N7 - Newlands Cross upgrade

spacetweek · 16-09-2014 1:13pm

Lot of people perhaps overreacting a tad, you only have around 6 more weeks to go until the flyover lanes are done and that should sort out rush hour unless you turn off at the junction on your journey.

jd · 16-09-2014 1:23pm

spacetweek wrote: »

Lot of people perhaps overreacting a tad, you only have around 6 more weeks to go until the flyover lanes are done and that should sort out rush hour unless you turn off at the junction on your journey.

Agree, I work in Citywest and think on the whole they've done a good job on traffic management.

rameire · 16-09-2014 1:28pm

spacetweek wrote: »

Lot of people perhaps overreacting a tad, you only have around 6 more weeks to go until the flyover lanes are done and that should sort out rush hour unless you turn off at the junction on your journey.

If People think this is bad, I cant wait for the widening of the M7.

Mitch Connor · 16-09-2014 1:42pm

jd wrote: »

Agree, I work in Citywest and think on the whole they've done a good job on traffic management.

agreed - this work going on right now is the only major disruption I have encountered during the works. Considering the job being done, I am shocked by how well it has gone.

I actually think the major factor at the moment is how long it takes for the lights to go green again inbound/outbound. It is holding traffic up for ages, I think it is a longer wait now than it was in the past because the traffic coming across the junction needs more time.

Truckermal · 16-09-2014 6:10pm

ukoda wrote: »

i second this for going the other way too, you need at least 30 mins to get past, I went through this morning at about 9am, traffic was backed up to exit 2, it was 9.27am when i hit the M50

I went through shortly after 10am and didn't even stop!! Thank god I decided to stay in bed..

jd · 16-09-2014 6:38pm

ukoda wrote: »

Is it possible they may not have been able to get permission for 24/7 construction given it's proximity to residential areas and the hotels that are close by?

Made the effort to investigate this
From http://www.sdcc.ie/sites/default/files/publications/eistext-appndices.pdf (Environmental Impact Study that would have had to be submitted as part of the planning process)

3.9.5.4 Working Hours
Normal working times will be 07:00 to 19:00hrs Monday to Saturday. Works other than the
pumping out of excavations, security and emergency works will not be undertaken outside
these working hours without the written permission of the Contracting Authority. This
permission, if granted, can be withdrawn at any time should the working regulations be
breached.
Works other than the pumping out of excavations, security and emergency works will not be
undertaken at night and on Sundays without the written permission of the Contracting
Authority.

cargo · 16-09-2014 9:56pm

Went outbound this am at around 810am and same as always. Only had to wait on one turn of the lights to get through as normal. Came back through inbound today at around 3.30pm and didnt even stop at the lights. Kept to the outer lane which is now City AND Belgard. Inner two lanes had a bit more traffic.

Truckermal · 17-09-2014 7:25pm

cargo wrote: »

Went outbound this am at around 810am and same as always. Only had to wait on one turn of the lights to get through as normal. Came back through inbound today at around 3.30pm and didnt even stop at the lights. Kept to the outer lane which is now City AND Belgard. Inner two lanes had a bit more traffic.

How far was out the dublin bound traffic backed up? ??

cargo · 17-09-2014 7:30pm

Truckermal wrote: »

How far was out the dublin bound traffic backed up? ??

to be honest i can't remember. I went into city west but i don't remember it being back any farther than kingswood if even that far but I can't be sure.

lukejr · 18-09-2014 1:32am

ukoda wrote: »

How do they make this work so well in the US tho? they have most of their highways and junctions in the cities up on raised roads.

I wouldn't say it works well in the USA. Raised roads divide communities and are a huge eye sore. Also in the US (in PA & NY at least) their infrastructure is falling apart and from living in PA I have first hand knowledge that the Irish do a much better job on motorway construction, alternations and maintenance.

