N7 - Rathcoole overbridge to re-open

Victor

I hadn't heard of this. Contra flow and local diversions.

http://www.nra.ie/News/NewsAnnouncements/d1550.HTML.html

http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/d1551.HTML.html

BrianD

Yeah, apparently an unidentified over sized vehicle struck the bridge while using the N7. They haven't identified the perpetrator but believe it happened within a 4 week time frame.

Truck drivers were up in arms last week when they claimed that South Dublin CC did not inform them that the bridge was closed to HGV's and they had to conduct a dangerous U-turn at the bridge. This is odd given that there is a round about on both sides of the bridge in question!!

SDCC or the Gardai would like a chat with you if you happened to be the truck driver of the load that struck the bridge. Please have sufficient funds available on your credit card!

sliabh

BrianD wrote:

Yeah, apparently an unidentified over sized vehicle struck the bridge while using the N7. They haven't identified the perpetrator but believe it happened within a 4 week time frame.

If the collision was bad enough to damage the bridge surely the truck would have been in a pretty poor state afterwards?

Victor

sliabh wrote:

If the collision was bad enough to damage the bridge surely the truck would have been in a pretty poor state afterwards?

From the photos here (PDF), it looks like something "pointed" struck several of the beams, perhaps the jib of a mobile crane or something similar. It's not like a container-like strike (common on the Tallaght Bypass) wher ethe is minor damage spread across a large part of the span.

http://www.nra.ie/News/DownloadableDocumentation/d1553.PDF

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1127/rathcoole.html

Reward offered after bridge is damaged
27 November 2004 15:55

South Dublin County Council has offered a €10,000 reward to anyone who can identify the vehicle that damaged Rathcoole bridge on the N7 just south of Dublin.

Repair work will begin on Monday, causing major traffic disruption on the N7 until January.

The damage to Rathcoole bridge was caused sometime between mid-September and mid October.

It is thought that three of the six steel girders supporting the concrete bridge were hit by a vehicle carrying a high load, travelling at speed.

A garda forensic investigation is underway.

BrianD

And travelling at some speed as well according to reports. Looks like there will be plenty of cctv tapes being examined. I find it hard to believe that the driver would have continued for some distance without stopping to examine his vehicle. The Statoil garage a few Km's south has a truck plaza so I'd say they will be having a good sniff about there.

Capt'n Midnight

"The damage to Rathcoole bridge was caused sometime between mid-September and mid October. "

that's like a month ago.. - why stop traffic completely now ?
if it held for a month - perhaps they could put a 3 tonne weight limit on it to allow cars to go over until the new bridge east of citywest could take some of the traffic crossing the Naas road. Already the queue on to the citywest bridge for those heading North in the mornings is past the next exit. And there isn't another bridge or traffic light controlled junction before this for traffic heading into the city for ages.

The work will entail removal of the damaged areas of the bridge structure, the bridge will be propped throughout resulting in the complete closure of the southbound lane of the Naas Road (N7) and the diversion of traffic to the northbound lane in the vicinity of the bridge. Northbound traffic will be diverted on to the existing slip lane and re-enter the Naas Road (N7) at the existing merge point. College Lane will be closed to local access only and Newcastle traffic will detour via Tay Lane to the N7. It is expected that the works will take a number of weeks.

Map 253KB
http://www.sdublincoco.ie/images/roads/EmergencyRepairWorksRathcooleBridgeMap.jpg

Any idea if there will be a new regular bus from Tallaght to Lucan - there are bus lanes all the way..

Victor

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

that's like a month ago.. - why stop traffic completely now ?

So they can replace the beams?

BrianD

Captn... the bridge is open to traffic (below 2.8 m in height) at the moment. Bridges are inspected at regular intervals and it was during one of these inspections the damage was noted.
The closure of the bridge is not going to cause major difficulties it is the fact that the N7 carriageway underneath it has to be closed to allow work on the bridge to proceed.

Capt'n Midnight

My question was not about the necessity of the work, just the timing..

If they have waited a month, then they could probably wait another, there is a new bridge partially built nearby, and traffic will be heavier in the short term because of christmas shopping etc.

My point about limiting traffic to cars was to keep the weight on the bridge down so traffic could still pass safely underneath until a more practical time for repair.

If the bridge is dangerous - why did they wait a month ?????

BrianD

The structural soundness of the bridge has been compromised since the moment of the strike. Although it is some weeks since the incident took place the work needs to be done as a matter of urgency now that it has been discovered. The time of year is really irrelevant as there is no good time to repair this bridge and the right time to do it is now. If the bridge were to collapse then the entire carraigeway would be closed. At the moment only half of it will.

