Folks: The National Roads Authority in Ireland are testing a new road layout between Mallow and Cork, this involves 2 lanes in one direction and 1 in the other, the laout swaps around every few Kilometres. If successful it will be rolled out around the country. The idea is to reduce the likelihood of head on collisions. While the layout has no great impact on cycling other than to increase the impatience of drivers caught on the 1 lane stretches, Cork County Council took away what had been a wide, level hard shoulder and left a little 6 inch strip in it's place. This has the added hazard of a 6 inch or more drop onto the grass, mud or hardcore along the edge. Keep an eye out for other stretches of this type of road being introduced in your area and protest immediately if it means the reduction of cycling access; this has more less killed off what had been a useful training or leisure route here in Cork.
Folks: The National Roads Authority in Ireland are testing a new road layout between Mallow and Cork, this involves 2 lanes in one direction and 1 in the other, the laout swaps around every few Kilometres. If successful it will be rolled out around the country. The idea is to reduce the likelihood of head on collisions. While the layout has no great impact on cycling other than to increase the impatience of drivers caught on the 1 lane stretches, Cork County Council took away what had been a wide, level hard shoulder and left a little 6 inch strip in it's place. This has the added hazard of a 6 inch or more drop onto the grass, mud or hardcore along the edge. Keep an eye out for other stretches of this type of road being introduced in your area and protest immediately if it means the reduction of cycling access; this has more less killed off what had been a useful training or leisure route here in Cork.
Happy Christmas to everyone!!
Cod,
Thanks for this update. I know this road very very well and I think the NRA's "solution" is a stop gap finger in the dyke-type catch all. The road from Limerick to Charleville is ok in stretches but Charleville to Mallow via Buttevant is very very dangerous.
Mallow - Cork is a very busy road at the best of times. This solution is no good for cycling.
