The Draft plan is very detailed and well considered and full credit must be given to all those involved and who made submissions. You can view the full plan in an interactive way here
Our interest obviously is in the Owenabue Bridge Crossing element of the Transport Strategy (Strategy 8) and the elements considered in deeming Strategy 7  as the preferred one.
We would like to hear the thoughts of those interested in this so we can fully form our own response.
The key points of our initial thoughts are as follows:

• Strategy 7 suggests that the North East of Carrigaline is the area likely to grow most and be the area connected with the main jobs centre in Ringaskiddy.
  • We are wondering if this statement has taken into account the large volume of jobs which are focused in the 2 commercial and industrial estates to the South & South East of Carrigaline (also to include the major retail outlets in this area also)
  • The Kilnagleary industrial estate already offers significant employment, including a Primary Care Centre with very clear related transport needs.
  • The Kilnagleary Industrial estate and the related Estuary Business park are initiatives of Cork Co. Co. itself. In the recent past Cork Co. Co. received planning permission for 10 new industrial  sites in the area only one of which is currently built and occupied so this and the 9 to follow will bring their own additional needs. This expansion, as well as the large number of houses currently being built south of the Owenabue and in Crosshaven, suggests that this area might be a bigger area of growth (industrial & residential combined) than the North East area as currently stated in the draft plan.
  • As no commercial/industrial groups  are mentioned as interest groups on page 14, it is not clear if the transport needs (employees, customers and related logistics) have been considered in the plan. It would be interesting to hear if organisations such as Good Fish, Pepsi, Pan Firefly, Harbour Flooring and the many others have had their needs fully considered. Of course those in Cork Co. Co. who manage Kilnagleary would also have their transport needs in order to sustain and grow the industrial centre they are growing & promoting systematically themselves.
  • There are also many others involved in commercial effort to the South and Southeast of Carrigaline;- Griffins Potatoes, Hugh Coveney Trawler Pier  & Green Rebel to name only three, which would have employee transport as well as industrial/agricultural transport needs and it would be interesting to hear if their requirements have been taken into account in the planning consideration.
  • Whilst Sport & Tourism are referenced in the plan, that reference is by way of acknowledging that it is the Department of Transport which includes Sports and Tourism that provides the reference by which such a transport plan can be considered. It is not clear, however, if the plan takes into account the Sport and Toursim needs of Carrigaline. Both Maryville Stables and the Royal Cork Yacht Club stand out as examples to the South and South East of Carrigaline where their sporting infrastructure is the source of traffic, employment & tourism - all with their own particular transport needs.
  • Also much of the tourist attractions around Carrigaline are to the South and South East;- in Crosshaven, Fountainstown and Myrtleville areas. Camden is a standout example with its own growing visitor traffic support needs which Cork County Council itself has an interest in.
  • Taking all of the above points, it is not clear if Strategy 7 actually takes the related very special vehicle needs into account. They will generate traffic which includes, passenger, Industrial, & agricultural vehicles as well as towed vessels & horseboxes and all of these need particular attention which at this point do not seem to be acknowledged in the plan. It is known that towed large yachts always need particular traffic planning and the possibility of substantial elements of wind turbines needing access Green Rebel in Crosshaven may also need consideration.
  • Seperately, the access that Carrigaline provides to an from Crosshaven needs very particular consideration and it is not clear if the plan with Strategy 7 has taken due consideration of the growing needs associated with this. It may be the case that Crosshaven may need to be formally included in the Transport Strategy element of the plan and it is noticed that no Crosshaven interest groups seem to be mentioned on page 14;- suggesting that Crosshaven has not had adequate consideration in the plan.
  • The plan does indeed take into account transport safety, but it is not clear if it takes into account access for safety and emergency response vehicles. The particular requirements of the Coastguard Station in Crosshaven and the Fire Station to the south of the Owenabue River need careful consideration.
  • Strategy 7 mentions the possibility of adding a connecting bridge across the Owenabue in the future but the outline layout as shown does not seem to actually support a viable connection of the two.
  • Strategy 7 also mentions that it would provide 3 routes to the M28. However, it may need to be clarified that these 3 routes are all for the North side of the river and all lead to the same (one only) roundabout junction access to the M28 Motorway for Southlink (Citybound) traffic.
  • Finally, assessment of all the Plans on the basis of Capital Cost and environmental impact would assume that related studies with cost benefit analysis would have to have been done. It is not clear that this is the case. The choice of Transport Strategy 7 means that in a river town  which is growing towards all Cardinal Points and is divided North-South by the river, it would be reasonable to assume that the need for new bridges would be part of the plan. The draft plan does not seem to propose any new bridges. This seems to be unusual when we look around towns of similar size in Ireland an especially our neighbouring towns in Co Cork.  If it is the potential capital costs and environmental impact that might prove as a barrier to bridges , then it would seem important that those costs and those impacts would be fully considered 1st and full cost benefit analysis done. In doing so the additional benefit of a bridge as a potential flood barrier and the related knock-on benefit for minimising repeated detrimental environmental impact could be considered and considered also in terms of receiving cross Department funding.

