1. ook behind the
scenes
Tony O'Nem ',as ·,•,·e~ord County Council's project engineer on the N25 Rathsillagh to
Harristown Ltt:e rea11gnment scheme. He gave John Loughran a behind the scenes
ooK at the project from conception to completion.
T
he sec'ue-- o; ~- r •,25 ., Co
Wexforc :,o...., ~oss 'a re
Harbou· :o 'l e~·. Ross has
been improved over !.he past 25
years. The section of road
between Ballygoman and
Harristown Little was recently
upgraded. The Rathsillagh to
Harristown Little was the final
piece in the realignment of the
N25 in Co Wexford.
Tony revealed that it took six
--N25 REALIGNMENT
RATHSILLAGH TO
HARRISTOWN LITTLE
~· ears 10 bring the project to
fruition. -The design of this section
commenced in 1996. Detailed
examination was carried out and
consideration given to six different
alignments close to or south of the
existing N25."
Two of the proposed routes were
chosen for further examination.
Tony revealed the criteria used in
choosing the final "preferred
route". "Predicted future noise
levels due to traffic, disruption
caused by both the long term
effects and construction itself, and
the visual impact on the
landscape of each route were
considered before the route was
selected as the preferred choice."
Tramore House, Regional
Design Office carried out the
design and documentation on the
new route. In designing the route
a need for four underbridges was
Wexford County Council's Tony O'Neill

2. identified. The design of these
underbridges was contracted to
two specialist design houses.
"Tony remarked: "Michael Punch
and Partners, designed the
underbridges located at
Ballyvergin and Camross Lane,
while Roughan & O'Donavan
designed the other two."
In order to proceed with the
project, 44 hectares of land was
acquired from landowners along
the route under compulsory
purchases orders. The land was
purchased before the Irish
Farmers Association's recent
objection to the prices quoted for
CPO's and caused no delay on
the project. Signs of the tim1
The scheme was put out to
tender in August 1999 by Wexford
County Council. Priority
Construction Ltd. - with a
successful tender of almost £12
million was appointed the
successful contractor in early
2000.
In advanee of top soil stripping,
Eachtra Archeological Projects
undertook a programme of
archeological testing along the
entire route. "This revealed 10
previously unknown sites that
included two corn-drying mills and
a substantial moated medieval
settlement, two burnt mound
spreads and a selection of various
prehistoric and medieval
settlement sites," Tony
International hauliers using the port of Rosslare
will benefrt trom the N25 realignment
commented.
TAR
OVE
Producers Of Road Materials
Civil Engineering Contractors
TOMGARROW, ADAMSTOWN, CO. WEXFORD
7-i!liiWf-t-t-t•&b&L&ILLL
CONTINUED BEST WISHES TO WEXFORD COUNlY COUNCIL
Delighted To Be Associated With
WEXFORD COL~TI COUNCIL
~ ~ l'i~~
Paddy McGee
Building, Civil Engineering
&Tarmacadam Contractor
Also SpecialisingIn Slipform Kerbing
Ardinagh, Taglunon, Co. Wexford. Tel: (053) 34221 • Fax: (053) 34441.

3. He added: -co'1tirlUed
archeological monitoring of ~he
topsoil stripping by the contractor
revealed a third ofing <: n and
three prehistoric s :es. The
resident engineer. :.rs contractor
and Eachtra A·c..,eo ogical
Projects meet tv. ce a :•eet< to
minimise the dis""L::•or• :o the
contractor's prog-a:.,...s a:"d :o
ensure that Irish "'e..,....a;e ,•,as ""0:
lost during the corsL'"'..::o-- :: :.-:
new road."
At an early stage ,, :..-e oor:.•a::
both the contrac;o; a_"d :, ex'o.-c
County Council aeciaeo iO eiTolo:,
global positioning sate rliie
technology for setting out control
of the entire scheme. The
contractor also successfully
employed the GPS system on its
dozers for its bulk earthworks
programme.
The ground conditions at both
the eastern and western tie-in to
the existing N25 network were
found to be poor. An alternative
embankment design was required
on the eastern tie-in after
extensive geotechnical
investigation in the area. This
design ensured stable ground
upon which to construct the new
alignment. Tony elaborated: "The
ground conditions and the
suitable materials encountered
during the bulk earthworks
operation has led to a minimum
requirement for imported material
on the scheme."
During the course of
the works Farm Relief
Services erected
approximately 19,000
linear metres of fencing,
Holgate Fencing erected
approximately 8,000
metres of safety fencing,
while Roadstone placed
44,000 tonnes of
oadbase. 18,000 tonnes
o~ basecourse and
• 2.000 lOf"lleS Of
.-,ea"-;; co-. •se. T"'e
cc-:-a::: a.5-::: :-:a !Y-1 :.re
cc-.s:'"'..c..o.- o~ :.e- ~s a:
e ~....e- era o' <~e ne:.
section of standard
single carriageway, the
provision of 20,000
metres of drainage, the
provision of ducting, the
relocation of existing
services and the
construction of nine
cattle underpasses and
other accommodation
works.
All road markings,
Othotltntu Bothor N25
Roth Sotleoch go Batie Honrot
REALIGNMENT OF N25
RATHSILLAGH TO HARRISTOWN LITTLE
~
1:.&1
Comhatrl• Chonto• Loch Gorman
WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL
,.., P Cllltf'f' Counlt (1flftHf
Bl. C lnt f I t I
On tUdaros um BOithr• nai$1Unto
NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY
On Romn ComhshDDII
DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
linings and road studs
were carried out by
Curran Signs and Road
Markings, while traffic
The project was funded with financial assistance from the
European Regional Development Fund
signs were supplied by
European Road Signs and
erected by the contractor. Boro
Landscapes planted the
indigenous trees and shrubs on
slide slopes through cut areas
with the dual aim of enhancing the
view for motorists and screening
the road from adjoining residents
and landowners.
The cross section of the new
route consists of 7.5 metres of
carriageway, two three metre wide
hard shoulders and two three
metre wide grass verges, giving a
The new routeIsa- -
total width of 19.5
metres excluding
side slopes and
drainage. The
design speed is
100 kph.
The Department
of Environment,
through the
National Roads
Authority provided
finance for the
project with 75 per
cent assistance
from the EU
Cohesion Fund.