the M8.
However, a range of localised resurfacing works and specialised water-proofing works are also required at a number of specific sites across the vast construction site before the scheme is deemed fully complete.
A contract for the first phase of the scheme was awarded in 2018, but the project was delayed when the state and the contractor, Sisks, failed to agree a price on the second main phase.
While ground investigation works continued, it was October 2020 before the main construction contact was awarded to Sisks. Work has been ongoing across the site for the last four years.
And while there is no official confirmation yet of a completion date, it is understood that engineers are working towards a target opening ceremony the week of February 12.
“These works are being progressed under night-time working in order to minimise disruption to traffic,” a spokesman said.
Waterproofing works at structure ST15 — a bridge that carries the N25 eastbound over the Cork to Midleton railway line — and which were initially planned for last weekend, are underway, with the N25 eastbound reduced to one lane until lunchtime on Sunday.
The spokesman advised motorists to allow additional time for their journeys in this area during peak periods on Saturday.
“Overall, works remain on track for completion by the due date of February 2024,” he said.
Over the last four years, the engineers have built 18 new link roads covering some 10km.
They have built some 150,000sq m of new pavement area, moved 1,000,000m3 of earth — enough to fill 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools, poured 25,000 m3 of structural concrete poured, and installed 22,500m of drainage pipes.
A total of 180 people were employed at the peak of construction.
The Dunkettle interchange is one of the busiest junctions in Ireland, and had become a notorious bottleneck.
The upgrade is designed to provide a full free-flow experience through the junction.
Six link roads opened across one weekend last July as traffic lights were switched off to give motorists their first experience of a fully free-flow junction since the Jack Lynch tunnel was opened in 1999.
Four additional link roads were opened last August.