These are just initial thoughts and questions and we would be very grateful if you could let us know what you think and if there are other issues which we have not considered. Please add as comments below and/or email to  owenabuebc@gmail.com

You can download and read the full Draft Plan as a PDF below

Download the Draft Plan below to read and consider.
You can also view interactive displays in the virtual exhibition room here
Comments on the draft proposals can be submitted through the virtual exhibition room; through the submissions portal on www.yourcouncil.ie; by email to trafficandtransport@corkcoco.ie or; in writing to Senior Engineer, Cork County Council, Traffic and Transportation, Planning and Development, Floor 11, County Hall, Cork.

For
Boats to Crosshaven
Boxes with Horses to Maryville Stables
Bottles to PepsiCo
Bags of spuds from Griffins in Boycestown to Tesco
Bathers from the City to Fountainstown
Bass from Good Fish to Douglas
Bosuns from Forest Hill to the Naval Base
Builders from Mallow to Castle Heights
Bands from everywhere to gigs in Cronins
Bluelights from the Coastguard Station to CUH
Bike riders from French Furze to Curraghbinny
Battle buffs to re-enactments in Camden
Buyers from Shanbally to shops in Carrigaline
Brigades for fires in Barnahealy
Business folk to Green Rebel Marine
Board Paddlers to Funkytown
Buses from Ringaskiddy to Cork Airport
Bernard from Kilmoney to the Maritime College
Beatriz from Myrtleville to Pfizers
Barry from Templebreedy to Ballincollig
Blaithín from Monkstown to the Primary Care Centre
Baz from Minane Bridge to Novartis
as well as
Buns from Hassetts Bakery in Kilnagleary to Blackpool -
it would mean that the journey will be a lot easier via the Owenabue Estuary Bridge.
What would it mean for you?

Note some elements of this map are approximate

As we await consultation on the new transport study for Carrigaline/Crosshaven early in the New Year, it is hoped that an intrinsic flaw in the design of the M28 motorway for both towns will be addressed in any emerging plan.

The M28 plan only provides for direct access to/from North Carrigaline (North of the Owenabue). It does not take into account that for access to National Routes, the City and the Ringaskiddy industrial area, Crosshaven is connected to South Carrigaline and their combined transport needs are not facilitated by the proposed connectivity. There is no direct connection to the M28 for the growing populations of Crosshaven and South Carrigaline and this represents a major shortcoming which must be taken into account in any proposed transport plan for the area.

People will be very familiar with the towns of Ballincollig, Carrigtwohill, Fermoy, Mitchelstown etc which are all connected to bypasses or motorways. If you think about it, each one of these has more than 1 direct link to their bypass or adjacent motorway to ensure that different areas of the towns have access as appropriate. North, South, East & West sides of these towns have a connection and one only has to look at the new Macroom bypass currently under construction to see a connection for the town on both sides of the river and the construction of a bridge to ensure viable access.

This is not the case for South Carrigaline & Crosshaven whose residents can only connect to vital travel links by going through the centre of Carrigaline itself;- battling with increasing traffic and congestion which is only set to increase more over the coming years with new house construction and jobs growth on the South side of the Owenabue Estuary. As the largest town in the County, Carrigaline & it's connected town, Crosshaven, deserve at least the same as other County towns.

Remedial improvements with new feeder roads inside Carrigaline, planned more than a decade ago and just happening now, will provide some internal relief but will not address the issue for those who live  & work South of the Estuary.

We believe that the Owenabue Estuary Bridge Crossing proposal will deliver the necessary transport connection to National Routes, the City & Ringaskiddy by connecting across the Estuary with the planned intersection on the M28 at Barnahealy.  We are not suggesting that improvements to our proposed design and the exact location of the crossing cannot be made but, a crossing to the East of Carrigaline to facilitate Crosshaven & South Carrigaline is the only viable correction to the M28 design flaw and solution to the related transport & access needs of these areas into the foreseeable future.

