Strange Road Markings

Davidth88 · 03-10-2007 7:55am #1

Hi,

Driving up the N7 on Monday , I notice that the roadworks have started on the Nenagh bypass.

This is a pain because it has made one of the only really decent piece of road between Port Laoise and Limmerick a single lane , no overtaking part ... but at least it's only temporary

What is wierd however is along the side of the road is a dotted yellow line , and a solid yellow line, now this a marking I have never seen. I learnt to drive in the UK , so I know there are subtle differences in the road markings. Anyway last night I checked in the rules of the road ( that the gvmt sent me ) and that marking does not appear anywhere in there.

So what does this marking mean , or is the contractor maming it up as he goes along ?

Nuttzz · 03-10-2007 9:54am

the contractor hasnt removed the broken yellow line that was there before the works started

LFCFan · 09-10-2007 3:57pm

what are they doing on that road anyway? Did look like it needed improving or are they putting in a 2+1 system or something?

Zoney · 09-10-2007 4:43pm

It's being upgraded to dual carriageway to link in with the Limerick-Nenagh scheme currently under construction as part of the Dublin-Limerick interurban (remember too that these were originally to be motorway, not just dual carriageway or high-quality dual carriageway).

It initially would seem to one to be a bit crazy for the Nenagh bypass having been built not so long ago, but it was planned way back now, so it's really not surprising at all that it wasn't planned as dual carriageway from the beginning. Dual carriageway isn't necessary at this point in any case to serve the traffic capacity (i.e. it's so low that even great future increases could occur and it would still be within the limit for single carriageway), but that goes for parts of the N6 (between Galway and Athlone once away from those pop centres), N7 (between Nenagh and Roscrea), N8 (between Portlaoise and Cashel) and N9 (south of N10 junction). One can see this by perusing the AADT figures on the NRA site. The point is more to facilitate interurban journeys regardless of how many end-to-end ones there are by providing decent safe road links not requiring low speed limits or having jams anywhere.

Hagar · 09-10-2007 4:51pm

Nuttzz wrote:

the contractor hasnt removed the broken yellow line that was there before the works started

What does a broken yellow line signify? Is it a recent innovation?

OT In France they go over all road markings temporarily in yellow where road works are in progress, both the centre line and kerb markings. There weren't any guys in berets digging holes by any chance?

LFCFan · 09-10-2007 4:53pm

Zoney wrote:

It's being upgraded to dual carriageway to link in with the Limerick-Nenagh scheme currently under construction as part of the Dublin-Limerick interurban (remember too that these were originally to be motorway, not just dual carriageway or high-quality dual carriageway).

It initially would seem to one to be a bit crazy for the Nenagh bypass having been built not so long ago, but it was planned way back now, so it's really not surprising at all that it wasn't planned as dual carriageway from the beginning. Dual carriageway isn't necessary at this point in any case to serve the traffic capacity (i.e. it's so low that even great future increases could occur and it would still be within the limit for single carriageway), but that goes for parts of the N6 (between Galway and Athlone once away from those pop centres), N7 (between Nenagh and Roscrea), N8 (between Portlaoise and Cashel) and N9 (south of N10 junction). One can see this by perusing the AADT figures on the NRA site. The point is more to facilitate interurban journeys regardless of how many end-to-end ones there are by providing decent safe road links not requiring low speed limits or having jams anywhere.

FFS. When I saw the roadworks starting I said to my wife they couldn't possibly be making it a dual carriageway, sure wasn't it only built 5 years ago. Yet another example of muppetry in Ireland. And you're right. It's not needed. I've never had an issue with overtaking on that road and it's always fairly empty. All they are doing is disrupting people yet again.

mackerski · 09-10-2007 7:49pm

Hagar wrote:

What does a broken yellow line signify? Is it a recent innovation?

I'm not sure if this is a serious question, but I'll give you a clue.

Hagar · 09-10-2007 8:22pm

Sorry Mackerski, it was a genuine question, I just got parking / single yellow / double yellow prohibitions into my head and couldn't make a connection. Thanks.

Zoney · 09-10-2007 11:32pm

LFCFan wrote:

FFS. When I saw the roadworks starting I said to my wife they couldn't possibly be making it a dual carriageway, sure wasn't it only built 5 years ago. Yet another example of muppetry in Ireland. And you're right. It's not needed. I've never had an issue with overtaking on that road and it's always fairly empty. All they are doing is disrupting people yet again.

Actually, I was putting forward the opinion that the dual-carriageway/motorways from Dublin to the various cities are actually quite a sensible and necessary measure even if the traffic volumes at certain points on the routes don't demand it. It's more about people getting between the cities quickly and safely.

However, I was pointing out that the above view is quite a recent one, or at least, having the money to execute it is. The original bypass was planned some time ago, the preliminary idea in the Road Plans for the 1980s, and the specifics in the early 1990s, with construction commencing in 1998. I think you'll agree that it's not surprising that back then it wasn't planned as a more major project. Actually, for a laugh, you should see how many recent projects were planned back in the 1980s road plans (i.e. published intentions in 1979 for bypasses) - some haven't even been built yet despite the Celtic Tiger - e.g. Slane Bypass, others are recent like the Sligo Relief Road.

Another issue is that it's since been considered quite dangerous to have grade separated single carriageways and expressway-like single carriageway roads (nice and straight, sometimes broad) - it's too easy for people (think non-locals) to be fooled into thinking they've joined a dual carriageway or at the least, give a false sense of safety about the undivided carriageway. Nevermind that, but the junctions on the route in this case are sub-par, not having acceleration/deceleration lanes in some cases.

Also, they left out the needed junction on the Thurles Road (although one would wonder why they couldn't have omitted the current eastern junction for Nenagh and put in the Thurles Road one instead). This junction will be added as part of the upgrade to dual carriageway.

LFCFan · 10-10-2007 9:23am

Thanks for the info. Any idea what the time frame is for this upgrade? It's a really annoying disruption as that road is practically the first real opportunity to pass all the Sunday drivers coming back from Limerick to Dublin.

Victor · 13-10-2007 7:19pm

Zoney wrote: »

Another issue is that it's since been considered quite dangerous to have grade separated single carriageways and expressway-like single carriageway roads (nice and straight, sometimes broad) - it's too easy for people (think non-locals) to be fooled into thinking they've joined a dual carriageway or at the least, give a false sense of safety about the undivided carriageway.

Ah, Paddyitis at work, if its straight, wide and has bridges, its motorway.

Lots of countries have such roads and they are successful. They are a good in between for roads that have many junctions, pre-dominant through-traffic, but not quite enough traffic to merit a motorway. See the Yaiza - Playa Blanca Road here: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=28.90931,-13.780289&spn=0.12833,0.2314&z=12&om=1

In theory, they built one carriageway of a motorway. In reality, they built an express road next to the, now local only, original road.

Hotblack Desiato · 14-10-2007 4:27pm

Victor wrote: »

See the Yaiza - Playa Blanca Road here: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=28.90931,-13.780289&spn=0.12833,0.2314&z=12&om=1

In theory, they built one carriageway of a motorway. In reality, they built an express road next to the, now local only, original road.

I've driven that road and consider it quite dangerous for those not familiar with it (and there are quite a few tourists in Lanzarote...)

When there is no oncoming traffic on the express road, the local road is running parallel to your left and the only traffic on it is coming towards you, it is very easy to be fooled into thinking that you're on a dual carriageway, pull out to overtake and then encounter oncoming traffic - happened to me.

Strange Road Markings

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