Westlink Northbound Realignment

gibo_ie

From an email today from M50 NTR:

Dear Customer,

At West Link, we are constantly looking to improve the performance of the Toll Plaza so that the experience of using West Link is as safe and as fast as possible for all of our customers. We are writing now to advise you of upcoming improvements to the layout of the lanes as vehicles approach the West Link heading north. These improvements are the result both of customer feedback and independent traffic consultants.

The improvements will be put in place by the first week in April 2006.

Improvements Description:
The changes to the layout will consist of:
- Replacement of the current layout on the bridge of three traffic lanes plus a hard shoulder with four traffic lanes.
- A dedicated lane for N4 traffic until the north end of the bridge. The N4 ramp will be separated from the M50 mainline by bollards until the start of the bridge, and then by a solid white line until the end of the bridge
- A painted island will move the M50 mainline traffic to the left and create a longer Eazy Pass dedicated lane to the south end of the bridge
- Mainline M50 customers will continue to use two lanes across the bridge.

A diagram of the new layout is attached.

Improvements' Benefits:
These layout changes will reduce the amount of lane changing and weaving between the N4 traffic and the M50 mainline traffic.

Traffic weaving has been shown to greatly reduce traffic flow and its reduction will significantly improve the traffic flow on the bridge, both for mainline M50 traffic and the N4 traffic. N4 traffic will benefit from having a dedicated lane across the bridge.

Reduced lane changing will also result in a safer driving environment at the toll plaza.

The increased length of the dedicated Eazy Pass lane will also improve the service at the Toll Plaza for Eazy Pass customers using the M50 mainline. As the Eazy Pass dedicated lane is the fastest at the plaza, its increased length will increase the overall capacity of the toll plaza.

We anticipate that the traffic performance of the toll plaza will be increased in total, and that Eazy Pass customers will particularly benefit.

Eazy Pass Customers:
We would ask all of our Eazy Pass customers to be aware of and adhere to the new layout, especially in the initial stages when the layout may be unfamiliar to West Link customers.

We would also advise that Eazy Pass customers coming from the N4 will not be able to safely get across to the Eazy Pass dedicated lane. We anticipate that the improved access to the M50 from the N4 will more than compensate for this lack of access. Of course, Eazy Pass is accepted at all lanes, not just the dedicated Eazy Pass lanes.

These improvements are part of our ongoing efforts to improve the traffic flow at the West Link, and we will continue to monitor the effects on traffic of these layout changes. We always appreciate any feedback or observations that you may have. (Tel: 1850 67 67 68 or e-mail info@eazypass.ie )

Declan White
Eazy Pass General Manager

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My question is why did this take so long? it is not rocket science, a hard shoulder on this streach of road was no use to anyone, at least now N4 traffic can flow on quite easily and this may even keep the queue jumpers out of the fastpass lane? (probably not though!!)

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Cormic

Looks like a good idea. Lets hope it improves things.

full forward

This is failing miserably. 55 minute queue this morning at 10am from newcastle lights. And it was totally down to the toll bridge queue.

MrPudding

I have been through 3 time now since the realignment. I have yet to do it in full peak traffic but on 2 of the occasions it has been very busy.

I like it, I really like it. I have eazypass and I am not coming form the N4 so it is perfect for me. No tossers without eazypass blocking the lane trying to skip the queue being blocked by driver that, rightly, don't want to let them in.

If you do not have eazypass you should get it. That said, NTR really piss me off the way they do not make eazypass much more attractive financially. It should be cheaper to get people to move. There seems to be resisyence to change in Ireland unless there is a clearly defined and obvious monetary advantage. Eazypass does not have that.

MrP

full forward

I have eazypass but Im sending it back. Its no good when you're not allowed use the eazypass lane. I just heard that the owners of liffey valley are fuming about the changes as the exit from there is blocked ALL DAY LONG.

Im taking a new route to work. Its 12 miles longer but 15 to 30 minutes quicker. THere are towns in kerry that have had bypasses built for 10 minute queues yet the queue for the west link is up to an hour.

peter1892

MrPudding wrote:

I like it, I really like it. I have eazypass and I am not coming form the N4 so it is perfect for me. No tossers without eazypass blocking the lane trying to skip the queue being blocked by driver that, rightly, don't want to let them in.

I would agree - I'm in the same boat, driving north in the evening & while it oftens looks as if there's a big queue getting through the easypass lane, it's moving faster now.