It's a shambles in PA, interstates and bridges are falling apart/down and their idea of resurfacing - is digging up the entire 4 lane road for 3 miles stretches at a time, not sweeping it and leaving it idle for 2 weeks, then taking an additional three weeks to surface it, you should see my paint work!

cargo · 18-09-2014 1:20pm

7:45am outbound. Straight up to the lights. 1 car in each lane and inbound was only backed up 30m beyond the lights at the other side.

paulbok · 18-09-2014 5:07pm

Still plenty of queue jumpers in the evenings. traffic is backed up to Kingswood for the M50/city centre and plenty still use the Belgard lane to fly up and skip the queue.

Anyone know why they reinstated the inbound bus lane with only 6 weeks left till the worst is over?

tonc76 · 18-09-2014 7:00pm

paulbok wrote: »

Still plenty of queue jumpers in the evenings. traffic is backed up to Kingswood for the M50/city centre and plenty still use the Belgard lane to fly up and skip the queue.

Anyone know why they reinstated the inbound bus lane with only 6 weeks left till the worst is over?

The lane to the right of the works serves both city bound traffic and Belgard Road traffic though?

ciarsd · 18-09-2014 7:11pm

tonc76 wrote: »

The lane to the right of the works serves both city bound traffic and Belgard Road traffic though?

This single lane further splits into 2 lanes a couple hundred yards from the junction however. Straight ahead (City) and right only (Belgard).

cargo · 18-09-2014 9:25pm

tonc76 wrote: »

The lane to the right of the works serves both city bound traffic and Belgard Road traffic though?

ciarsd wrote: »

This single lane further splits into 2 lanes a couple hundred yards from the junction however. Straight ahead (City) and right only (Belgard).

Yes but the right turn lane is now very short compared to what it was probably only enough to stack around 6 cars.

I think people are staying away from this right lane as it now seems fairly free (outside peak) as people don't cop it now is also a straight ahead lane. The inside lanes always seem busier.

Came inbound tonight around 7.30 and flew straight though the outside lane. There was a queue back on the outbound side.

Davecon1973 · 24-09-2014 8:25am

The flyover that is almost complete, will it serve both inbound and outbound or is there an outbound flyover to be built next?

rameire · 24-09-2014 8:34am

cheers for that laugh.
it is what it is and is 3 lanes in both directions with a concrete median.

just drove passed on the left hand side this morning, they seem to be installing supports for sound barriers.
on the outbound side, the wall builders are back and look happy.
on one of the lanes that were removed 2 weeks ago, they have started to build a fancy stone wall, and here was I thinking all the walls were done.

95% of the hard core base has been completed on the eastern side and I would think they are about 70% on the western side, they are flying along, and seem to be doing a lot of tidy up as they work,
which is good as it will mean people will see alot of noticable improvement.

So we are not to far from 3 layers of blacktop being put down.

fullstop · 24-09-2014 8:44am

tonc76 wrote: »

The lane to the right of the works serves both city bound traffic and Belgard Road traffic though?

People skip up the right lane and either force their way in just before the divide or else go past the flyover and force their way in just before the M50 slip, even though there are clear signs and road markings saying the outer lanes are Belgard/City only. They're too good to wait like the rest of us.

Homer101 · 24-09-2014 10:13am

Great to see Newlands x nearing completion well ahead of schedule.

poteen o hooley · 24-09-2014 10:52am

Davecon1973 wrote: »

The flyover that is almost complete, will it serve both inbound and outbound or is there an outbound flyover to be built next?

There will be a tunnel for inbound traffic.

Mitch Connor · 24-09-2014 11:40am

poteen o hooley wrote: »

There will be a tunnel for inbound traffic.

Oh, you're a stonecutter? sssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuutttt uuuuuppppp....

Middle Man · 24-09-2014 3:07pm

poteen o hooley wrote: »

There will be a tunnel for inbound traffic.

Seems to me like a smart arsed comment... :mad:

By experience, flyovers can look deceptively narrow from underneath. On the main subject, there will be just the one flyover that will carry 2 x 3 lanes of traffic - AFAIK, no hard shoulder will be included. The area occupied by the current outbound lanes is only temporarily taken for the duration of the works IIRC.

