Macroom bypass finally here

Traffic should be flowing smoothly in Macroom this Christmas as the town’s long-awaited bypass gears up for an early December opening.

The Macroom Bypass section of the N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom new dual carriageway will be officially opened to traffic on 9 December, it was confirmed by Cork County Council this week.

The 8km section of new road includes a roundabout at the tie-in on the eastern side of Macroom, a grade-separated junction at Gurteenroe on the western end of Macroom, and a temporary tie-in at Carrigaphooca, with a temporary roundabout allowing traffic to merge with the existing N22.

The road has two lanes travelling in both directions separated with a steel median safety barrier. Work commenced on the site in January 2020 with the remaining 14km of new road estimated to be completed in autumn 2023.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins will officially open the section of road along with representatives from Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Commenting ahead of the grand opening, Mayor Collins said the new bypass will improve road user safety and remove congestion from Macroom allowing residents, businesses and visitors easy access to and from the town.

“This is a really exciting time for Macroom and for all users of this new road,” he said.