Website for M50 upgrade project - M50.ie

darkman2 wrote:

Just one more very important thing ive noticed:


The fact the hotel is built on that photomontage indicates that that image was put together after the EIS was put out so maybe im having second thoughts

Well all the plans look newer than the EIS even if the Ballymount and N4 are the same, so it seems to be the final deal, I.e N7 proposed is the final plan? That would be exciting, if it's not I'd say Chris is going to get a lot of grief. I mean why would they post this up on the website as with the rest of the designes.?

Otherwise it would be a perfect April fools joke. Timing is wrong though.

Anyone have more info on this? I've never heard or seen these plans before, there are not on the C.C websites or NRA..

I assume the Monastery bridge would not affect the decision. I'm just hoping that the preffered one goes ahead

To clear up the confusion between the the two proposed.

The first one should be called Mad cow and the second one should be called Red cow.:D It causing a lot of confusion I think.

This is actually to further prove the N7 design just by looking at the pic.. That is indeed the new redcow. Also the new propasal will still have lights on the Monastery road entrance, and the right and left turn before fiats, so it could still mean partial free flow

Chris_533976 wrote:

Looking closely at that pic shows the old crappy (mad cow) design.

Damn this is all too confusing. I think you'll have to wait about a year and look at what they're building to see if theres one or two loops there

Your wrong, the loop in on R110 mainline bound and loops in from left to right. The Mad cow design loops right to left on a seperate bridge... and the M50 slip that swings over to Naas outbound dosnt go over the loops, in the mad cow it does.

Though it's hard to tell, but I'm right:)

Yes the existing bridges are to be used and the other three are the ones added over luas and over the m50soutbound to Naas, and the R110 Loop onto the M50 NB section. The pic might look misleading but it does look like the proposed Redcow mentioned onsite the loops are in the exact aspect. I dear hope it is. It will be road design quite striking in terms of Irish roads and bridges. Its seems sensible to go with this option.

Btw Monastery road and Naas Eastbound will still have lights, I imagine just before Fiats will still have lights for the right and left turn also where traffic from the extra bridge that murphaph mentioned.

Darkman, don't spoil it. It's better believing anything else but the EIS cheap and "stupid" design when clearly it's quite easily poosible to manage and plan an interchange just as easy free flowing.

It would make sense if they went with the free flow option. Is there anyone here would have an idea what the price difference would be, I mean the third tier on the Madcow design is not cheap. IMO if it's going to cost a little bit extra, they might as do a proper job with this interchange and sort out the luas nonsense. it would be well worth it. Note it's the busiest and most important interchange on the M50.

Edt: quote from from Irish times, though its more than two years old.
However, Mr Egan said the planning was to "now go ahead on the basis that the outstanding issues can be agreed". He said the scheme could happen "with the Luas on stilts or on the ground".

I got the figures of both interchanges according to EIS designs, which are just about right. The crappy mad cow luas combination, is 37 million and the Palmerstown interchange is 63 million Euro, hmm why would the Palmerstown by nearly twice the cost, considering the Red cow seems more of a priorty in terms of traffic/design dilemmas with the luas. IIt's fair to say they could of easily went spent a full whack on a redicolous interchange.

If we did a poll "it would probably the best poll in the world" ie it would be 100% vote for a free flow interchange.

I just read an article on the Gov website. Out of all the interchanges the N7 is the cheapest :eek: That's crazy. The government have no exuse to have the original plan left partially flowing and they have no exuses for the lack of funding. They should at least pur a bit more money into the busiest junction in Ireland. so there is no exuse in the engineering side of things either or the land as that's already sorted. Now with the extra money this year in the exchecqure;) I'm sure (hope)they will put a proper interchange there like the N3 and N4,
and stop faddling and get it right. The N3 alone as it stands, cost more than the other other interchanges combined.

Another 25 million should easily give the N7 a full proper interchange. Still gives an overall price to to the N4 or anytype of interchange to compare too.
Anyway enough of my ramblling. I would like to see a proper interchange, Not nonsense.

examiner wrote:

Motorists face traffic chaos during M50 upgrade

Plans to widen the country’s busiest road could also disrupt the Luas, as a new stretch of railway may have to be built to convey trams across the Red Cow junction without having to stop for traffic.

