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Ritchie333 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 04, 2022 20:04
I don't see why they couldn't just build effectively a Newry Southern Bypass, linking the A1 to the A2, going roughly from somewhere around the B113 junction to just south of Newry Airstrip. That would solve any traffic problems and all be in one country.
They will and the two projects are not mutually exclusive. The Narrow Water bridge is a tourist/car bridge which will knock 10 miles of a journey. The Newry southern bypass will be for HGVs etc. However, it will cost a small fortune owing to the engineering required.
Are there any plans to improve access to the bridge on the Louth side? The A2 on the Down side will provide good access to the bridge but on the Omeath side, unless a link over to the A1/N1 is under consideration, this bridge will surely dump a fair amount of new traffic on unsuitable roads as people try to get where they really want to go, which is unlikely to be the Cooley peninsula itself I would imagine.
murphaph wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 07:47
Are there any plans to improve access to the bridge on the Louth side? The A2 on the Down side will provide good access to the bridge but on the Omeath side, unless a link over to the A1/N1 is under consideration, this bridge will surely dump a fair amount of new traffic on unsuitable roads as people try to get where they really want to go, which is unlikely to be the Cooley peninsula itself I would imagine.
There's two bridges planned - the one at Narrow Water to link Omeath and Warrenpoint, and one at the other end of the A2 dual carriageway section, to bypass Newry to the south and link to the A1
I wonder what specific journeys the narrow water bridge is designed to cater for? I suspect there isn't a great amount of existing traffic between Omeath and Warrenpoint, precisely because they are separated and have always been separated by a river. Is its value more symbolic than practical I wonder?
murphaph wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 09:42
I wonder what specific journeys the narrow water bridge is designed to cater for? I suspect there isn't a great amount of existing traffic between Omeath and Warrenpoint, precisely because they are separated and have always been separated by a river. Is its value more symbolic than practical I wonder?
There's the existing ferry between Greenore and Greencastle which presumably will cease with the opening of the new bridge.... but yes, I think that it is something of more symbolic than practical value, provided that the bridge closer to Newry actually opens (I try and avoid driving through the centre of Newry like the plague, with the awful traffic signals by Buttercrane) - so would be tempted by coming down from Newcastle and crossing at Narrow Water Bridge and then heading round the south of Cooley rather than facing those at rush hour.
I hope for the residents on the Omeath side that the Newry relief road actually gets built because in its absence I see a lot of traffic using the bridge to get on to the N1 southbound and vice versa. If I was coming from anywhere south of the Mournes I would take the Narrow water bridge to avoid Newry like the plague as long as the relief road is not built. That's going to be an interesting turn of events because the Irish govt. presumably has no influence whatsoever over the building of then Newry relief road. I wonder was the Narrow water crossing proposed in the knowledge that a Newry relief road was already planned, hence no plans to get traffic from Omeath to the N1 from the Narrow Water bridge.
murphaph wrote: ↑Sat Nov 19, 2022 12:33
I hope for the residents on the Omeath side that the Newry relief road actually gets built because in its absence I see a lot of traffic using the bridge to get on to the N1 southbound and vice versa. If I was coming from anywhere south of the Mournes I would take the Narrow water bridge to avoid Newry like the plague as long as the relief road is not built. That's going to be an interesting turn of events because the Irish govt. presumably has no influence whatsoever over the building of then Newry relief road. I wonder was the Narrow water crossing proposed in the knowledge that a Newry relief road was already planned, hence no plans to get traffic from Omeath to the N1 from the Narrow Water bridge.
It is a bit of problem. The shortest route to the N1/M1 would be via the Flagstaff viewpoint, great for tourists but a road not suitable for a high volume of traffic. Most of this route is in Co. Armagh.
I suppose the mitigation is that the new bridge will likely have a weight limit to stop most commercial traffic and while this would be convenient for motorists from Warrenpoint the limitations of roads in the Mournes would mean that there is not likely to be huge amount of diversion from places further afield.
Another issue is the lack of obvious link between the A28 (original Newry bypass) at Damolly and the A25/B28 junction. This would keep Newcastle traffic away from Newry, although something is still needed for the A2.
"I intend to always travel a different road"
Ibn Battuta 1304-1368
bothar wrote: ↑Sun Nov 20, 2022 00:27
Another issue is the lack of obvious link between the A28 (original Newry bypass) at Damolly and the A25/B28 junction. This would keep Newcastle traffic away from Newry, although something is still needed for the A2.
Yes, there's a lot of rat running at peak times along Turmore road (C339 (Northern Ireland)) from Sheepbridge to the A25 as a result of a decent alternative.
The C339 is a U shaped route in south Down. It starts on the C335 at Finnard and follows Old Newry Road south westwards alongside the Clanrye River. After a brief multiplex with the C338 the road turns towards the A25. From the A25 the road heads north west to meet the C340 at Sheephill.