Plans in place for €100m road and new bridge for Cobh
Belvelly Bridge could be replaced under a new plan. Picture Denis Minihane
Mon, 22 Mar, 2021
Sean O’Riordan
After years of waiting, plans are finally to be drawn up to build a €100m new road into Cobh, Co Cork, and to replace the only road bridge into the area in order to provide security of movement.
Plans are also being advanced to complete the northern relief road in Midleton and work will get under way next month on construction of the western relief road in Carrigaline.
Cobh and the Great Island, with a population of more than 13,000 people, can only be accessed via Belvelly Bridge, which has been subject to closure in the past due to tidal flooding and fallen trees.
Pádraig Barrett, the county council's director of roads, said a tender for a design brief for the upgrading of the R624 into Cobh will be advertised shortly and it is expected the plans will be completed within the next two years.
It is envisaged that the project will be broken up into sections, but the bridge replacement will be given priority.
Cobh could not be accessed by road until the bridge was constructed in 1803.
“It would be important to provide this [new bridge] in terms of safety and access to the island, “ Mr Barrett said.
An upgrade of the Tullegreine junction, at the Carrigtwohill end of the R624 will be another priority.
A business case is being put to Government by the county council for the whole project and Mr Barrett pointed out this was being in part driven by the Port of Cork's ambitious plans to carry out a major redevelopment of the former IFI plant at Marino Point.
He said discussions are ongoing with the Department of Transport in relation to the much-needed upgrade of the whole road.
The project will be initially funded by Cork County Council through the Social Sustainability Investment Programme.
Meanwhile, plans are being advanced for the completion of the northern relief road in Midleton. This will see it being connected to the main road to Youghal/Waterford on the eastern side of the town.
Mr Barrett said the “big challenge” in the plan will be creating a new junction on the N25 to link to the relief road. Discussions are ongoing between the council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on this.
It is expected the plan for the route corridor will go out to public consultation later this year, with construction expected to get under way in 2022, subject to planning approval and government funding.
Mr Barrett said contractor BAM Civil Ltd are expected to start work on the €7.48m Carrigaline Western Relief Road next month and it is expected to take 18 months to complete.
The work will include developing a new bridge over the Owenabue river and a new pedestrian walkway/cycleway When the project is completed it will open up a lot of land for development adjacent to the town's Main Street.
Four route options are currently being looked at for an upgrade of the Carrigtwohill-Mildeton dual carriageway.
Mr Barrett said it's hoped the preferred route for this project will become known sometime in May.