The National Roads Authority and South Dublin County Council yesterday confirmed the first stage of the work will begin in the next few weeks on an 8km stretch between the Westlink bridge and Ballymount.

Serious traffic congestion is predicted during peak times for the duration of the

€244 million project, even though two lanes will be kept open in each direction between 6am and 10pm to minimise delays. A 60km speed limit will apply along the route during the construction phase.

Lane restrictions will be in operation outside these hours in order to facilitate construction work, which will last until 2008.

However, traffic disruption on the M50 is set for several more years as the €1 billion project to upgrade a 32km stretch between the M1 interchange and Sandyford will take until 2010 before completion.

Meanwhile, official sources yesterday confirmed there is still no official opening date for the Dublin Port Tunnel. It was scheduled to open early this year but now appears unlikely to be operational before September at the earliest due to ongoing safety tests.

The M50 upgrade will result in a major redesign of key interchanges, including junctions with the N7 at the Red Cow and N4 near Liffey Valley.

The NRA plans to eliminate existing roundabouts and traffic lights at all major intersections by replacing them with “spaghetti junctions” which facilitate traffic to merge without stopping.

Woo, with gas pipellines and Luas problems, it just might well be that an upgraded option is needed;)

darkman2 wrote:

The N3 costs the most because it is the largest of the upgrades and probrably the most complex.

I agree though if they are spending a billion whats an extra 20 million odd??

Agree, a figure of 1 billion with an extra 20 million is not extraordinary.

I have being googling old news... I did find some news, but no pics of a free flow set up. What I did find a lot - as I put, gossip = of a free flow interchange at the redcow and plans for luas to run over the Redcow. Like in the plan Chris put up, It was defeniatly on the agenda in the dail whenever the M50 upgrade was brought up. A lot of minister's(mostly opposition parties I'd say) questioned the nature as to why are they not putting a proper free flow arrangement like the N4 for example. They never got a straight answer on that or any other, responses will be just traffic figures justify the current propasal, there are not telling us the future problem to the problems they can solve now. Two years later the luas is getting crowded, the Redcow is still called Madcow and we want a proper interchange now.

The reality is NRA are not interested in spending 40 or 50 million on
the red cow, which is STILL cheaper than either than N4 and N3. Why is this?

Note: the print - It was propose (old news) in 2003 thereabouts before the EIS plans, that 40 or 50 million was efficient to have a free flow arrangement,s with at least luas and road conflicts seperated etc.. Even this seems the impossible.

There is no exuse for this bullSh!T.It will have to be put back to the drawing boards in 5 years time. Who and what are they playing at, lol (lets spend that extra 20 million on private helicopters instead) In 10 years time the Luas will have to be put on silts..

I'd say most would agree if they are going to upgrade the current layout of the messy junction at least Do the bloody thing right, and get rid of the lights. instead of coming up with stupid figures based on 10 years ago. We must not forget they did the exact same mistake when we allowed them to run the luas on the ground level, they got away with that nicely, and they still, don't see the logic to put "luas on silts" The faffyness should stop now, and get a proper free flow arrangement In this current upgrade..


I think the message is clear. It's a half arsed job like before. if the EIS interchange goes ahead(hope it burns to shreds), despite the improvements that is obviously mentioned by the NRA.:rolleyes: I believe it's a Very foolish decision for Ireland's busiest and most notorious interchange.it will be left in 10 years when traffic just cannot cope with the luas conflicts. It will be even more messy to fix it, when they already have a free flow option designed in what 2004-2006. A bit of a relapse to come from this.

The experts, the Ministers and the NRA have not mentioned at anytime, that with the new luas intergration i.e connecting the luas lines and extending it to Citywest will have any impact or effect on the Redcow after the upgrade.
Also it has become obvious especially on the red line that the trams itself need extra carriages and will have to double capactiy, will this affect traffic on the luas? will the extra frequencies and trams to Citywest affect the redcow. Will the M50 slip from Tallaght to both city and Naas be affected by any of this (clearly a busy slip that will not change a bit in the upgrade, just get busier. Did the NRA mention this no.... Con job.:mad: