[IRL] N25 - New Ross Bypass

[bothar]

Yes, Bothar. Thankfully that's true. Which, I suppose, is why it comes as a shock.
This bridge does seem jinxed, though.
I was watching an old episode of Thunderbirds yesterday. The one where the Arlington suspension bridge collapses after a storm. Our RFK bridge was the first thing it brought to mind. And we have plenty of storms here!
Perhaps when they do (hopefully) open it, we should have a video camera permanently watching it.
Well, you wouldn't want to be kicking yourself after the event, would you?

I wouldn't expect the bridge to collapse in a storm, but it might be closed to traffic, in which case people who had got used to fast journeys to Waterford might be put out.

[odlum]

Nearly finished...pics M17, emfifty - boards.ie

https://i.imgur.com/peYBGgD.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zmjarGo.jpg

[Brownfools]

Hmmmm.......

So why, after all this time, is the temporary support still there? (Second picture)

[murphaph]

A poster on boards.ie reports that the temporary support has started to be removed. It's no longer supporting anything apparently.

[odlum]

Opening end of January...(pics from M17, b.ie)

[Brownfools]

Brilliant photos and video. Thanks for posting those. Any chance that you could post a link to the originals?
Reading this forum makes a pleasant change from the half truths and spin-doctoring of their, somewhat tetchy, press release. https://www.n25newross.ie/project-updates/.
I wonder if their mooted pre-opening events will still take place? Looking forward to them, if they do, and to driving the route either way.

[A303Chris]

Brilliant video, a mini Millau viaduct in Ireland

[odlum]

Brilliant photos and video. Thanks for posting those. Any chance that you could post a link to the originals?
Reading this forum makes a pleasant change from the half truths and spin-doctoring of their, somewhat tetchy, press release. https://www.n25newross.ie/project-updates/.
I wonder if their mooted pre-opening events will still take place? Looking forward to them, if they do, and to driving the route either way.

From here...

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthr ... 8&page=146

Plenty of other great pics/vids too!

[Brownfools]

Finally!
New Ross bypass in Co Wexford will be officially opened by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on January 29th – one day ahead of the route opening to public traffic.
Source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland ... -1.4142330
My understanding is that, in England, election rules would prevent the Prime Minister opening the road/bridge. We're in the run up to an election on 8th February.
Soooo looking forward to driving this on Thursday 30th!
It's time for you all to check that your dash-cams are working.

[Bryn666]

I need to do an Ireland road trip... hope the CTA holds up, eh.

Last time I was in Ireland was 8 years ago so a lot has changed.

[Brownfools]

A little more detail (not much) on the opening here https://www.tii.ie/news/press-releases/ ... /index.xml.
Basically, Leo will perform the official opening on Wednesday afternoon. Oiks like us get to use it (weather permitting) from noon on Thursday.
Yea!!!!

[bothar]

The end is nigh
https://www.facebook.com/waterfordepicl ... 847810544/

[Brownfools]

Everyone trying to fit into the two laybys that view the bridge. They are the only laybys I know of with a waiting time restriction (1 hour)
Nice commemorative plaque of the opening. Will post pictures later when I have time to reduce the file sizes.

[odlum]

[Enceladus]

So have any Irish and Ireland-based Sabristis had the pleasure of driving on the New Ross bypass and RFK bridge yet?

There were a number of charity walks over the bridge the week before it opened to traffic on January 30. I had hoped to get down to Wexford to walk over the bridge but was far too busy work wise.

I do hope to drive on the bypass myself before the end of the month. It really is an impressive piece of infrastructure - a mini-Millau as one poster put it.

[Enceladus]

Finally had the immense pleasure of driving over the N25 New Ross by-pass with the spectacular Barrow (Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy) bridge and it was really as impressive a scheme as I was expecting.

The bridge is very close to one end of the new by-pass, which is fully GSJ 2+2 DC with solid double-sided metal crash barriers, and a concrete barrier on the bridge itself and on the road for considerable distance beyond - right to the next junction in fact. Superb engineering and the views from the bridge of the surrounding rich Wexford/Kilkenny countryside are beautiful.

I took some super shots of the bridge from a layby - so watch the Image of the month forum for a submission very soon.

The scheme has the look and feel of a motorway, and there are laybys where you can pull in and take in those spectacular views (as I did!) and emergency refuges spaced every 100 metres.

Got my chance to drive this whilst down on a break away in Kilkenny with my partner. Along with the extension of the M11 southwards to by-pass Enniscorthy, Ferns and Camolin, County Wexford has seen a quantum leap in its roads infrastructure over the past few years.