Newlands cross madness!!

mysterious

I t has been a small topic in the recent past since the Naas road and M50 upgrade.

Now that both schemes are well on the way.
When are they going to turn their attention to the Newlands cross, there is already horrible delays all the way from the M50 and Longmile Roads in the evenings, and it will worsen when the Redcow and freeflow junction between there and Naas.

A perfect description of Irelands biggest holdup in two years time
not just Ireland's biggest cross junction.

I know the South Dublin county council have plans to make it grade seperate junction, but that leaves a doubt in my mind if they were to do it, cus it wouldnt get done by them, they have had this proposals for some time now anyways...

Bluetonic

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=195158&page=16&highlight=Newlands

Post 315, 316, & 317.

mysterious

There's not much there on the Newlands cross proposal

D'Peoples Voice

mysterious wrote:

There's not much there on the Newlands cross proposal

I'm guessing you won't see any(proposals) for another few years.
The NRA and their paymasters are trying to "spread the wealth"
it looks very good politically!
Therefore it's very unlikely they will be able to allocate funding to Newlands Cross at a time money is being spent on the M50 upgrade,
why waste more money in an area where your votes aren't going to increase that much further,
when you can spread it around several constituencies and guarantee votes easier.

that's probably me just being cynical though.

What do I care, I'm now living in Chapelizod, it's no longer an issue for me:D

mysterious

If that's the case then it will be after 2015 when the T21 plan is "should be done"

Don't forget the M7 to Limerick and Cork/Waterford will be done with absalute free flowing traffic going in and around 100 to 120 km an hour from all points to and from Newlands cross, surely the cross will end up like entagled open heart surgury operation!!!!

Westlink will be left aside as just a minor detail :rolleyes:


((((( anybody not see this is madness)))))

murphaph

mysterious wrote:

((((( anybody not see this is madness)))))

Course it's madness. They are eliminating the SCJ at N4/Newcastle Road and replacing it with a full GSJ. Newland's Cross is MUCH busier. I can see a lot of traffic using the ORR that otherwise would have remained on the N7 at least as far as the M50.

They might bring in some sort of crazy remedial measures like eliminating the right turns at Newland's Cross and force traffic to proceed to the next junction in either direction to turn right! God knows.

I'm not a huge fan of roaduilding but we need a decent minimum standard before we start comparing ourselves to the yanks. Obvioulsy a rail based solution is the best way to reduce traffic congestion but key junctions must be upgraded, including this one.

It's quite a tight space around the junction, I think they'll incorporate Boot Road into any solution and I can see a case where not all movements are possible at this junction whenever it is upgraded. They might somehow link the proposed Monastery Road junction to Newland's Cross with long slips IMO. Personally I'd like to see an underpass of the N7 but I can't see the budget ever stretching that far, They'll likely sink the N7 into a trench like the proposed Newcastle Road scheme, imagine the traffic jams when they go to do this!

Hotblack Desiato

murphaph wrote:

I'm not a huge fan of roaduilding but we need a decent minimum standard before we start comparing ourselves to the yanks. Obvioulsy a rail based solution is the best way to reduce traffic congestion but key junctions must be upgraded, including this one.

A major part of the problem is the lack of public transport provision in Clondalkin, an area which has grown hugely in population.

The government will tell you that it's served by both suburban rail and Luas.

The reality: one serves the north edge, the other serves the south edge, most people are served by neither.

From the village it's a good 30 minute walk to either rail line (and I'd be looking at the same walk at the other end to get to my south city centre workplace.) The buses get stuck in terrible congestion to get onto the Naas Rd - whether they go by Monastery Rd or Newlands. In neither case is there a bus lane. Then, when you get to Inchicore, the buses are stuck in a single lane along with all other traffic - the bus lane was ripped up to make way for a Luas service I can't access. It's maddening :mad:

The park and ride is a joke. By the time you get to the Red Cow you'd be better off just staying in the car and going into town. Doesn't help that from Monastery Rd. you have to do a U-turn at the Red Cow.

I commute by motorbike - typical journey time 25-30 mins. Using the buses on a long term basis would drive me insane. A car (if I had parking for it) would do likewise. I wouldn't mind, but according to the government's plans, this is one of the better catered for areas. What looks good on paper is far from it on the ground.

darkman2

Newlands cross is so busy that any grade seperation would HAVE to be a 'spegetthi' format, not just a roudabout grade seperation.

Capt'n Midnight

Love the traffic calming measures on the road to the north of it.
heading north the right turn only lane is wasted space so effectively leaving it as a single lane road. Heading to the junction there is only a single lane opposite the garage. Again there is a right turn lane which is underused preventing traffic further back getting to the junction.

White paint could increase the flow through it.

mysterious

There is a new bus lane going in on the citybound lanes from newland's cross to M50 I believe...


