M7-N18 Limerick South Ring Road thread

Victor wrote: »

Question: Is the section from the N69 Dock Road to the N18 Ennis Road a motorway?

Nope, and it's mainly due to the fact that the section of road between Cratloe and Hurler's cross are not motorway standard.

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Nope, and it's mainly due to the fact that the section of road between Cratloe and Hurler's cross are not motorway standard.

Although it's not a good excuse in my opinion given the other end flows directly onto the M7. No reason SRR phase 2 couldn't be motorway all the way from the Ennis Road to the M7/M20 junction.

If they didn't want to number a short section of M18 they should have stuck with the plan to have it be part of the N7 (M7).

However, I suspect it's probably some kind of reason to do with the toll - maybe they think there would be slightly less traffic if it was motorway, even if just a few cars (what is there? - learner permit holders, not much else with the tunnel restrictions).

danielmcinerney wrote: »

anyone know what this is going to involve?
http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LimerickCountyCouncil/M7N24BallysimonInterchange/SchemeName,16494,en.html

juntion as it is is a disaster

There seems to have been no imagination whatsoever involved in how the N24 junction would actually be used once up and running. The finished arrangement seems to be that someone merely looked at AADT figures for N24 and didn't consider how much traffic would be right turning in either direction onto the M7. Admittedly the latter didn't exist at the time planning was undertaken, but that is why you have *planning*.

Before the traffic lights it was very dangerous indeed. At least they did put those in, as they were needed to handle the right turns and at least make sure the queue is on the N24 more than down the M7 slip onto the M7 mainline. Now the junction it is "just" a hazard and delay rather than being an absolute blackspot.

Still, if we were doing things properly, someone would be held to account over the failure to plan the junction to emerging traffic requirements.

I find that Exit 30 Southbound at Rosbrien (from the M7 Dublin to M20 Cork/Dooradoyle) is very, very short. It is potentially dangerous also.

This exit joins the Republic's second and third largest cities, but the slip lane is about 100 metres long - the norm is probably 300 metres for minor exits.

Traffic has to brake hard in the left lane to make the exit, thus delaying onward traffic to Galway. There is also the usual assortment of motorists who can't read huge blue signposts and dive for the exit at 120 kmph at the very last minute.

And those motorists whose cars aren't fitted with indicator bulbs as standard... Outside Dublin, the lack of indication is quite amazing (but apparently not illegal)

jimbob1977,

I think this is probably a failed attempt to counteract weaving - there is a bit of an issue with M20 J1 (M7 J30) that J2 is only a couple hundred metres up the motorway.

Not sure what you could do to fix this without expensive work at J2. I think if they extended the slip road from M7, or even had it as an auxiliary lane between J1 and J2, it would result in a lot of weaving (people would join the lane earlier for J2).

I haven't noticed this on any threads. This High Junction is one big disaster since it inception, which has been the scene of many bad silly accidents before they add Traffic Lights.



I do not know why they never created a roundabout system at this road when they built it. Now with new houses nearby (North) it is going to be difficult to design a free flow/Roundabout system.

http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/LimerickCountyCouncil/M7N24BallysimonInterchange/SchemeName,16494,en.html

Does anyone have a good idea how they going to resolve this nightmare of a junction?

While I do not like to see Traffic lights anywhere in the country, they were a necessary and frustrating evil to have here due to the poor initial design at this junction. There was far too many serious accidents on this section of the road since it opened, I am surprised there was not many many more Terrible accidents before the Traffic lights where put in. The RSA figures only go cover 3 three years 2006 to 2008.
http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/Our-Research/Ireland-Road-Collisions/

How about something like this.

The benefits are:
1. Free flow for Limerick to Tipp
2. Virtually free flow for Tipp to Limerick, Just a roundabout merge with Dublin to Tipp traffic, (fairly low numbers)
3. Virtually free flow, Limerick to Cork and Tipp to cork, just a merger of the two, on the existing on ramp.
4. Cork to Tipp becomes a merge with the Tipp road
5. Free flow Cork to Limerick
6. Dublin to Limerick becomes a roundabout merge with Tipp to Limerick.

So its as close to a free flow system as you can get. The biggest problem being the merge with the Limerick to Tipp , of the Cork - Tipp traffic, which will have just merged with the Dublin to Tipp traffic. A roundabout might be needed where the current D - C off ramp connects with the Tipp road.

What do ye think?

There would be some rework needed where the Tipp - Limerick traffic rejoins the Ballysimon Road, but nothing dramatic, and the Tipp - Dublin traffic will have a little detour in around Ballysimon.
But I think this represents the most efficent use of whats there, while limiting the need for a big spend.

jimbob1977,

Again, probably due to engineering constraints - just before that there is a flyover and it's likely that a slip lane wouldn't fit under that bridge (for starting before) and that starting it even sooner just after the bridge would make matters worse as the signage for the start of it would be hidden behind the bridge.

Lights outside of tunnels are common in Europe anyway. Stops people entering if something happens.

Surprised the Jack Lynch got built without them.

Bunratty to Charleville in 30 mins is very good

the Port Tunnel is not a PPP, its state infrastructure if I recall rightly, and so they can play around all they want with the charges. Limerick Tunnel is a PPP.

Now if you tolled the ring road you'd be onto something.

E10sr wrote: »

Talking of Traffic lights, I travelled to and from Limerick via the Tunnel this evening and on the way home (west bound)noticed the installation of regular traffic lights on the approach to the tunnel, also about midway through and again at the exit, did not notice them earlier while traveling east bound.
It looked as if its set up to allow traffic flow both ways in one tube.
Anybody care to throw any Light on this??

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Lights outside of tunnels are common in Europe anyway. Stops people entering if something happens.

Surprised the Jack Lynch got built without them.

It is about bloody time they install traffic lights. They should have them on the Dock Road Junction, not on the road before of the Tunnel with large warning sign (not the tiny unnoticeable electronic sign) on the Road before the Dock Road Junction to warn truck drivers that their loads are not appropriate for Tunnel usage and to take the Dock Road route.