| A4 Dualling - Dungannon to Ballygawley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The A4 is a continuation westwards of the M1 motorway. The M1 first joins a 1km stretch of dual carriageway (the Dungannon Bypass) before becoming the single-carriageway A4. As the main east-west route between Fermanagh / Tyrone and Belfast the road has suffered from accidents and congestion due to right-turning and slow moving vehicles. The route is busy, and therefore has few opportunities for overtaking. This ambitious scheme will see the entire road converted to high quality dual-carriageway standard, and all junctions either grade separated or limited to left turns only. Approximately 70% of the new road will be on a new offline route, with the rest (principally at the eastern end) formed by upgrading the current road. At its western end, the road will terminate at a new roundabout on the A5 a few hundred metres south of the existing Ballygawley roundabout, which will remain in situ. The two will be linked by a short section of dual-carriageway. The scheme will require 16 road bridges and 5 accommodation (ie private access) bridges. Only 3 houses will have to be demolished, although a further 13 will be within 50 metres of the new road, and 197 within 300 metres. Construction will take place at the same time as the nearby Annaghilla and Tullyvar realignment schemes (see link above). A map published as part of a wider consultation in July 2006 contained a map showing the route of the proposed road (in green). As you can see, it shows around 70% of the dual-carriageway following a new route about 1km to the south of the existing route and approaching the Ballygawley roundabout from a different direction:
Map from "Expanding the Strategic Road Improvement Programme 2015" consultation document, DRD, July 2006. In mid 2005 the combined cost for this scheme and the upgrades of A4 at Annaghilla and the A5 at Tullyvar was given as £117.7m (£102m for the A4, £15.7m for Annaghilla/Tullyvar). However by the time the scheme began in February 2008, the combined cost was given as £134. The cost of £116m stated above is an estimate which assumes that the proportions of the costs remain the same. This may not be accurate so this figure should be taken as approximate. Progress 16 Feb 2010: After almost a year without any significant publicty, the News Letter featured a double page spread on the scheme last Saturday. It highlights that the scheme is progressing well, although the contractor says that "the scheme has suffered slightly following two bad summers." The scheme is now scheduled to be completed in January 2011, very slightly later than estimated at project commencement. The article also revealed some interesting facts about the scheme:
Work at different parts of the scheme are at different stages, depending on the amount of earthworks (shifting of soil and rock), land stabilisation (eg to stop the road sinking into boggy ground) and structures (bridges, underpasses etc) that were required at each point. The News Letter has also given me permission to reproduce a number of photos here, for which I am grateful. These illustrate progress very well.
This section of boggy ground at Cabragh has required painstaking piling works to stabilise it before the road can be constructed. 8 Feb 2010. [Pat McSorley, courtesty the News Letter]
Beams in place on the bridge that will carry the new dual-carriageway over the existing A4. 8 Feb 2010. [Pat McSorley, courtesty the News Letter]
The new road taking shape, with the surface partly laid. Looking east from the new Dergenagh Road bridge. 8 Feb 2010. [Pat McSorley, courtesty the News Letter]
The new Dergenagh Road bridge that already carries this local road over the future dual-carriageway. 8 Feb 2010. [Pat McSorley, courtesty the News Letter]
Earthworks for the new road at an advanced stage at Drumnafern. Note the 'accommodation underpass' on the left which will allow a local farmer to access land on either side without using the dual-carriageway. 8 Feb 2010. [Pat McSorley, courtesty the News Letter] 7 Jan 2010: Web user Col2006 visited the site in December. He reports that the new carriageway on the section of online widening at the eastern end of the scheme is apparent from the Dungannon Bypass to Old Eglish Road, and from Eglish Road to Killyliss. The beams of the bridge that will carry Old Eglish Road over the A4 are also now im place. The abutments for the bridges at Killyliss and Cabragh are also in place, but no beams are in place. At Reaskmore, where the A4 goes offline, the new alignment of the A4 heading away is very apparent. For the remaining 60% of the road, which is entirely offline, it is difficult to view progress but it is likely that work is advancing well. Amey Lagan previously posted photos of the scheme on their web site, but unfortunately they have not done so since last June. 29 July 2009: The Minister commented last month that this scheme is "on schedule for completion towards the end of 2010" which is in line with the predicted completion date when work began back in February 2008. 10 June 2009: The project is now almost at its half way point, and major changes are now noticeable at various places. In the words of site visitor Mark Wilson: "Killyliss Road and Mullaghbane Road are signed to be closed for 18 weeks from the middle of [May], serious earth moving is currently being done at Killyliss and the hard shoulder is coned off as far as Granville with diverted traffic being sent off towards Granville". The pictures below were all taken by Paul McIlfatrick on 26th May. Feverish work is underway constructing the new roundabout at Ballygawley (see pic 1). On the sections receiving an online upgrade, work is evident all along the side of the road (pic 2) while work on the offline sections is quite advanced, with some bridge structures apparently in place (pic 3). It is great to see such good progress.
