Welcome to the penultimate public information update on the N/M20 Cork to Limerick Project.
At the outset, the Project Team would like to thank all stakeholders along and outside the study area for their co-operation to date. The team put a premium on public engagement and in the course of the various design iterations approximately 1,000 meetings, both face to face and online, have been held to provide information and seek to achieve feedback on various aspects of the project design as it unfolded. This has helped to optimise design outcomes and to mitigate individual, community and environmental impacts arising from the project.
The approach to the design of the N/M20 project is unique in Irish terms. It will not only address the major safety deficits which make the N20 Cork to Limerick road the most dangerous in the country but will introduce a suite of sustainable transport options which combined will make the project highly innovative.
The provision of the new M20 motorway will result in a transfer of strategic traffic from the existing N20, thereby relieving the towns and communities that currently experience severe congestion. This reduction in traffic will bring with it a marked improvement in air quality, a reduction in noise and improved safety. This will offer an opportunity to reallocate road space for other uses such as Active Travel or community spaces improving the quality and liveability for everyone on or close to the existing N20.
The Project Team will present their final design drawings in Q4 2024, thus enabling the formal statutory and planning approval process to commence.
A number of key decisions/project milestones have been advanced since the last update in November 2023:
- A motorway road type has been selected, following detailed consideration of all alternatives. An M20 motorway will best address the significant safety issues on the current N20 Cork to Limerick road saving over 1,300 collisions during a 30 year period, reduce journey times and encourage the use of efficient public transport options that will become possible.
- Design development of the largest single active travel project undertaken in the State to date is now taking place. Up to 100km of safe, shared active travel will connect communities from Blarney to Patrickswell and provide walking and cycling access to communities.
- The location of six Transport Hubs has been identified for Rathduff, Mourneabbey, Buttevant, Charleville, Bruree and Croom. These hubs will provide active travel and public transport connectivity, “Park and Share” options and EV charging points. A Freight Hub is also proposed to be located adjacent to the M20 / N72 / N73 Mallow junction.
- The Project Team has recommended multi-point, barrier free tolling on the new motorway which will base road toll charges on distance travelled. This recommendation will encourage greater use of sustainable travel options, such as active travel, park and ride (public transport), and park and share which are embedded in the design. These measures will help support the Government’s Climate Action Plan in reducing transport emissions.
The Interactive mapping, available on the project website, www.corklimerick.ie, has been updated. It now presents the Engineering Plan of the Developing Design within the refined November 2023 corridor.