At the moment only cars and vans can pass over the bridge. They have put gates at either end to stop vehicles over 2.8 crossing the bridge.

I assume the new bridge you are referring to is the outer ring road bridge at the old Baldonnell cross. Whether this bridge is complete are not will offer no assistance or relief to the situation at Rathcoole.

Capt'n Midnight

BrianD wrote:

The structural soundness of the bridge has been compromised since the moment of the strike. Although it is some weeks since the incident took place the work needs to be done as a matter of urgency now that it has been discovered.

If it needs to be done, it needs to be done - but why did it take so long to find out..

At the moment only cars and vans can pass over the bridge. They have put gates at either end to stop vehicles over 2.8 crossing the bridge.

well that answers the question about using it at a lower working load.

I assume the new bridge you are referring to is the outer ring road bridge at the old Baldonnell cross. Whether this bridge is complete are not will offer no assistance or relief to the situation at Rathcoole.

It just means that much of the traffic that used to cross over the N7 at Saggart / Newcastle will now try and cross over the only remaining crossing over the N7 on the 7Km from Newlands Cross.

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/

Updated: 29/11/2004 08:36:49

KILDARE: Traffic is at a crawl northbound on the main N7 from Newhall to Naas and onto the lights at Kill, the delays are a result of the restrictions of the Rathcoole interchange. In order to repair the severe damage to the over bridge at the Rathcoole Interchange:

/sigh...

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/4550399?view=Eircomnet

Gardai to study N7 aerial footage
From:ireland.com
Wednesday, 1st December, 2004

South Dublin County Council staff are to meet gardaí this morning to view aerial footage of traffic jams in an effort to find ways of alleviating major tailbacks caused by emergency work at a bridge over the N7 in west Co Dublin.

About €1 million in damage, believed to have been caused by a truck, was done to the steel structure of the overbridge.

They are also to discuss the criminal investigation into the damage, and to pass on information the council received after offering a €10,000 reward for information on the cause of the damage.

On Monday, tailbacks of up to 14 miles were caused by the roadworks at Rathcoole.

Yesterday the tailbacks were much less severe, but the roadworks caused serious congestion on other routes as drivers diverted on to the N81 and the N4 to avoid the delays of up to two hours.

Overall, staff at Dublin's traffic control centre reported that the Garda Operation Freeflow, which began on Monday for the Christmas period, was working relatively well, with traffic congestion no worse than usual.

Yesterday, Mr Eamon Cunningham, senior executive officer with the roads division of South Dublin County Council, said it had received information following its reward offer.

"The appeal has given us a number of leads. I'm confident we will be able to identify the perpetrator of this incident."

The council was also trying to narrow down the time the accident occurred. It is known a truck or another high vehicle hit the bridge between September 12th and October 11th.

Council staff are to discuss the information gathered by the appeal with gardaí from Rathcoole Garda station today.

BrianD

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

If it needs to be done, it needs to be done - but why did it take so long to find out..

From what I understand, bridges are inspected at regular intervals as they seemed to know when the bridge was last OK.

Having driven the N7 a couple of times in the last few days the traffic seems to have normalised somewhat. The bridge itself is now closed to all traffic and they are now building trestles underneath on the southbound carraigeway of the N7 it to support it. There are two lanes open either direction now. Detours for traffic that would have used the bridge are now posted using LED signage. I noticed that there was a bigger Q than normal for the Citywest exit.

Victor

http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/d1571.HTML.html

Re-Opening of N7 Naas Dual Carriageway and Overbridge at Rathcoole
17th December, 2004

The National Roads Authority and South Dublin County Council are pleased to announce the anticipated completion this weekend of emergency repair works to the N7 Rathcoole Bridge and the removal before Monday morning next, December 20th 2004, of all traffic restrictions in the area.

Both city bound and outbound carriageways of the N7 will be returned to normal two lane movements in each direction. In addition to the reopening of the carriageways, Rathcoole Interchange bridge will be reopened without weight restriction following the repair of the damaged steel girders.

The National Roads Authority and South Dublin County Council wish to acknowledge the achievement of the main Contractor, SIAC Construction Ltd and their steelwork sub-contractor, Charles Brand Ltd, in completing the works within a period of three weeks from commencement on November 29th 2004. The Authority and South Dublin County Council apologise for the disruption caused to traffic and thank the motoring public for their patience during these emergency works.