The Kinsale Road Interchange is located approximately 2.5 kilometres south of Cork City centre at the intersection of the N25 Cork South Ring Road and the N27 Kinsale (Airport) Road. The Kinsale Road Roundabout is linked to the city centre via the N27 South City Link Road. The Cork South Ring Road facilitates the movement of westbound and eastbound traffic south of Cork City bypassing the city centre.
It provides a high quality route from the North and East (N8 Dublin Road, N25 Waterford / Rosslare Road and N28 Ringaskiddy Road) via the Jack Lynch tunnel to the South and West (N22 Ballincollig Bypass, N71 Bandon Road and N27 Kinsale / Airport Road) of the county.
The Kinsale Road Roundabout was identified as a major bottleneck on this route causing traffic congestion and increased travel times. The main benefit of the scheme will be the removal of this traffic congestion and significant saving in travel times. Other benefits will include the scope to accommodate future growth in traffic (particularly significant given the projected growth in passenger numbers at Cork Airport) and a reduction in accident rates experienced on the existing roundabout.
Planning and Design Preliminary design and statutory procedures for the scheme were undertaken by Arup Consulting Engineers and staff at the National Roads Office in Glanmire. Arup Consulting Engineers were then appointed to complete detailed design and contract documentation.
Scheme Description:
The scheme is 2.4 km in length and includes an eight metre high fly-over carrying the N25 Cork South Ring Road over the existing Kinsale Road Roundabout in an east west direction. The flyover comprises of two traffic lanes and a hard shoulder for westbound traffic with three traffic lanes provided for eastbound traffic. The scheme also involved the construction of slip roads onto and off the South Ring Road, realignment of the subsidiary roads approaching and leaving the roundabout, as well as a realignment of the existing roundabout itself. The scheme extends from the eastern boundary of Vernon Mount to the Pouladuff overbridge crossing of the Cork South Ring Road.
Construction:
The Kinsale Road Interchange Scheme was carried out as a design and build contract. Following the tender process the contract was awarded to Ascon Construction Ltd. and their designers, Mott MacDonald EPO Ltd. Works began on site in June 2005 and have now been substantially completed, a full six months ahead of schedule.
Future Works:
Further improvements to the N25 South Ring Road will continue with grade separation of the existing junctions at the Sarsfield Road Roundabout and the Bandon Road Roundabout.
Advance accommodation works are currently being carried out, detailed site investigation works will be carried out in 2007 with the construction to commence under the governments Transport 21 Programme.
Finance:
The Scheme was funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000 - 2006 and part financed by the European Union. The overall project cost is just under €50 million.
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