2-lanes down to 1-lane at Johnstown

laoisfan · 25-11-2003 9:44am #1

Hi,

I regularly commute up/down to Dublin each day from south Laois (I know I know - is he mad or what).

Have been hearing the following (of what I though was a rumour) for the last few weeks from various Bus Eireann drivers plus from private operators as well.

There are plans to create a 3rd lane which will run all the way from the Red Cow Roundabout to the Kildare set of Johnstown lights and vice-versa. (there are 2 sets for anyone that does not know).

In order to make this happen they will have to close one of the existing lanes i.e. 2-lanes down to 1-lane for a certain period of time (I was told 1.5 -> 2 yrs.)

Supposedly this is happending from March'04.

Has anyone heard anything? Or is it just a silly rumour?

kind regards, laoisfan

BuffyBot · 25-11-2003 10:00am

I'd imagine it will be something similarto the situation at Rathcoole when the section there was completed. It did go to one lane during the process if I recall correctly.

dmeehan · 25-11-2003 10:39am

whats the point in having a third lane if you still have to stop at the lights

i'd say use the money to rework the flyover at the Naas exit, just after the lights and close the two traffic light junctions

WezzyB · 25-11-2003 11:19am

Kildare Road Design Office

According to these plans there will be 'grade separated junctions'....

laoisfan · 25-11-2003 12:30pm

well i guess the idea is sound for the long-term when you include the kildare-bypass as an add-on and then later on the mono-bypass.

however, i would say for the short-term it is going to be a right pain in the you-know-what especially for people commuting from Naas, never mind Kildare, Mono, Portlaoise etc.

It is conceivable that a journey from Naas into Dublin could be even as much as 1hr 30mins -> 2hrs?

Andrew Duffy · 25-11-2003 2:37pm

I notice that the very-nearly freeflowing Maudlin's interchange is being altered by adding - wait for it - two roundabouts. Still, there are traffic lights at the moment so it is actually an upgrade. Also, the map suggests that all the right turns are to be removed (yay) and all the left-on left-offs - except for the one at Goffs, even though there will be an access road from Goffs to the Johnstown interchange. Draw your own conclusions.

Andrew Duffy · 25-11-2003 3:12pm

...or maybe not. After reading the document, it looks like the left-on left-off junctions at Goffs and another one near Kill will be omitted after all.

Victor · 25-11-2003 5:51pm

Yes there are plans to extend the three lane section of the dual carriageway west (part is in the SDCC area aswell). Personally, I think they would have been much better off with a third carriageway (take out all the local traffic), not a third lane.

Note there will be rail improvements on the Kildare line next year.

www.sdcc.ie

2-lanes down to 1-lane at Johnstown

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