I'm going to assume this is pig sh!te, there are widining this road to four lanes most of that stretch and will have to dig up the road again to fit in the slips for the Monastery road and M50 flyover heading onto the soutbound lanes

they already have to dig up the bus lane on the outbound side heading towards Limerick, as again it is to be widened,

Though I mentioned this blantantly, I still think its worth naming and shaming the road planners for the mess they created on this road. This road is pathectic, how they were allowed to put more traffic lights up, is another debate, and why they let development spring up right beside the N7
Two obvious ones which are UUGGGLLLLY
The Lynch Hotel
the ALDI store bloody laughable

That's it I'm writing to the Council feckers:mad:

D'Peoples Voice

mysterious wrote:

how they were allowed to put more traffic lights up, is another debate, and why they let development spring up right beside the N7
Two obvious ones which are UUGGGLLLLY
The Lynch Hotel
the ALDI store bloody laughable

Pity they couldn't CPO Newlands renault garage, widening that part of the road could be ideal, as indeed could CPO'ing the crappy shopping centre opposite Newlands garden centre and diagonally opposite Statoil, and behind Acorn Life.

Newlands Renault apparently turned down the deal of the century from Lynch hotels behind it, so I doubt they would sell out to the government without a lengthly fight through the courts!

D'Peoples Voice

D'Peoples Voice wrote:

I'm guessing you won't see any(proposals) for another few years.:D

Looks Like I was wrong
Construction of a grade seperated junction at Newlands Cross.

Present Position: July 06 The Council have engaged Consulting Engineers to prepare a feasibility study and options report prior to the preparation of an EIS for the provision of a grade seperated access at Newlands Cross.
http://www.sdublincoco.ie/sdcc/departments/roads/publications/pdf/NEWLANDSXLOCATIONMAP18072006.pdf

mysterious

D'Peoples Voice wrote:

Looks Like I was wrong
Construction of a grade seperated junction at Newlands Cross.

Present Position: July 06 The Council have engaged Consulting Engineers to prepare a feasibility study and options report prior to the preparation of an EIS for the provision of a grade seperated access at Newlands Cross.
http://www.sdublincoco.ie/sdcc/departments/roads/publications/pdf/NEWLANDSXLOCATIONMAP18072006.pdf

I already posted a thread on this 3 weeks ago.. with this link. But it will be still years before they grade separate this junction. it will be like a knot on the N7.

fricatus

Would it not make sense just to build a flyover bridge (2x2) down the middle of the N7 for about 75-100m either side of Newlands? The rest of the junction could be left largely unchanged and the traffic light sequence reconfigured?

I've seen this in a lot of places and it seems to work just fine. A bit of disruption but hardly any land take. I'm sure there would be objectors, but the area is hardly a place of outstanding natural beauty...

mysterious

fricatus wrote:

Would it not make sense just to build a flyover bridge (2x2) down the middle of the N7 for about 75-100m either side of Newlands? The rest of the junction could be left largely unchanged and the traffic light sequence reconfigured?

I've seen this in a lot of places and it seems to work just fine. A bit of disruption but hardly any land take. I'm sure there would be objectors, but the area is hardly a place of outstanding natural beauty...

Yes it would but there is land just south of the interchange, for freeflow slips and maybe loops, that would not cost a whole lot.. will free up the heaviest movements from city outbound onto Belgard and Clondalkin where lenghty tailbacks occur daily. It would be VERY bright to do the job right and not do half the friggen thing, like every other road project in this country... I guess when they do this junction, they will start build to the lowest possible standard... A year later it's bolloxxed....:rolleyes:

D'Peoples Voice

fricatus wrote:

Would it not make sense just to build a flyover bridge (2x2) down the middle of the N7 for about 75-100m either side of Newlands?

I assume you meant 2 x 3 lanes for the N7 or 2 x 2 for Belgard - Fonthill Road, but not 2 x 2 for N7. That would be funny though after they widening the road to three lanes:D

spacetweek

D'Peoples Voice wrote:

I assume you meant 2 x 3 lanes for the N7 or 2 x 2 for Belgard - Fonthill Road, but not 2 x 2 for N7. That would be funny though after they widening the road to three lanes:D

I've had a close look at an aerial photo* and there's enough room for 2x3 lanes through the junction, while still having your off and onramps at the sides. This is because the median is actually quite wide. The only issue is that the bridge would need a clearance of ~5m to fit trucks and there'd be significant visual intrusion. But f*** them, I say. The junction is too important to go untouched.

* Hot tip: If you can't get aerial shots of anything using Gmaps or whatever, look up Myhome.ie. Click Search by Map. Then you can browse their Mapflow interface of Ireland for free (usually you have to buy the product.) Their set of aerial photos of all urban areas of the country is much more extensive and recent than Terraserver's (supplier of Gmaps).