N9 Waterford-Knocktopher-Contractor Approved

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Good news for commuters of Kilkenny/Waterford/surrounding counties- The main contracot has been annouced for the Phase2 upgrade of the N9. Construction is expected to begin in the new year with site setup etc starting December. Here's the info link;
http://kilkennycoco.kilkenny.ie/resources/N9-N10.pdf

spacetweek

mfitzy wrote:

Good news for commuters of Kilkenny/Waterford/surrounding counties- The main contracot has been annouced for the Phase2 upgrade of the N9. Construction is expected to begin in the new year with site setup etc starting December. Here's the info link;
http://kilkennycoco.kilkenny.ie/resources/N9-N10.pdf

Ok, but according to this, it was supposed to start this year. It's slipped.

Bards

Contractor will be going on site before Years end...removing trees, erecting site offices etc... so in a way it will have started before end of 2006

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spacetweek wrote:

Ok, but according to this, it was supposed to start this year. It's slipped.

Just by a month or two which is nothing (we've waited 30 years for this to start;) !) and to be expected I'm sure with any large project.They always said towards the end of the year (2006) for it to start. Plus archeology work has been ongoing on the site for most of the year now in advance of construction.

mike65

Bump! According to Waterford Today work has now begun.

Mike.

merlante

And so marks the beginning of the end of our reliance on one of the worst 'national primary' routes in the country.

fricatus

merlante wrote:

And so marks the beginning of the end of our reliance on one of the worst 'national primary' routes in the country.

...And 20 minutes off my commute to KK

What route will N9 traffic take when this opens? I presume the section to the north of this (Knocktopher-KK-Carlow) will not be open when this one opens, but hopefully the delay will only be a few months.

Will they run the N9 through Knocktopher or something?

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fricatus wrote:

...And 20 minutes off my commute to KK

What route will N9 traffic take when this opens? I presume the section to the north of this (Knocktopher-KK-Carlow) will not be open when this one opens, but hopefully the delay will only be a few months.

Will they run the N9 through Knocktopher or something?

I think it will come off the dual carriageway and back through Knocktopher on the R-road and onto the existing N10 and onto Kilkenny.A lot of traffic will then cut across to the N9 and via Thomastown (scarey thought I know but no worse than what's going on at the mo!). I'd say we'll have to wait a year or so more til the final jigsaw piece (Knocktopher-KK-Carlow) is in place.

Good riddens to the old death trap road btw:D !

Any word of the official sod-turning event? I didn't see anything in the news but then again it wouldn't unusual for the National media to completely ignore important south east affiars!

spacetweek

The program is as follows: Carlow BP 2008, Waterford-Knocktopher 2009, Rest 2010.

It's not just the Waterford-Kt section that's appalling, the Kilcullen-Carlow bit is a boreen too! I was shocked at the minuscule width when I drove to Kilkenny last summer. At one point traffic was completely stopped for about 10 minutes, it turned out there was a tractor up ahead or something. That was enough to bring the whole thing to a halt.

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spacetweek wrote:

The program is as follows: Carlow BP 2008, Waterford-Knocktopher 2009, Rest 2010.

It's not just the Waterford-Kt section that's appalling, the Kilcullen-Carlow bit is a boreen too! I was shocked at the minuscule width when I drove to Kilkenny last summer. At one point traffic was completely stopped for about 10 minutes, it turned out there was a tractor up ahead or something. That was enough to bring the whole thing to a halt.

Completely, bar the Moone-Timolin bypass bit the rest is horrendous so much so that much of it has an 80 kmh limit. It is a far worse road than the equivalent N8 or N7; the accident rate is also dismal between Carlow and Kilcullen as a result.the upgrade is so badly needed ASAP!

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Was down in Mullinavat yday...I see Ascon are setting up site just out the New Ross road, site clearance and stuff going on now...

Bards

Un-cork the Champagne..toasts all round:D

fricatus

mfitzy wrote:

Was down in Mullinavat yday...I see Ascon are setting up site just out the New Ross road, site clearance and stuff going on now...

Yeah, I thought I saw a little Ascon sign there today that hadn't been there before. We've waited a long time for this moment. No going back now, Sen. Dardis - hah!

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fricatus wrote:

Yeah, I thought I saw a little Ascon sign there today that hadn't been there before. We've waited a long time for this moment. No going back now, Sen. Dardis - hah!

They should bring himself and Harney down to turn the sod..Then bury them both underneath it!!:D

Victor

mfitzy wrote:

They should bring himself and Harney down to turn the sod..Then bury them both underneath it!!:D

I'll order the bigger excavator, will I?

fricatus

According to a report in the Waterford News & Star this evening, the sod turning will take place in Mullinavat on Monday next (12 February).

