M50 News

causal

DubTony wrote:

I don't think there's a straight stretch in the road from Firhouse to the current end.

That's right, the only decent straight bit is from exit 12 (Ballycullen) to just beyond exit 11 (N81 exit)


causal

Zaph

causal wrote:

- danger of animals crossing - there is a warning sign with a deer on it

Just curious, has anyone ever actually seen a deer near that stretch of the road?

causal

Nope. But that section is built into the side of a mountain. I don't know much about the movements of the local deer population (assuming there is one), but presumably the M50 cut across their natural habitat and there's a risk they'd 'roam' the area.

causal

Victor

Apparently the 100km/h limit is due to traffic noise.

There are deer on the mountains and I imagine the roam somewhat and although the chicken wire should normally restrict them, I imagine gaps are possible, together with the unprotected sections at junctions.

The Sisco Kid

Passed by this afternoon and they've put up the gantry signs.

Seems like they've renamed the Leopardstown Road to the N31 - is this new?

Victor

The Sisco Kid wrote:

Seems like they've renamed the Leopardstown Road to the N31 - is this new?

N31 is Stillorgan (N11 / Mount Merrion Avenue) - Dún Laoghaire, presumably they are just extending it, although I would have thought they would have extended it to Ballinteer, not Leopardstown.

[edit] I imagine it will be all of the red section here http://www.dlrcoco.ie/Roads/LeopardstownM50.htm with the Wyckham Bypass Extension substituted for the Dundrum Bypass.

jd

Victor wrote:

Apparently the 100km/h limit is due to traffic noise.

which i assume probably won't be very strictly enforced.

murphaph

jd wrote:

which i assume probably won't be very strictly enforced.

2 points on your licence says it is

a_ominous

DubTony wrote:

They're already used with some success in Britain. As traffic gets heavier the limit comes down. Makes sense.

It seems the lower limit on the current stretch is due to bends and hills. There's probably some formula they have to work out how many straight bits they have to have for a 120 limit.
I don't think there's a straight stretch in the road from Firhouse to the current end.

Don't think the contractors on the south side have talked to the lads on the Port Tunnel and heard mention of the word 'excavation' :rolleyes:
How difficult would it have been to make a straight bit of road? Maybe they couldn't find a long ruler? And as for building if so dang high? Wind blast on that stretch can be quite uncomfortable in the winter.

a_ominous

Victor wrote:

Apparently the 100km/h limit is due to traffic noise.
/QUOTE]

Why did the Co Co allow houses to be built so fcuking close to the motorway then? We've paid for a motorway quality road and the idiots allow homes to be built 10 feet from the motorway and set a 100kmph speed limit! Gobs#!+es

fjon

zaph wrote:

Just curious, has anyone ever actually seen a deer near that stretch of the road?

I've seen plenty of foxes, both alive (at night) and squished on the road (the next morning). Maybe they just put up a deer sign to mean all animals?

gerrydublin

fjon wrote:

I've seen plenty of foxes, both alive (at night) and squished on the road (the next morning). Maybe they just put up a deer sign to mean all animals?

Imagine the reaction you'd have if a deer jumped over fence in front of you.
I don't care if you were driving at 100km/h or 120km/h,
methinks you might end dancing on the brakes and causing the person behind you to hit into you,
or swerving and causing a side-on collision.
Weird that they didn't put an underpass for them!

fletch

I've heard the M50 extension to the M11 is supposed to be opening sometime towards the end of this week? Is there any truth in it? I saw all the signposts in place this morning

DubTony

a_ominous wrote:

Why did the Co Co allow houses to be built so fcuking close to the motorway then? We've paid for a motorway quality road and the idiots allow homes to be built 10 feet from the motorway and set a 100kmph speed limit! Gobs#!+es

3 words. Brown Paper Bag ????????

Victor

a_ominous wrote:

Victor wrote:

Apparently the 100km/h limit is due to traffic noise.

Why did the Co Co allow houses to be built so fcuking close to the motorway then?

The houses existed well before the motorway.

fjon wrote:

I've seen plenty of foxes, both alive (at night) and squished on the road (the next morning). Maybe they just put up a deer sign to mean all animals?

Probably, but while hitting a fox will be had for your car, hitting a large deer (admittedlt the deer I saw were small Sika deer) will cream it.

Lord Nikon

zaph wrote:

Just curious, has anyone ever actually seen a deer near that stretch of the road?

I've seen a cow on it once, no joke.

*With regards to speed, i think one of the reasons why it's 100kph is because of crosswinds. Also, maybe because the road surface is smoother than the rest of the M50, and when it rain could create aqua-plains.

*(I have no evidence to back this up but it sounds convincing).

Victor

neuromancer wrote:

I've seen a cow on it once, no joke.

A red one by any chance?

