N5 Charlestown Bypass
Length of Project: 18.75 km. Map
Carriageway Type: Single Carriageway (Diagram)
Current Status of the Scheme: Phase 6.
2007 Grant Allocation: €33,000,000.
2008 Grant Allocation: €5,000,000.
This Project is funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007 - 2013 and is not financed by the European Union.
Introduction
National Road Needs Study. The N5 Charlestown Bypass was identified as having a Phase 1 priority, needing improvement and requiring upgrading to a standard 2-lane with hard shoulder cross section. The current Mayo County Development Plan 2003-2009 has stated in its transportation policy its objective to complete the improvements to the national routes and to continue to improve these routes as finance permits. It is also an objective of the Roscommon County Development Plan 2002 to implement improvement proposals to upgrade the National Primary Road between Tarmonbarry and Mayo County boundary. The N5 Charlestown Bypass project is consistent with these policies.
The Ireland National Development Plan 2000-2006 has identified the N5 as requiring further major improvements, as part of its development strategy for national primary and national secondary roads. The Government's policy in the National Development Plan is to provide a high quality of service on the national road network.
The National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 recognizes the need to provide good quality road and public transport connections between Dublin, Galway, Mayo and Sligo and identifies 2 strategic radial corridors and 1 strategic linking corridor within County Mayo. These corridors will assist in promoting development within the West Region between the Gateways of Galway, Sligo and Athlone and the linked Hub of Castlebar and Ballina. The proposed N5 Charlestown Bypass is a fundamental element of this strategy.
Transport 21 is a government sponsored policy which seeks to provide an integrated solution to Ireland's current and evolving transport needs that will underpin the country's competitiveness, promote balanced regional growth and enhance the quality of life for generations to come. It has identified a number of national routes for development and includes the N5.
The horizontal and vertical alignments of the existing N5 road provide a stopping and passing sight distance which is completely inadequate for the permitted maximum speed limits over much of the route. There are continuous centerline road markings over 56% of the length of the rural section of the existing alignment. As presently aligned, the maximum safe speed along the rural section would be about 65km/hr. The inadequate cross-section along most of the rural sections of road causes a particular traffic hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.
Local traffic hazards include Cuilmore National School, located 7km west of Charlestown with direct access onto the N5. Numerous representations have been made to Mayo County Council expressing concerns for the safety of children attending this school. School warning signs and flashing warning lights have been erected on the approaches to the school. A hard shoulder has been developed east of the school on the south side of the existing road for a distance of 330m to improve the safety of children walking to school.
Other significant developments outside the speed limits of Charlestown and Carracastle with direct access onto the N5 include a Public house, Nursing home, Commercial vehicles centre and a Soccer pitch.
Significant developments within Charlestown include a Church, Primary and Secondary schools, Football pitch, Factory, Fire station, Community care centre, Pastoral centre and Housing estates, all with direct access onto the N5 National Primary Route. Also there is the intersection of two National Primaries, the N5 and N17.
Significant developments within the village of Carracastle include a Church (St. James's R.C), Burial ground, Housing estate and Community centre, all with direct access onto the N5 National Primary Route.
The rural sections of the existing route are deficient in traffic capacity due to the proliferation of vehicular entrances (commercial, residential and agricultural) and inadequacies in cross section and alignment. In the Urban sections at Charlestown traffic congestion at certain periods would indicate that the present road is at its full capacity during these times. Any further increases in traffic volumes will cause further congestion and delays.
There is considerable road frontage development onto the N5 National Primary Route within the broad study area - 121 dwelling house accesses, 25 other accesses and 32 road junctions. In addition there are 193 field/farm accesses onto the existing N5, which is expected as the area traverses a predominately agricultural region.
Progress to Date:
Project Planning (Phase 1 to Phase 3):
In accordance with the requirements of the NRA National Roads Project Management Guidelines, Phase 1-Initial Project Planning the need for the N5 / N17 Charlestown Bypass project was agreed between Mayo County Council and the National Roads Authority.
