N25 New Ross Bypass

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The 15km-long N25 New Ross Bypass connects the N25 with the N30 New Ross to Enniscorthy route. Credit: Royal BAM Group nv. The N25 New Ross Bypass project was officially opened in January 2020. Credit: Royal BAM Group nv. The N25 New Ross Bypass project includes 887m-long Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge. Credit: Royal BAM Group nv. The N25 New Ross Bypass is a 15km-long road network developed by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to ease congestion and improve traffic flow in New Ross area, Ireland. It was officially opened in January 2020. The bypass road includes a 14km-long dual carriageway (N25 & N30 routes) and 1km of upgraded single carriageway (New Ross N30). It connects the N25 with the N30 New Ross to Enniscorthy route. The project also involved the construction of Ireland’s longest bridge, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge. Construction of the €230m ($253.3m) project began in January 2016 and was completed in January 2020. More than 1,000 people were employed during the construction phase. The new bypass reduces the travel time by up to 30 minutes on the N25 between Cork and Rosslare. It also improves traffic flow and reduces congestion in the New Ross area. The N25 New Ross bypass has 4km of dual carriageway linking the current N25 at Glenmore to the R733 at Landscape through the new River Barrow bridge crossing. A 9.6km-long dual roadway was built to connect the R733 in Landscape to the existing N25 at Ballymacar Bridge. The route then leads to a roundabout to the southeast of Corcoran’s Cross on the existing N30. The roundabout is connected to the existing N30 at a point to the east of Corcoran’s Cross through a new 1km-long single lane road. The new bypass also comprises three at-grade roundabouts at Glenmore (N25), Ballymacar Bridge (N25) and Corcoran’s Cross (N30). A compact grade-separated junction was built at Landscape (R733). Three local road overbridges were built at Camlin, Arnestown and Lacken. The bypass intersects with a closed railway line at Ballyverneen, where a new railway overbridge was built. The bypass also includes seven local road under bridges at Ballyverneen, Stokestown, over the R733, Creakan upper, Ballymacar, and Lacken (two bridges). Other components of the project include three retaining wall structures next to the LS-7513 Ballyverneen and the R733 at Camlin. The minor structures developed under the project include 13 accommodation underpasses, structural and non-structural culverts, sign gantries, and environmental barriers. The 887m-long Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge connects Pink Point in Kilkenny to Stokestown in Wexford. It is named in honour of the Kennedy family as their ancestral home is located in nearby Dunganstown. The nine-span bridge features an extradosed design with seven piers and three towers. It combines features from both the pre-stressed box girder bridge and the cable-stayed bridge. The bridge’s central tower stands 27m tall above bridge deck. Its two 230m-long main spans are the longest post-tensioned concrete bridge spans of their type in the world. The bridge is situated 36m above mean high tide in River Barrow, which allows shipping traffic to pass below the bridge into the Port of New Ross. Iridium achieved financial closure for the N25 New Ross bypass project in January 2016. The project received funding of €146m ($157.9m) through the issuance of bonds. The bypass project was financed under the Project Bond Credit Enhancement (PBCE) financial structure for the first time in Ireland. PBCE is a JV between the European Investment Bank and the European Commission. TII awarded the public private partnership (PPP) contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the N25 New Ross bypass to BAM Iridium consortium in January 2016. The consortium comprises BAM PPP, PGGM Infrastructure Coöperatie and Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras. It will maintain the bypass road for the next 25 years. The construction works were performed by New Ross Joint Venture (NRJV), formed by BAM Civil and Dragados. Arup served as lead design consultant for the project while Carlos Fernandez Casado (CFC) assisted Arup for the design of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge.

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