Bards

fricatus wrote:

According to a report in the Waterford News & Star this evening, the sod turning will take place in Mullinavat on Monday next (12 February).

read that also... about time too

Bards

[Press Release] http://www.transport.ie/viewitem.asp?id=8808&lang=ENG&loc=2126

Cullen turns sod on Phase 2 of Waterford to Dublin Road Project


12 February 2007
A sod of County Kilkenny earth was turned today (Monday, 12th February 2007) at Mullinavat by Transport Minister, Martin Cullen, T.D., to mark the commencement of Phase 2 of the M/N9 Waterford to Dublin road project. The project consists of 24 kms of road built to motorway standard and forms part of the southern section of the Waterford to Dublin inter-urban corridor. It will run from Knocktopher in County Kilkenny to the N25 Waterford City Bypass this Bypass is currently under construction. Ascon Ltd. have been awarded the contract for the Knocktopher to Waterford project, which is expected to be completed in 2009. The project is one of seven national road projects to commence this year under the Government's investment programme, Transport 21.

When the entire 110 kms route is completed it will link Dublin to Waterford; the N9 will stretch from its junction with the N7 at Kilcullen in County Kildare down to the Waterford City Bypass. At the southern end it will connect into the N25 to Waterford, Rosslare and Cork. At the northern end, the N9 will connect into the N7 which in turn connects to Dublin, Limerick, Portlaoise and Belfast. The 19 kms N9 Carlow Bypass (Phase 1) is in construction since last year and is due to be completed in 2008. The contract for the Kilcullen to Carlow section (Phase 3) is due to be awarded later this year and construction will begin in 2008. The final leg of the project that will link this end of the route with the Carlow Bypass will begin construction in 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2010.

Speaking at the sod-turning ceremony, Minister Cullen said: "This Government is committed to the creation of a road network that will promote regional and national competitiveness. It is also crucial to continue Ireland's future economic competitiveness. It is critical that enterprises are able to efficiently move goods both internally and to and from external markets. As 98.3% of our internal merchandise trade is carried on our road network, it is vital that we develop and build a world-class roads system, especially between the major urban centres."

When the entire M/N9 road project is completed, towns such as Thomastown, Gowran, Paulstown, Stoneyford, Knocktopher, Ballyhale and Mullinavat will enjoy the benefits of a decrease in traffic going through their streets. The route will also facilitate regional development as set out in the Government's National Spatial Strategy 2002 2020. With Waterford as a gateway city and Kilkenny and Wexford supporting hubs, it is envisaged that growth in the south east region will multiply through its skilled and increasing population base now and in the years ahead.

Commenting today on road safety, the Minister said: "The high quality dual carriageways and motorways we are building throughout the country have been proven to be seven times safer than the roads they are replacing. This of course does not reduce the responsibility on all of us as individuals to drive carefully, to respect other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians, to observe speed limits and never to drink and drive."

The Minister wished success to the National Roads Authority and to all involved in the M/N9 road project.

Mr Peter Malone, Chairman of the National Roads Authority said: "Car ownership in Ireland has almost doubled over the past decade. The resulting growth in traffic has placed immense pressure on the network of national roads in relation to the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. The provision of motorway or equivalent between Ireland's major cities will facilitate improved competitiveness and economic performance at both national and regional level.

"The good news is that the National Roads Authority is on target to deliver the major inter-urban routes by 2010. The new N9 corridor will provide a robust basis for sustainable growth in the Southeast over the medium to long term. Work starts today on the second scheme the N9 Waterford to Knocktopher phase. Some stretches along this section of the N9 have twice the collision rate as the national average. In cognisance of this, the National Roads Authority has prioritised this project as motorways and dual carriageways are inherently safer than single carriageways."

mackerski

The department's press-release writer doesn't seem to realise that a kilometre-second isn't a unit of length.

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That fact in Cullens speech about the N9 having an accident rate in places twice the normal rate is a shocking inditement of the state of the present road.
Just last week a house in Thomastown was nearly demolished by a truck hitting it while a family slept inside. I don't how we in this region have put up with such dismal infrastructure.
Great to see the sod turned on the N9, roll on the next two section now..

D'Peoples Voice

I'd say part of this road, the northern end, should open early.

One of the lads delivering tar to the site was saying he can't remember any project in the Greater Dublin Area that moved as fast as these guys with respect to laying the surface.

The lads must be on some form of bonus - or there is definitely some incentvie for them to be laying so much tar every day!

This attitude is good to see!

DWCommuter

Had a look at this stretch last weekend. It really is making rapid progress.

road_high

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

I'd say part of this road, the northern end, should open early.

One of the lads delivering tar to the site was saying he can't remember any project in the Greater Dublin Area that moved as fast as these guys with respect to laying the surface.

The lads must be on some form of bonus - or there is definitely some incentvie for them to be laying so much tar every day!

This attitude is good to see!

It may even open faster than the southern section (being built by Ascon) which started over a year later than Carlow-Kilcullen.

Nice to see my old thread resurrected