quinncentineal bridge

apprentice

someone is gonna get killed!!!!

has anyone nearly knocked down someone who is crossing this bridge?? cause i have, and not out of speed! every day i drive across this bridge too and from work and without a doubt i will see someone running across the bridge or standing at the centre (having made it half way across).do these people not know how dangerous this is?!on numerous occasions i have gotten the fright of my life for fear that someone is going to get killed! i urge these pedestrians to stick to one side of the bridge on their route to college etc and to cross at the end of the bridge. all it takes is one drunk/distracted driver to swerve and within seconds someone could be killed.

JIZZLORD

i cant see why anyone would cross the road on that bridge, ffs, you're hardly going to get stuck behind a huge chanting crowd of hare krishnas in galway. but i suppose it may seem a good idea for the pedestrian at the time

forbairt

well the new stairs on the moycullen side should alleviate the problem ..

now its just a question of when they get off their asses and open the ****ing thing up ... considering its all built and everything they've just cordoned it off with wire baracades

kippy

I think the main reason that this bridge is crossed (in the middle) is that there is a shortcut to UCG that cuts up the Dyke Road and up onto the bridge. That said there is no real reason to cross in the middle as it can be crossed at either end really.
To be honest the speed limit is 50kph on that bridge anyway so if there are people crossing there should really be no issues if everyone is within the speed limit......

Kojak

kippy wrote:

To be honest the speed limit is 50kph on that bridge anyway so if there are people crossing there should really be no issues if everyone is within the speed limit......

If you travel that road regularly Kippy you will know that a fair few motorists don't keep to the 50 kph limit.

The pedestrians crossing the road is dangerous at any time but especially now at this time of the year. I was driving over the bridge on Tuesday evening and people were crossing the road (At about 5.30 p.m. -when its dark and a huge volume of traffic around). They were lucky one of them wasn't hit.

Also they weren't wearing anything that could make themselves easier to identify.:mad:

Even an armband or something like that might make it easier for pedestrians to cross.

finlma

The bridge is a death-trap. Stupid students walking across it - if someone changes lane even they could be hit. I drive across the bridge 4 times a day and I have a fear of hitting someone.
The 2 lanes mean that people won't keep to the 50k speed limit - it feels like a proper duel carriage-way.

It needs to be sorted out quick.

bringitdown

50kph != safety.
I don't see how motorists sticking to the speed limit would improve this situation.
If you don't believe me get someone to throw a melon at you car whilst you are travelling at that speed.

leeroybrown

As 'error9' pointed out NUI, Galway are currently building a set of steps up from the campus on the Moycullen side. Given that most of the people running across the road are currently climbing up a bank of earth and then running across to go to Gort Na Coiribe or Dun Na Coiribe this should almost eliminate the problem.

I used to drive across the Quincintennial twice a day and found the big problem to be people who decided to make a dash across all four lanes on a dark and rainy morning/evening. You also see groups of people walking home where two/three will run across and then another will have second thoughts but cross at the last second anyway.

Proxy

Yeah, thats all well and good but... do ye not think some things happen for a reason?;) But I agree, its insane some of the chances some of them take.

Just out of interest, does it really make a huge impact on walking time that they have to walk there instead of along the road up past St. Anthony's?

po0k

It's the result of poor planning for the newer student accomodation (Gort Na Coiribe / Dun Na Coiribe).
The steps have been repeatedly requested over (I believe?) the last 10-12 years and have only now been built.

leeroybrown

Proxy wrote:

Just out of interest, does it really make a huge impact on walking time that they have to walk there instead of along the road up past St. Anthony's?

If someone is going from the main campus to gort/dun na coiribe they'll probably save a few minutes. It's a far more direct route.

LegacyUser

Slightly off the point, but its actually called the Quincentenary Bridge, not Quincentennial as most people call it, even the Council.

kippy

Just to clarify-I was not saying that 50kph is a "safe" speed because you wont cause as much damage if you hit someonething-just that at 50kph your stopping distance is much less than higher speeds and theoriticilly you have more time to view the road in front of you.
I suppose the reality of the situation is that no one observes this limit and until these footbridges have been constructed there isnt too much that can be done to resolve the issue apart from doing your part and driving safely/being observant.

Proxy

Proxy wrote:

Yeah, thats all well and good but... do ye not think some things happen for a reason?;) But I agree, its insane some of the chances some of them take.

Just out of interest, does it really make a huge impact on walking time that they have to walk there instead of along the road up past St. Anthony's?

First of all.i do cross the road myself as im usually late for classes and going that extra five min walk basically means i miss first5 minutes of lectures.then you be lost as to whats happening in it.
although i did use the stairs on the corrib village side today.so i suppose that the route ill go now.anybody have any idea why they have it blocked off?

wet-paint

I never use the steps. Always cross the road. I don't find it a problem. But I do recognise that it's a bad idea.

finlma

wet-paint wrote:

I never use the steps. Always cross the road. I don't find it a problem. But I do recognise that it's a bad idea.