Having established the need for the project, Phase 2-Constraints Study commenced in April 2000 when a Study Area was identified and information was gathered in relation to the various constraints that exist within this area which could affect the design and location of the project.
A Constraint Study Report was published in June 2000 to assist and enlighten the route selection process.Having identified the various constraints located within the Study Area, Phase 3-Route Corridor Selection of the process commenced when viable route option corridors were selected. A public presentation of the various route option corridors was held on 13th and 14th of December 2000 in Charlestown and the public were invited to attend, provided with Route Option Corridor brochures and questionnaires and invited to assist in selecting the emerging preferred routes by completing the accompanying questionnaires. The public were also encouraged to submit written submissions to supplement their views expressed in the questionnaires, if they wished to do so.
The various route option corridors were evaluated and a draft Route Selection Report was prepared identifying the emerging Preferred Route Corridors for the N5 and the N17. These Preferred Route Corridors were presented to the Elected Members of Mayo County Council for their information before a public presentation of the Preferred Route Corridors was held on 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th of July 2001 in Curry, Carracastle and Charlestown, respectively. Affected landowners, interested groups and members of the public were invited to attend, provided with Preferred Route Corridor brochures and encouraged to submit written submissions, if they wished to do so. Following the public consultations and a review of submissions, a Route Selection Report was prepared, submitted to and approved by Mayo County Council in October 2001. The report was submitted to the NRA in January 2002 and approved in May 2002.
Preliminary Design & Statutory Procedures (Phase 4):
Following a review by the National Roads Authority, the N5 and N17 Charlestown Bypass projects were decoupled and priority was given to advancing the N5 Charlestown Bypass Scheme in January 2002.Approval was granted by the NRA for the N5 Charlestown Bypass Scheme to proceed to Phase 4-Preliminary Design & Statutory Procedures and this stage of the process included the following:
Preliminary Design of Horizontal and Vertical Alignments
Preparation of Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), Deposit Mapping, Schedules and Notices.Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Publication of CPO and EIS
Approval was granted by the NRA in January 2004 to publish the CPO, Deposit Mapping, Schedules, Notices and the EIS.
The Compulsory Purchase Order for the project was signed on 25th February 2004. A notice in the prescribed form was published in the Western People and the Roscommon Herald on 10th March 2004. The closing date for receipt of any objections to the Compulsory Purchase Order and/or Extinguishment of Rights of Way was 28th April 2004 and these objections were referred to An Bord Pleanála (The Planning Appeals Board ).
The Environmental Impact Statement was submitted to An Bord Pleanála and following this a public notice relating to the preparation of an EIS was published in the local and national press in March 2004. Written submissions in relation to the likely effects on the environment of the proposed road development were made to An Bord Pleanála before 12th May 2004.
An Oral hearing was held in the TF Royal Hotel, Castlebar, Co.Mayo on the 17th, 18th & 19th August 2004 to hear any objections in relation to the Compulsory Purchase Order and to the Environmental Impact Statement. An Bord Pleanála approved the project on 10th November 2004.
Construction (Phase 5 to Phase 7):
Following the approval by An Bord Pleanála of the CPO, Notices to Enter and Notices to Treat were issued to all landowners in February 2005.
The first stage of construction work for the new road was the erection of the temporary fencelines by Mayo County Council staff and public contract, which took place from April to September 2005. Archaeological test trenching along the line of the new road was carried during the Spring and Summer of 2005, also by Mayo County Council staff.Advanced contracts for some of the Temporary Fencing and for the Ecology were also carried out throughout 2005. The detailed design and construction of the project was proposed to be developed by a Design Build Contract and invitation to tender for the work was advertised in March 2005. The contract was awarded to SIAC Wills Joint Venture Ltd.
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen T.D. performed the ceremonial sod turning in Carracastle on 20th February 2006. This signalled the commencement of the Design & Execute phase of the project. The contractors SIAC Wills JV were given notice to commence on site on 27th March 2006. The Contract period ends in December 2007. The Minister for Transport Mr Dempsey has announced the official road opening for Friday October 26th. The road will be named the "John Healy Road".
