Full Documents Now Available

You can now view all the documentation associated with the N25 Dungarvan Bypass. It includes the Route Selection Report (in Word and PDF), The Enviromental Report (divided into chapters), the Traffic Assessment, the Cost Benefit Analysis report, the Road Safety Report and all associated Figures and Drawings.

Introduction

The N25 is a National Primary Route from Cork to Rosslare Harbour, which connects destinations such as Cork, Midleton, Youghal, Dungarvan, Waterford, New Ross, Wexford and Rosslare and also interlinks with other national, regional and local road networks.  As part of the Atlantic Corridor Waterford County Council in partnership with the National Roads Authority is promoting a scheme to upgrade approximately 16km of the N25/E30 National Primary Route around Dungarvan.

Need for the Scheme

The need to upgrade the N25/E30, as part of the Atlantic Corridor, has been identified in Transport 21, the National Development Plan, the National Spatial Strategy and the Dungarvan Town and Waterford County Development Plans.

This section of the N25 is a single carriageway road with hard shoulders of various widths and climbing lanes. Safe overtaking opportunities are restricted due to alignment, minor junctions, private accesses and busy period traffic. A dual carriageway would be safer and would lead to significantly shorter travel times. The section of the N25/E30 at the Pike has been identified by the NRA as a high accident location (NRA High Accident Locations, 1996-2000). Predicted traffic volumes east & west of Dungarvan are at levels which are above the design capacity of the existing cross-section of the N25/E30 to give the required Level of Service. Subsequently the Level of Service is below the minimum set down in government policy in the National Road Needs Study and recent National Development Plan (2007-2013). The N25/E30 Dungarvan Outer Bypass must be to dual carriageway standard to achieve the level of service on the network and Department of Transport policy for the Atlantic Corridor, that all new build sections of the route must be dual.

Options Considered

All options considered generally follow the same broad outlines. Travelling from west to east they commence on the existing N25/E30 in the townland of Barranalira  approximately 5 km southwest of Dungarvan town. The routes head in a northerly   direction, crossing the Brickey River. The routes cross both the N72 and the R672 before continuing in a northerly, easterly or north-easterly direction, depending on which option. Three further rivers are crossed the Colligan, Glendine and Dalligan before the routes rejoin the existing N25/E30, either in the townland of Shanbally approximately 7 km north east of Dungarvan or in the area known as the Pike.

Below is a summary of each routes length, type, and road and river crossings.

Route Option 1
The length of this route option, including an upgrade to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Barranalira and Windgap, is 15.59 km and it will cross 17 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 2
The length of this route option, including an upgrade to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Barranalira and Windgap, is 16.61 km and it will cross 18 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 3
The length of this route option, including an upgrade to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Barranalira and Windgap, is 16.75 km and it will cross 17 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 4
The length of this route option, including upgrades to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Windgap and Barranalira and between Garraunbaun and Shanbally, is 16.52 km and it will cross 15 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 5
The length of this route option, including upgrades to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Windgap and Barranalira and between Garraunbaun and Shanbally, is 17.96 km and it will cross 14 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national primary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 6
The total length of this route option is approximately 15.88 km and it will cross 17 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 6_1
The length of this route option, including upgrade to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Windgap and Barranalira is approximately 15.84 km and it will cross 18 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 7
The length of this route option, including the upgrade to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Garraunbaun and Shanbally, is 16.81 km and it will cross 15 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 8
The length of this route option, including the upgrade to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Garraunbaun and Shanbally, is 18.23 km and it will cross 14 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national primary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 9
The length of this route option, including upgrades to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Windgap and Barranalira and between Garraunbaun and Shanbally, is 17.53 km and it will cross 16 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Route Option 10
The length of this route option, including upgrades to dual carriageway type 2 of the existing N25/E30 between Windgap and Barranalira and between Garraunbaun and Shanbally, is 17.67 km and it will cross 15 local roads, 1 regional road, 1 national secondary road and 4 rivers.

Preferred Route Corridor

Overall Route Option 6_1 has been determined to be the most appropriate route corridor for the development of the scheme following appraisals in terms of environmental, engineering impacts, traffic and economics.

Many different aspects have been taken into account during the route option appraisal, these include, in no particular order:

• Archaeology and Built Heritage
• Air Quality, Noise and Vibrations
• Landscape and Visual
• Hydrology and Drainage
• Engineering Aspects
• Land Use and Land Take, including impacts on Agriculture, Planning, Socio-Economics, Residential and other Property
  Geology and Hydrogeology
• Ecology, Natural Environment and Biodiversity
• Traffic Flows and Forecasts
• Scheme Economics
• Safety such as potential for accident reduction and security of pedestrians and cyclists

The Emerging Preferred Route Corridor may be subject to change during future stages of design.

Environmental Appraisal: it is clear for ecological reasons Routes 4, 7, 9 and 10 are likely to have significant impacts, therefore this group of routes should not be brought forward. Of the remaining routes, none of the topics identified any major constraining factors and all routes could all potentially be taken forward for consideration at EIA stage. In terms of overall environmental impact route option 6_1 performed best.

Engineering Appraisal: the engineering appraisal indicates that all eleven route options are feasible in terms of construction. Overall route option 6_1 was judged the most preferred route option after appraisal.

Economic Appraisal: the economic appraisal indicates that route option 6_1 has the best positive Benefit to Cost Ratio. It is therefore economically viable.