Milestone for Dunkettle with free-flow driving to commence on Sunday
Sisk staff Evelyn Horgan and Cait Lonergan with the model of the Dunkettle interchange road , looking northwards showing the red parts which will open over the weekend. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
A number of new road links are due to open in the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme this weekend, allowing motorists to experience their first full free-flowing drive through the upgraded interchange.
The new traffic flow arrangements will be established from Sunday, a key milestone in the €215 million interchange overhaul.
Several link roads have opened since February 2022 when the first link road to open took M8 southbound traffic on a new route to the tunnel. Last year, three links opened in October 2022 along with four the following month. In February of this year, another link road into Little Island was opened.
- Link B, which will provide a free-flow link for traffic on the N40 northbound wishing to access the N25/N8 westbound towards Cork city centre;
- Link F, which will provide a new free-flow link for N8/N25 eastbound traffic wishing to access the Jack Lynch Tunnel;
- Link J, which will accommodate N25 westbound traffic wishing to access Little Island;
- Link K, which will provide a new free-flow link for N25 westbound traffic wishing to access the Jack Lynch Tunnel;
- Link L, which will provide access to Link K from Little Island and will cater to Little Island traffic wishing to access the Jack Lynch Tunnel;
- Link M, which will accommodate Little Island traffic wishing to access the N25 westbound.
As part of the link opening on Sunday morning, the majority of the traffic lights at the Interchange Roundabout will be removed but the light at the northwest corner of the Interchange Roundabout will remain in place for a number of months as this light is required to facilitate access to the works areas while the remaining links are completed.
Prior to the multiple link road openings on Sunday, traffic on the N25 westbound wishing to head to the M8 northbound / Dublin, via the Tivoli / Glanmire Roundabout and free-flow Link U will be diverted.
This temporary diversion will be in place from 5am on Friday morning and will be in place until Link C opens to traffic later in 2023.
In the short term, after the links open, Link M will also temporarily accommodate Little Island traffic wishing to access the M8 northbound. This route will be facilitated by the Tivoli/Glanmire Roundabout and free-flow Link U and will be in place until Link C and Link P opens to traffic later in 2023.
In order to facilitate enabling works prior to the link openings, the R623 will also be permanently closed from approximately 8pm on Thursday.
Following on from this closure and until the new links are opened on Sunday morning, Little Island traffic wishing to access either the Jack Lynch Tunnel, the city centre, or the M8 via the N25 should use the Little Island Interchange.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland said it is working closely with contractor John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Ltd. in relation to the upcoming weekend works and the expectation is that the opening of the links on Sunday will facilitate bringing the scheme to substantial completion.
The project team will be monitoring all changes live and will adjust plans as may be required to minimise the traffic impact over the coming days.
App?