Of course, not only will this relieve traffic congestion and improve access but so  also will it support growth, employment and open new valuable amenities in both the Carrigaline & Crosshaven  areas.

We would hope that County Officials & Public Representatives currently considering a new transport study for the area, will consider these issues and the proposed solution carefully.

This idea would link the R612 (Carrigaline - Crosshaven – Fountainstown Roads) with the R613 (Carrigaline – Ringaskiddy Road). This gives direct access to the M28 via a slip road at Warrens Cross, Barnahealy for traffic from Kinsale, South Carrigaline and Crosshaven catchment areas. With significant population growth in Carrigaline and the construction of many new houses and schools which were all unforeseen when the Carrigaline Western Relief Road was proposed, this bridge project will alleviate and bypass associated growing congestion and provide quicker access for communities South of the Owenabue River to the M28, away from the proposed Shannon Park slip road.
This will be vital for the continued growth of Carrigaline as the largest town in the County after the extension of Cork City. Regionally, the Bridge project helps to satisfy the aims of the Cork Harbour makeover project, linking more elements of the harbour and providing easier access to the Port and associated industries in the Strategic Employment Area on the Ringaskiddy peninsula.
Cork County Council’s Business Park at Kilnagleary, Carrigaline will become part of the Port Strategic Area; - enjoying easier heavy goods vehicle, customer and employee access in both directions and, thereby, supporting employment and commercial growth with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. Direct access from the M28, the Ferry Port and the Cross River Ferry at Passage West will support easier transit for camper vans, caravans, horse boxes, towed boats and sports teams to Kinsale, Crosshaven, South Carrigaline, and to the growing Maryville Equestrian Centre in Knockalurgan, Carrigaline. By means of both cycle and pedestrian lanes, the popular Carrigaline - Crosshaven Greenway (Railway Walk) will be extended by the bridge towards the Ringaskiddy Martello Tower and potentially, in time, all the way to Currabinny Woods. Cyclists will also have access via the bridge to planned cyclist facilities along the 13km of the new M28 motorway.
Nationally, the bridge itself, with its unique design, will become a recognisable landmark. Using advanced techniques to ensure minimal environmental impact during and after construction, this project will also deliver a new public parkland recreation & amenity island which is sympathetic to, and a focal point for, the Owenabue Estuary special protection bird trail area. This is likely to become a reference point as part of the Ireland’s Ancient East tourist area. It will enhance the tourism value to Carrigaline & Crosshaven; - especially as part of the, Cobh - Spike Island – Fort Camden Maritime & Military History triangle.
Key Features of the project include:

• Approximately 2km of new single lane carriageway with hard shoulder/service lane in each direction, complete with roundabouts, slip roads and 3m wide cycle/pedestrian/wheelchair lanes with associated access ramps;- of which the bridge itself will be 750m in length
• Approximately 1 hectare of new amenity island-park, off the Southern shore of the estuary, accessed via ramps and viewing platforms from a section of the bridge which is suspended from twin vertical elements which, together, will become a visual focal point in the estuary.
• The bridge will be elevated over the Carrigaline – Crosshaven railway walk with access from the walkway to the bridge via pedestrian/cycle/wheelchair ramps; - thereby extending the walkway.
• The bridge will span the recognised navigation channel towards the Northern shore which will support continued small vessel access to the up river boatyard.
• The bridge design will compliment the landscape and local history and is sympathetic to the special preservation bird trail area across the estuary.
• Arcihtectural design & visualisation of the bridge & associated works is by Larsson & Pedersen (Alan Larsson of Urban Gap Design & Jesper Pedersen of Pedersen Focus)

The main benefits of the Owenabue Estuary Bridge Crossing Scheme are:

• Enhancing Local & Regional connectivity, reducing the carbon footprint whilst acting as a key growth enabler for the Carrigaline, Crosshaven and Kinsale catchment areas
• Supporting the infrastructure of Carrigaline as the largest town remaining in the County area
• Facilitating economic development in the local area and nationally.
• To support the strategic development of commerce and tourism in the area, in accordance with European and National Policy and, in turn, assist in the ongoing development of Cork and its unique Harbour Area
• To support sustainable development which is sympathetic to the Special Protection needs of the Owenabue Estuary area.
• To improve access between the Carrigaline, Crosshaven, Kinsale catchment areas and Ringaskiddy
• To connect and enhance the Cork Harbour Greenway area.
• To support the Cork Harbour makeover

Update Nov 2020
With the 80 new offshore wind related jobs planned for Crosshaven, it will be even more vital that this bridge project be realised to allow easy access for works, goods & services to & from the village.