Tzardine · 24-09-2014 3:11pm

Any ideas when the bus lane outbound is due back. I miss that bus lane 😭

(I am on a bike)

ukoda · 26-09-2014 10:46am

drove past this outbound today, it looks like its so close to getting tarmac, it really looks ready to get the road surface down on it and lines painted. if i could have found a gap in the barriers i would have drove over it myself - its so tempting and inviting looking at it haha

cargo · 26-09-2014 11:39am

There's a crane up top dropping in more wall panels along hte side of the flyover and all the temp worker safety rails along the deck (between the east and west walls) were removed when I passed yesterday so they were probably dropping in the panels on the deck last night or fitting the permanent barrier if that's whats going there (I imaging its walls panels though).

Kelly's of Fantane also looked to be getting paving machines lined up for works last night so i'd say there's a bit more down on the Naas side overnight. They were getting sorted alongside the City/Belgard lane. Probably only a few more bits of layers as there's a lot of patchy work in this area at the minute.

Also the permanent safety rails on the end of the City ramp are in for a while now and a good bit more tidying has been completed on this side. Dublin City traffic cam #85 shows this clearly.

slinky2000 · 26-09-2014 12:21pm

Maybe this has been talked about, but what's the impact likely to be on the roads inbound from Newlands after this has finished? Surely this means many thousands of extra cars hitting the m50 city inbound quicker than at present just pushing the problem closer to the city?

Even outbound might be bad, look at Friday evenings on the n7 at present!

veryangryman · 26-09-2014 12:23pm

slinky2000 wrote: »

Maybe this has been talked about, but what's the impact likely to be on the roads inbound from Newlands after this has finished? Surely this means many thousands of extra cars hitting the m50 city inbound quicker than at present just pushing the problem closer to the city?

Even outbound might be bad, look at Friday evenings on the n7 at present!

I guess that the idea of any N-road upgrade these days is that you dont have to stop under normal conditions (so long as you stay on N roads). In the case of NX upgrade, it favours those travelling to/from M50 to N7.

Local traffic will continue to meet lights and thus encouraged to use public transport. Luas P&R nearby to solidify this assumption.

AugustusMinimus · 26-09-2014 12:39pm

slinky2000 wrote: »

Maybe this has been talked about, but what's the impact likely to be on the roads inbound from Newlands after this has finished? Surely this means many thousands of extra cars hitting the m50 city inbound quicker than at present just pushing the problem closer to the city?

Even outbound might be bad, look at Friday evenings on the n7 at present!

Don't think it will make a huge difference IMO. Outbound will probably actually improve on the basis that traffic flow will be more even. At the moment it is very lumpy due to traffic lights.

rameire · 26-09-2014 12:40pm

I think the benefit will be outbound and also onto the M50.

due to the removal of Lights, it will mean that traffic is moving and spaced out, thus it is not bunched together.
so when the traffic hits the m50 it will be easier to merge as you will have cars entering every few seconds and not 2 hundred cars entering all at once.
the same will happen for traffic hitting the Ball at Naas

the new pinch points will be the Naas Road + Long Mile Road junction, this will need a Flyover next.

spacetweek · 26-09-2014 12:50pm

slinky2000 wrote: »

Maybe this has been talked about, but what's the impact likely to be on the roads inbound from Newlands after this has finished? Surely this means many thousands of extra cars hitting the m50 city inbound quicker than at present just pushing the problem closer to the city?

Even outbound might be bad, look at Friday evenings on the n7 at present!

That's not a reason not to build it, it's up to M50 engineers to sort that out. There are probably some changes that could be made to the Luas P&R junction that might improve things somewhat, but if the issue is M50 capacity on its mainline, there's not much that can be done about that.
As for outbound, widening of Naas-Newbridge should help matters.

N7 - Newlands Cross upgrade

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