A number of refinements to the proposed Cork-to-Limerick motorway were announced this week. The one part of the project that caught my eye was the active travel infrastructure for walking and cycling which has been expanded from 80km to 100km.
The proposed route is shown above. It will start at a new intersection near Blarney and runs to Patrickswell in Co Limerick.
The Orange dotted line shows the active travel route running alongside the motorway. The Purple dotted line shows where the active travel route leaves the new road and instead runs alongside the parts of the old N20 which will be downgraded.
For example, the new motorway will pass to the east of Mallow. Going north, the active travel route will diverge around Mourneabbey and then follow the old N20 into Mallow. It will then follow the old N20 north to Newtwopothouse and then branch east towards Doneraile where it will meet up with the new road again.
The image above shows what the active travel route will look like alongside the new motorway (Orange on map). The pathway is supposed to be around 3-4 metres wide so there is plenty of room for people to walk, run and cycle.
The image above shows what will happen to the old downgraded sections of the N20. The hard shoulder will be removed and a new active travel route will be placed alongside it (Purple on map).
Assessment... This is going to be a huge improvement in terms of areas to walk, run and cycle. This is very much like the 'Urban Greenway' that is proposed for Waterford to Tramore.
While it's probably not the most scenic, it's going to provide many kms of pathways that are safe and free from traffic. I wouldn't be surprised if there some future races used these new paths for some if not most of a route.
Timeline... It's likely that the new motorway sections will need to be built and finished before other parts of the N20 are downgraded. As for a completion date? Surely it will take until the mid-2030's at the earliest?
More information about the project can be found online at www.corklimerick.ie