SIAC Wills JV is the Contractor for the Design & Execute phase of the project. Design in this sense means putting the detail to the design which has emerged after the public consultation process and statutory procedures, including Compulsory Purchase Order and Environmental Impact Statement, undertaken by the Mayo County Council's National Road Design Office in Castlebar and Client's Engineer Ryan Hanley WSP. This detail design is carried out in accordance with strict criteria laid down by the Employer and in accordance with the highest international standards.
This detail design which is being carried out by RPS Consulting Engineers on behalf of SIAC Wills JV initially concentrated on the final road alignment, embankment, drainage and bridge designs and the remaining design progressed in tandem with the construction works on site.
The Works include 7 principal bridge structures, a number of river culverts, 2 grade separated junctions, 7 at-grade junctions, 4 at-grade roundabouts, approximately 2.4km of farm accommodation roads and the diversion of existing public and privately owned services and utilities. The construction of the final principal bridge structure at the intersection of the existing N17 and the new N5 National Primary Routes is currently underway.
The earthworks for the project are substantially complete at this stage and construction of the pavement is ongoing.
Links
Preliminary Design Drawings
Contact details of Contractor/Designer
Site Office Location Map
Contact details of Project Liaison Officer
PhotosContact information:
If you have any queries or comments to make in relation to the above project, if you require further information or if you wish to make an appointment please contact the following;
Richard Glancy S.E.E.
Mayo National Roads Design Office,
Mayo County Council,
Glenparke House, The Mall,
Castlebar,County Mayo.Phone: (094) 9047629; Fax: 094 34525
Eamon Lydon,
Project Liaison Officer,
Mayo National Roads Design Office,
Mayo County Council,
Glenparke House, The Mall,
Castlebar, County Mayo.Phone: (094) 9047632; Fax: 094 34525
SIAC Wills Joint Venture Ltd,
N5 Charlestown Bypass Project Office,
Ballyhaunis Road,
Charlestown,
County Mayo.Phone: (094) 9255344; Fax: (094) 9255842
Opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Click here to view a map showing the location of the office.
Publications:
Information Brochures
Information leaflets/brochures and questionnaires are issued periodically to inform the public on the progress of the project and to assist us in assessing the public reaction to the project. Click on any of the following to view the leaflet or brochure:Constraints Study Brochure
Route Options Brochure
Preferred Route BrochureReports:
Reports are prepared at various stages of the project in accordance with the requirements of the NRA National Roads Project Management Guidelines.
The published versions are available for viewing or purchase at the Mayo National Roads Design Office (see contact page). The EIS, Plans and Illustrations can be purchased for €50.00. An electronic copy of the documents is available on CD, €**
Alternatively, the text of the reports may be downloaded here. Please note that the following .pdf files may not include all of the appendices, maps and diagrams contained in the published version in order to reduce the file size for downloading.Click on any of the following to view the report:
Constraints Study Report
Route Selection Report
Preliminary Design Report
Deposit Mapping
Landowner Schedules etc.
EIS Report
Inspector's Report
Public Information Notices
First Public Consultation
Second Public Consultation
Notice of CPO & EIS Publication
CPO Notices
EIS Notices
Various Orders
Press Releases
Press Release No. 1
Press Release No. 2Other Relevant Information:
If you have an interest in other aspects of road planning or construction click here to view some of the publications contained within this website. Alternatively, you can visit the National Roads Authority website to view their comprehensive library of publications.
Archaeology:
During the planning and preliminary design stage (Phase 1 to Phase 4) of the project, no on-site intrusive archaeological investigations take place. This occurs during the construction stage of the project (Phase 5 to Phase 7) and generally occurs in advance of the main construction contract.
However, a combination of desk-top and non-destructive field assessments of known archaeological sites occur during Phase 1 to Phase 4. If you wish to view this information, please refer to the Constraints Study Report, the Route Selection Report and the Environmental Impact Statement, where appropriate.
