The state of the roads

peasant

This is a "N" road ...speed limit 100 km/h

picture taken from the passenger seat of a LHD camper ...i.e what the driver of a RHD truck / bus / van would see

Taken somwhere between Westport and Clifden and by no means the worst example of "N" road I've come across but fairly typical of any given "country road" nonetheless.

MunsterCycling

Whats really gas about that is the yellow lines disappearing into nowhere on the other side of the road.

What exaclty is supposed to be the problem with the road? Its a small road in a rural area of Ireland, can't expect it to be an uber highway now can we?

Wishbone Ash

MunsterCycling wrote:

Its a small road in a rural area

It's the N59 - supposedly a secondary national route!

peasant

several problems:

- the road is not wide enough for two wide vehicles (trucks / buses) to pass each other without stopping first

- the road is just about wide enough for a car to pass an oncoming truck / bus ...but only if slowing down considerably

- the potholes on the left lane are so deep that they can affect the steering of the car, causing the driver to veer either into the wall or into oncoming traffic

- the general surface condition is unsafe

- the markings are a joke, so is the "verge"

Yet this road is deemed worthy to be a "N" road and fit for a max speed of 100 km/h.

If there really was an interst in road safety, this road ...and many roads like it ...would have a speed limit of 60 km/h tomorrow and a new surface next week.

saobh_ie

Nothing wrong with that, your supposed to drive at a speed that you can safely stop on your own side of the road in the distance you see to be and can reasonbly expect to remain clear (save an airbus falling from the sky).

If you recall, its not long since every horse track in the country was 100km/h.

Wishbone Ash

And they down graded a dual carriageway near me to an R road!

maidhc

peasant wrote:

If there really was an interst in road safety, this road ...and many roads like it ...would have a speed limit of 60 km/h tomorrow and a new surface next week.

You cant change the speed limit every few kms. To do so would be an even greater hazard with people more concered about the limit than the actual driving.

Parts of the ring of kerry are also 100km/h, and it is impossible to do more than half it on sections of the road.

ninty9er

[IMG]http://homepage.eircom.net/~derekdaly/Caherconlish Rd. R514.jpg[/IMG]

This road is much better than your's looks and has a suitable 80 kph limit

kippy

Rural Ireland, Drive to conditions, Budgets, etc etc.
All been talked about before.
Sadly there are roads like this in the country-highlight the issue with local authorities, councils, elected representatives, speak with your vote.
And when driving on them, take your fecking time.

Apart from that not much else I can add to this thread.

Wishbone Ash

kippy wrote:

Rural Ireland, Drive to conditions, Budgets, etc etc.
All been talked about before.
Sadly there are roads like this in the country-highlight the issue with local authorities, councils, elected representatives, speak with your vote.
And when driving on them, take your fecking time.

Apart from that not much else I can add to this thread.

Yes but they could be downgraded to R roads. As I said in a previous post a dual carriageway in my area has been downgraded to an R road.

kippy

Again, how is that going to happen?
Highlight the issue with the people who make the decisions, join a group of people who can highlight the issue, become one of the people who make the decisions, Speak with your vote.
Kippy

mike65

What I shall add is that this is realy a Commuting/Transport type thread so with a flash of my rapier tis here

Mike.

murphaph

These roads shouldn't be downgraded to R roads. They are N roads because of what they link, not because of their condition. Their condition should be improved to a decent standard for an N road. Simple as that really.

Wishbone Ash

murphaph wrote:

These roads shouldn't be downgraded to R roads. They are N roads because of what they link, not because of their condition. Their condition should be improved to a decent standard for an N road. Simple as that really.

Why was the N1 downgraded to the R132? Doesn't it link important places?

murphaph

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Why was the N1 downgraded to the R132? Doesn't it link important places?

Yes, but the N1 was moved to a superior road (labeled M1) and so long distance traffic is now sent that way and not along the R132 which is now designated a regional road. You are sort of mixing things up though-the R132 could (IMO) be left with an N number. This is what they do in the UK in fact, they don't automatically downgrade a primary A road to secondary or B road when a motorway is built parallel. They may do, but not auromatically. The fact is this N59 is the only mapped and signed link between the places it links and so should be of a fit standard to take the traffic being sent it's way by the road atlases and signage. That's why you number roads as N R etc, to show potential users what route to take. If you are going to map and sign N roads then they should be of a good minimum standard. That picture the OP posted clearly shows the road needs realignments, resurfacing, marking and (probably) major signage improvements to bring it up to scratch.

Wishbone Ash

That's my point. It could have been downgraded to a secondary National route instead of a Regional road. I know a Regional road with no lines in the centre of the road. It seems ludicrous that a dual carriageway is graded as being similar to such a road.

Lennoxschips

clearer and saner speed limits are needed

it's nothing to do with little stretches, there are entire roads with unsuitable limits. yes, you can say it's up to the driver to drive safely, but it's up to the government to set proper limits. sometimes these horse tracks even have 100 km/hr limit signs posted on them, just to tempt drivers perhaps?

even the german autobahn, which has no limit in theory, has plenty of dangerous stretches with permanent limits imposed. in holland a motorway in theory should be 120 km/hr, but there's plenty with 100 km/hr and even some with 80 km/hr. safety, quality of road and local environmental factors should be the overriding factors when setting limits

nordydan

The N59 has been earmarked for ongoing upgrade works. Its in the transport plans. The N59 is the longest N road in ireland, and should be upgraded not demoted. Shame on you for this blatant piece of anto-connacht propaganda.

The new M50 will be limited to 100km/h, whereas the N1,2,6,7,8,9,11 will be 120km/h in places.