The Dunkettle Interchange () is a major road junction in

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. It forms a junction between the M8, N25 and the N40, and further serves the R623 and local roads L2998 and L3004. On average, 95,000 vehicles use the junction on a daily basis. The junction was originally an at-grade roundabout, with a flyover in the west-east direction constructed later. In 2018, a further civil engineering upgrade to make the interchange work on a free-flow basis was undertaken by Sisk. In February 2024 the rebuilt interchange costing €215 million was officially opened. It should not be confused with the Dunkettle Roundabout which is around 750m to the west.

History

Initial developments

The Dunkettle Interchange was constructed in order to link the N25 to the newly constructed Glanmire bypass which formed part of the N8 at Dunkettle. The junction opened in 1992 along with the Glanmire bypass. At the time, the junction had three arms, along with two access sliproads to allow access to and from Glounthaune. A further significant upgrade came in 1999 when, in the order to facilitate the opening of the new

Jack Lynch Tunnel The Jack Lynch Tunnel () is an immersed tube tunnel and an integral part of the N40 road network in Cork, Ireland. It is named after former Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, a native of Cork. It takes the road under the River Lee. North of the tunne ...

, a fourth arm heading southbound was added. At the same time, a flyover of the roundabout was added to accommodate increased traffic levels. Access slip roads into and out of Little Island were also added along with access to the tunnel management building. A further upgrade was completed in 2006. This involved installing traffic lights on the roundabout in order to increase the capacity of the junction.

Further changes

Due to the volumes of traffic using the junction on a daily basis, the

National Roads Authority The National Roads Authority (NRA) () is a state body in Ireland, responsible for the national road network. The NRA was established as part of the Roads Act 1993 and commenced operations on 23 December 1993 in accordance with S.I. 407 of 1993 ...

(NRA) and

Cork County Council Cork County Council () is the local authority of County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001, as amended. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban pl ...

decided that the junction was unfit for purpose. Jacobs Engineering was appointed by the NRA to create plans to make the junction free-flow in all movements. In June 2011, the NRA presented five different solutions to create a free-flow junction, and in 2013, a scheme was approved by the planning board. By September 2015, a Capital Investment Plan was unveiled by the Irish government, which secured funding for the interchange. By July 2018, Sisk had been selected by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) as the main contractor. The rebuilt Dunkettle Interchange was officially opened by Tánaiste

Micheál Martin Micheál Martin (; born 16 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician serving as Taoiseach since January 2025, having previously held the position from 2020 to 2022. Martin served as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Min ...

on the 12 February 2024. The new development includes four roundabouts. The upgrade has also involved the installation of digital signage on the approach to the interchange and the N40 to provide information to drivers around journey times and traffic issues.

References

External links

Dunkettle Interchange upgrade website

Dunkettle Traffic
live

traffic camera A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, traffic cameras are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, expressways and arterial roads, and are connected by optical fibers buried alongside o ...

feeds {{Cork South Ring Road Roads in County Cork Road interchanges in the Republic of Ireland