Red Cow roundabout
Encyclopedia
The Red Cow interchange is a major road junction in west Dublin, Ireland
on the M50
, meeting the N7 Naas
Road
(to Cork
and Limerick
) at a free-flow grade separated junction which incorporates a light railway line. The N7 route commences at this junction, junction 1 on the N7 and junction 9 on the M50, and the Naas Road from the city centre via Inchicore
to the Red Cow interchange comprises part of the R110
and the R810
. The junction is the busiest road junction in Ireland
. Before a recent upgrade it frequently had tailbacks several kilometres long on the routes leading to it.
Western Parkway project, the junction was originally a grade separated interchange from the point of view of M50 travellers, however for N7 motorists it was a signal-controlled roundabout with negotiation of traffic lights required for all movements. From 1994 onwards the roundabout became the terminus of the N7 road following the decision to detrunk the road inside the M50 (becoming the R110 road
).
The nickname Mad Cow roundabout was commonly used to refer to the junction, referring to the slang term given to cattle suffering from the brain disease BSE
. The actual name of the roundabout referred to the "Red Cow Inn", a landmark pub formerly in the vicinity; there is now a hotel in the area also bearing the name Red Cow.
The junction is now a rather tight spaghetti style interchange, a variant of the partially-unrolled cloverleaf design. There is also a plan to upgrade the junction at Newlands Cross
to a grade-separated interchange and preliminary works (to divert a gas main) began in the Autumn of 2008.
Red Line, a halt (Red Cow) and a Park and Ride are located at the interchange.
The Luas complex added extra traffic to the already-busy junction when it opened in 2004. The tramline crossed the slip roads on the southern side of the junction, as well as crossing half of the road from the city centre before it met the junction (the tram line reaches this point by following the median of the road). The issue of the traffic disruption added by the tram system was seemingly ignored during the original planning of the Luas system. After an outcry over this, government ministers were involved in discussions about the system passing over the junction on "stilts", while the actual construction of the system was underway.
The new interchange keeps trams separated from all other traffic.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on the M50
M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...
, meeting the N7 Naas
Naas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
Road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
(to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
) at a free-flow grade separated junction which incorporates a light railway line. The N7 route commences at this junction, junction 1 on the N7 and junction 9 on the M50, and the Naas Road from the city centre via Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
to the Red Cow interchange comprises part of the R110
R110 road
The R110 road is a regional road in Ireland which goes from St Stephen's Green to Red Cow, Dublin. Its route is completely within the Dublin urban area....
and the R810
R810 road
The R810 road is a regional road in south Dublin, Ireland connecting Cornmarket to the Naas Road .It begins near the Coombe and goes west until it becomes Tyrconnell Road, when it turns southwest...
. The junction is the busiest road junction in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Before a recent upgrade it frequently had tailbacks several kilometres long on the routes leading to it.
Original configuration
Opened in 1990 as part of the M50M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...
Western Parkway project, the junction was originally a grade separated interchange from the point of view of M50 travellers, however for N7 motorists it was a signal-controlled roundabout with negotiation of traffic lights required for all movements. From 1994 onwards the roundabout became the terminus of the N7 road following the decision to detrunk the road inside the M50 (becoming the R110 road
R110 road
The R110 road is a regional road in Ireland which goes from St Stephen's Green to Red Cow, Dublin. Its route is completely within the Dublin urban area....
).
The nickname Mad Cow roundabout was commonly used to refer to the junction, referring to the slang term given to cattle suffering from the brain disease BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
. The actual name of the roundabout referred to the "Red Cow Inn", a landmark pub formerly in the vicinity; there is now a hotel in the area also bearing the name Red Cow.
Upgrade
The junction was upgraded as part of works on the M50 motorway. Congestion was alleviated by providing a third level of grade-separation, allowing Dublin–Cork/Limerick traffic to travel from the M50 to the N7 without having to navigate a roundabout. The junction upgrade was substantially complete by December 2008, with only minor finishing works outstanding. A similar upgrade of the N4/M50 interchange was completed on 20 December 2007. http://www.m50.ie/pages/n4.htm.The junction is now a rather tight spaghetti style interchange, a variant of the partially-unrolled cloverleaf design. There is also a plan to upgrade the junction at Newlands Cross
Newlands Cross
Newlands Cross is a well-known crossroads in SW Dublin in the county of South Dublin.It is the point where the N7 National Route to the South West and Mid West crosses an orbital local route, the R113. Traditionally Newlands Cross was regarded as the place where Dublin City ended and the "country"...
to a grade-separated interchange and preliminary works (to divert a gas main) began in the Autumn of 2008.
Luas depot
The tram depot for the LuasLuas
Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...
Red Line, a halt (Red Cow) and a Park and Ride are located at the interchange.
The new interchange keeps trams separated from all other traffic.
See also
- Roads in IrelandRoads in IrelandThe island of Ireland, comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has an extensive network of tens of thousands of kilometres of public roads, usually surfaced. These roads have been developed and modernised over centuries, from trackways suitable only for walkers and horses, to...
- N25N25 roadThe N25 road is a national primary road in Ireland, forming the route from Cork to Rosslare Europort via Waterford City. The road is part of the E30 European route and a short section is also part of the E01 European route...
: Kinsale Road Roundabout on the CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
southern ring road is another notable junction in Ireland.
