Cork East Fine Gael TD, and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, David Stanton, has welcomed Cork County Council confirmation that works are progressing at the Dunkettle Interchange site.
Works are ongoing in the area north of the existing N25 roadway and Minister Stanton understands that Site Clearance Works will continue until March. An Archaeological Investigation of the site will commence thereafter and is expected to take 3-4 months. Detailed Survey Works will also continue although no lane closures or significant traffic management measures are proposed over the period.
The advance works are being conducted in preparation for the main works contractor. The Main Construction Works Contract is currently out to tender and Cork County Council hopes to appoint a contractor in the coming months. The appointment of a contractor will be followed by a detailed planning phase with offline works expected to begin by yearend. A four-year contract period is currently envisaged suggesting an overall completion date before the end of 2022.
Duct Installation Works are also continuing along the N40 route as part of the National Broadband Strategy. These Works will continue for a number of months with additional Duct Installation Works required on the N8 route from Dunkettle to the Tivoli Overpass. However, no daytime lane closures are forecast on either the N40 or the N8 in the short term.
Minister Stanton said “I am delighted to learn that works are progressing at the Dunkettle Interchange site given the high volume of traffic using the interchange daily and its strategic importance to Cork city and the East Cork area in general. Cork County Council has now provided a definitive timeline for completion of this major infrastructure project which is badly needed to relieve congestion and reduce delays experienced by drivers at peak times on the daily commute to and from work”.