You'll find it a problem the day you get hit by a car. Anyone that crosses that road and thinks they're safe is sadly mistaken. Cars change lanes, motorbikes come up the inside, its extremely dangerous.

It would be terrible if someone killed someone due to some lazy student getting out of bed 5 minutes late. They'd have to live with it for the rest of their lives. Its only a matter of time before someone is killed there.

wet-paint

I appreciate that,that's why I said I do recognise that it's a bad idea.
And people have died on that road before.

Oh well... I will still remain to cross the road.

forbairt

Deleted User wrote:

First of all.i do cross the road myself as im usually late for classes and going that extra five min walk basically means i miss first5 minutes of lectures.then you be lost as to whats happening in it.
although i did use the stairs on the corrib village side today.so i suppose that the route ill go now.anybody have any idea why they have it blocked off?

they probably want to do an official opening or something ...

my only problem with it now is ... they locked the small pedestrian entrance to st anthonys as the direct route would probably knock a few seconds off my walk to work ...

apprentice

im glad im not the only one frustrated by this. thanks for the support. id say some of the people who cross the bridge have not even thought about how dangerous it actually is. hopefully if some of these people will read this and think twice before they cross it again.

simu

Well, I cross it often but I'm always really careful and cautious. Anything to knock a few minutes off the walk. It's annoying that so little consideration has been given to pedestrians in the expansion of Galway tho'.

I actually crossed it today.I was with my friend.the friend nearly got knocked down by a bike who overtook on the outside. It was kinda scary.

I actually crossed it today.I was with my friend.the friend nearly got knocked down by a bike who overtook on the outside. It was kinda scary.

Ajnag

This proves that pedestrians are not imtimidated nor detered by cars, Thus we must act to make cars appear more menacing so pedestrians do not incur danger to themselves and others. We should campaign to make spikes, flamethrowers and razorwire standard components of all future vehicles. Further information may be attained by consulting the reference work known as mad max 2.

3greenrizla's

kippy wrote:

That said there is no real reason to cross in the middle as it can be crossed at either end really.

good luck trying to cross the road (safley) at the tesco roundabout, you have no choice but to cross infront of traffic - you have to put your life in the hands of the gods - it sucks (especialy when drivers dont use indicators)

very poor planing.

leeroybrown

Ironically it appears that these new steps reduce one problem but cause another. They are at the apex of a tight corner on a road through NUIG and the path that pedestrians use is on the opposite side of the road. I think there are supposed to be speed bumps being installed now to mitigate this.

Kojak

Would you have any idea when these speed bumps are to be installed??

Robbo

They better not be those nasty little ones that they have at the St Anthony's entrance. Creep over them at 0.5mph and you're still going to loosen fillings.

Kojak

Robbo wrote:

They better not be those nasty little ones that they have at the St Anthony's entrance. Creep over them at 0.5mph and you're still going to loosen fillings.

Yeah, them are fu*king rubbish. :mad:

Robbo

I went over the new ones today. They're standard concrete, gentle gradient but the problem is there's three of the ****ers! There must be about 5 meters between two of them.

po0k

Time to trade in that Polo for a Ural.

Ph33r teh Mechanical Majesty

wet-paint

Give me a Maximog any day.

Robbo

RUC Tangi, tbh. For added Celtic supporters club baiting potential.

spudster

monga_ringpull wrote:

Slightly off the point, but its actually called the Quincentenary Bridge, not Quincentennial as most people call it, even the Council.

No, it's not, it's called the Quincentennial bridge. It says so on the commemorative plaque on the bridge.

fozzle

Someone will undoubtadly be killed on the bridge soon, but it could just as easily be someone crossing the road legally as someone making a mad dash. The number of cars that crash the lights at the Newcastle end is incredible, I've stood at the lights and been unable to cross while the green man was lit because cars just kept going through the junction regardless.

silverlining

Ajnag wrote:

This proves that pedestrians are not imtimidated nor detered by cars, Thus we must act to make cars appear more menacing so pedestrians do not incur danger to themselves and others. We should campaign to make spikes, flamethrowers and razorwire standard components of all future vehicles. Further information may be attained by consulting the reference work known as mad max 2.

Why not go with this then?

Pros: Scares pedestrians, doesnt feel speed bumps, can travel on underside of bridge if neccessary

Cons: Found near chernobyl, this car has behavioural problems and will often lunge off the road to chase cattle and inject its larvae into them. Expensive bucket seats are required to prevent spinal injuries when travelling at high speeds.