Lord Nikon

Victor wrote:

A red one by any chance?

Don't you mean the "mad" one?

It was along the new stretch before the Stillorgan exit, looked like a calf jumped out the back of a 4x4 and was running Northbound.

jlang

neuromancer wrote:

I've seen a cow on it once, no joke.

*With regards to speed, i think one of the reasons why it's 100kph is because of crosswinds. Also, maybe because the road surface is smoother than the rest of the M50, and when it rain could create aqua-plains.

*(I have no evidence to back this up but it sounds convincing).

The road surface on that section actually seems to drain better than the old part. It's a particular low-noise mix but is noticeably 'nicer' to drive on in the wet. You get a lot more surface water and spray as you cross the line going North at Tallaght.

robbie1876

fletch wrote:

I've heard the M50 extension to the M11 is supposed to be opening sometime towards the end of this week? Is there any truth in it? I saw all the signposts in place this morning

It'll open whenever Bertie has a window in his diary to open it and get the credit for it. I've heard June 30th is the date the press are being lined up for.

Flukey

Yes, apparently is due to open next Thursday, June 30th, according to Martin Cullen in the Dáil yesterday.

fjon

Whoo hoo! The concrete blocks at the Sandyford exit were this morning, replaced by traffic cones. Not too long now....

DubTony

fjon wrote:

Whoo hoo! The concrete blocks at the Sandyford exit were this morning, replaced by traffic cones. Not too long now....

I love this thread. It's like watching 24 every week. The tension just builds and builds.
It's kind of sad how we're all so excited by / interested in / concerned about (select your emotion ) the opening of a road. Maybe it's not so surprising when some of us actually remember the opening of the Western Parkway all those years ago. When was that .... 1970 ??? 1980 ??? :rolleyes:

Aim2Please

just wondering. Will the completion of the M50, make any difference to traffic entering/exiting Sandyford Industrial estate? I can see how it should help traffic exiting estate, but not sure about entering it. Especially traffic thats arriving Southbound on the M50.

gerrydublin

Aim2Please wrote:

just wondering. Will the completion of the M50, make any difference to traffic entering/exiting Sandyford Industrial estate? I can see how it should help traffic exiting estate, but not sure about entering it. Especially traffic thats arriving Southbound on the M50.

It should by two ways, the leopardstown roundabout will be quieter, as most traffic will enter/exit the M50 at Loughlinstown industrial estate now. Hence more traffic should get out there.

The new entry/exit at the Beacon court Hotel will also may it easier for traffic to get on and off the M50, albeit having to travel down to the Ballinteer entry/exit points.

What would really have helped is if they broke a road through onto burton road( I think it's called, the road where the slevin-group are). This road will still be a nightmare!

causal

Aim2Please wrote:

just wondering. Will the completion of the M50, make any difference to traffic entering/exiting Sandyford Industrial estate?

As gerrydublin said it will. It's been the case that wherever the M50 stopped (or started if you were joining to go Northbound) traffic has been a total nightmare - but when construction moved on - the nightmare (mainly) moved with it.
This was the case at Balrothery, Ballycullen, Ballinteer, and it will also be the case at Sandyford.

causal

loyatemu

it should make a significant difference - at present traffic going to or from bray, dunlaoghaire, blackrock, stillorgan etc all uses the same junction at leapardstown. Tjhis traffic will now be spread out along several junctions.

also - previously the M50 has always ended in a junction with local roads causing traffic chaos at the end of the motorway. now the M50 will effectively have no end, merging with the M11 which is dual-carraigeway all the way to Wicklow.

on the downside I would expect the shankill and bray exits off the N11 to get a lot busier.

Mocrie14

Has anybody else noticed the new bridge over the new section of M50 just before the Cherrywood exit when travelling south? If I'm correct it will open up what was previously a dead end at the end of Lehaunstown road, which is just off the Brennanstown road in Cabinteely. Presumably therefore we'll be able to access the M50 from the Brennanstown road? The bridge is very narrow and could only handle traffic going in one direction at a time....

Victor

Bazbu wrote:

If I'm correct it will open up what was previously a dead end at the end of Lehaunstown road,

Lehaunstown Road, alos known as Lehaunstown Lane, isn't a Cul de Sac.

What would really have helped is if they broke a road through onto burton road( I think it's called, the road where the slevin-group are). This road will still be a nightmare!

Seems to be Corrig Road.

http://www.slevin-group.com/acatalog/Our_Company.html

causal wrote:

This was the case at Balrothery, Ballycullen, Ballinteer, and it will also be the case at Sandyford.

Its currently is Sandyford, now its going to disperse, settle down and there will be a new bottleneck somewhere.

causal

Victor wrote:

Its currently is Sandyford, now its going to disperse

Eh, that's what I was saying

causal