Low carbon drainage in Ireland on the N5 Westport to Turlough Road
Client: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in partnership with Mayo County Council
Main contractor: Willis/BAM JV
Design consultants: RPS Group
Drainage system: Duradrain Combined Kerb Drainage Systems, manufactured by Duraproducts Ltd and supplied by Stephen Leyland Ltd
Download PDF Version
Project overview
The N5 Westport to Turlough Road Project in County Mayo is an integral part of Ireland’s national road improvement programme, providing a high-quality link between Westport and Castlebar. The scheme removes through traffic from local communities and improves journey times, road safety and regional connectivity.
Delivered on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in partnership with Mayo County Council, the project includes around 20km of new Type 2 dual carriageway, along with junctions, roundabouts, bridges and associated infrastructure.
Duraproducts supported the scheme through the supply of Duradrain Combined Kerb Drainage Systems, installed at junctions, roundabouts and sections of carriageway where efficient surface water management was required.
A lightweight solution built for rural infrastructure
As a fast-moving dual carriageway without a rear footway, the N5 needed a drainage system that could handle vehicle overrun risk, heavy loading and rapid installation across a rural setting.
Duradrain was specified from Duraproducts’ 60000 range, built with a full batter splay profile designed for exactly this kind of scheme. The 45-degree splay allows for accidental overrun while guiding vehicles back onto the carriageway. Standard units meet EN1433:2002 load class D400, the rating used for roads carrying heavy traffic, and each 500mm unit weighs just 7kg with a usable flow area of 22,182mm². Gulley outfall units, rodding access points, universal end caps and radius units complete the range, allowing the system to be adapted around junctions and roundabouts using standard components throughout.
Being made from recycled polymer, Duradrain also carries a lower embodied carbon footprint than traditional concrete kerb drainage, and its lightweight design reduces the manual handling risks associated with heavier alternatives. The system cuts down on cutting concrete components on site too, reducing exposure to respirable crystalline silica.
Delivering an efficient installation across the scheme
Duradrain units were installed at roundabouts, junctions and carriageway edges across the N5 scheme, wherever surface water needed to be collected and carried away efficiently.
Because the system is lightweight, small site teams were able to install it without the heavy lifting equipment usually required for concrete kerb drainage – supporting a faster, safer installation process for the project team.
Duraproducts holds CE marking and an Environmental Product Declaration for Duradrain, and the product range has over 600,000 units installed across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, demonstrating its proven track record on schemes of this scale.
The installation of Duradrain along the N5 Westport to Turlough Road Project delivered a faster, lower-carbon drainage solution, supporting TII and Mayo County Council’s wider infrastructure and sustainability goals for the scheme.