Pic 1: The "second" Ballygawley roundabout under construction, as seen from the A4 from the Enniskillen direction on 26 May 2009. [Paul McIlfatrick]
Pic 2: Work is underway on the online upgrade of the eastern
Pic 3: Part of the offline upgrade taking shape, with a bridge 14 Sep 2008: Work has now been underway for about 7 months on this three year project. Currently the most visible progress consists of a series of advanced earthworks at various points along the A4, at locations where the A4 is to be widened, re-aligned or where there are to be new junctions. But there is no evidence so far of work beginning on creating the new road, unless work is underway on the entirely offline stretch to the west which can't easily be seen. This is not surprising, given the length of time the contract is to last and the large geographical area it covers. The pictures below were taken by site visitor Alan Mannis on 4th Sep 2008, heading eastbound. They show the general appearance of the earthworks as seen from the A4. In the last two, new fences that segregate the land vested for the scheme can be seen. Still over two years to go before the road opens.
13 Feb 2008: The first sod on the scheme was cut today by Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy. The cost of the scheme seems to have risen again - by about 14% to an estimated £116m. Although it is stated that the scheme will last 3 years, the contractor's signage on the road itself states the completion date as "December 2010". The press release also stated that "It is envisaged that disruption to traffic will be largely confined to the latter half of the three year construction period the scheme." 22 Dec 2007: According to this press release, the contract was finally signed in mid December, six months after the date reported by the Irish TImes in May. Since the contract also includes the A1 dual-carriageway around Newry, it's unclear what, if any, delay there will be to the commencement of the A4 project which is still officially to begin by the Spring. Also, advanced site and vegetation clearance work has now begun at Tullyallen Road, Aghintober Road, Cabragh, Reaskmore, Killybracken and Old Eglish. 23 May 2007: According to an article in the Irish Times yesterday, Roads Service is set to sign the contract with the builder in June 2007, with work starting "by" Spring 2008 and lasting three years. 29 March 2007: Some preliminary site works have begun at Ballygawley, where the foundations for the new roundabout and link road are being prepared - see photo below. Fences have also appeared sporadically defining the land that has already been vested. Junction Strip Map The junctions on the new road will be at the following locations, according to the leaflet "A4 and A5 Corridor Improvements" released by the Roads Service in December 2005 [east to west]. Note that the westernmost section features the longest stretch without junctions. The names below are the names given by the Roads Service and are thus likely to become the 'official' names. Distances are between the approximate centre of each junction.
Problems Given that the existing A4 will remain in-situ for about 70% of its current length, it seems odd and disappointing that there are going to be as many as 6 grade-separated junctions and 4 LILO junctions. The compact design of the junctions, their proximity in places and the sheer number of them will rule out any possiblity of upgrading the route to motorway standard - as part of the M1 - without rebuilding the junctions. Just three junctions, sited at Old Eglish Road, Killyliss and Cabragh would have offered a much better road, without offering much disadvantage to locals since the A4 remains in situ in many places. For the length from Killyliss to the M1, about 4000 metres of new single-carriageway link roads would have provided the same level of access as currently. In addition, the proposed sliproads seem very short for a 70mph road - just 80 metres in the case of Cabragh, for example. This will mean large vehicles, such as lorries, attempting to join the road at perhaps 20 to 30mph and in busy periods being forced to continue onto the hard shoulder to build up enough speed. The scheme as proposed will offer huge advantages but the design may still be seen as short sighted by generations to come. Photos
A snowy A4 in its current form, seen here near Castlecaulfield. [Photo by Wesley Johnston]
The M1 cafe and service station face each other across the A4 near Old Eglish Road. At this point, the new carriageway will mean widening on both sides, but the majority on the far side. Access will be via sliproads and a bridge only. [Photo by Wesley Johnston, Mar 2007]
The foundations of the new Ballygawley roundabout taking shape in March 2007. Taken from the A5 Tullyvar Road. [Photo by Wesley Johnston] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
