The new N2

Paparazzo

Anyone know why it's not called the M2 and given fancy blue motorway signs? Instead, it's 120kph speed limit (most of the way) and has proper slip roads, but it not classed as a motorway. Why?

colm_mcm

is there an alternative route for L drivers? Motorway has to have this AFAIK

_Kaiser_

There'd be long winded alternatives via the old N1 and Blanchardstown/N2/N3 to Ashbourne alright. It does seem a bit of an oddity as it has motorway-grade road, exits and limits, yet legally allows L-drivers to use it when they can't/aren't supposed to use the M1/M50 etc

dingding

Do the NRA have to upkeep a motorway while the county council maintain a non motorway ?

Seth Brundle

Paparazzo wrote:

Anyone know why it's not called the M2 and given fancy blue motorway signs? Instead, it's 120kph speed limit (most of the way) and has proper slip roads, but it not classed as a motorway. Why?

Its a high quality dual carriageway - thats why!
Many of our roads are planned for HQDC upgrades.

Paparazzo

What's the difference between a HQDC and a motorway? Except for green signs instead of blue?

Balfa

Paparazzo wrote:

What's the difference between a HQDC and a motorway? Except for green signs instead of blue?

That's a good question, and this seems to be the answer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Quality_Dual_Carriageway wrote:

Many of Ireland's new inter-urban roads are being built to high-quality dual carriageway standard, as opposed to motorway standard, due to the need to maintain access to adjoining property along these routes.

It makes sense, but a much better (space affording) solution would be service roads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_road). Does anyone know of adjoining property and associated entrances on the N2?

Seth Brundle

it may only be for gate access to adjoining farms

Furp

Also on Motorways don't they have to install those emergency phones if you break down and correct me if I'm wrong but do motorways require full lighting at night?

As lighting is something the N2 only has in a few sections.

Stark

Furp wrote:

correct me if I'm wrong but do motorways require full lighting at night?

Nope, they're only required to have lighting at intersections.

The Doktor

If you are comming from finglas and want to access any of the houses on the old N2 between the ESB station and Kilshane cross, you cant unless you go on the new N2. (well you could, but it would be a bit of a trip!)
They would have needed to put in another exit at the M50 roundabout, which if you look at it would have been pretty difficult
The first point you can get off the new N2 onto the old road is at the exit for "coldwinters"??. So I dont see any reason why its not motorway after that.
Must look out for farm gates along the road...... ah... maybe not.

commited

Watch out for a speed camera van at the bottom of the N2 (just after it changes to 100kmh) heading towards the M50

impr0v

dingding wrote:

Do the NRA have to upkeep a motorway while the county council maintain a non motorway ?

The local authority maintains both, except in the case of PPP (toll) roads. The NRA pays a maintenance grant to the local authority in respect of national roads, while the Department of the Environment and Local Government pays a similar grant in respect of non-national roads.

impr0v

colm_mcm wrote:

is there an alternative route for L drivers? Motorway has to have this AFAIK

It's not a motorway, it's a national road with an upgraded speed limit applied to it by means of a bye-law. I can't answer the question re the blue signage, but motorway signage has different standards than national road signage, e.g. different text heights and sign face sizing due to the different speeds. I suspect the signage was designed to motorway standards once the decision was made to upgrade the speed, and the blue colour was retained so as to avoid any driver confusion re the speed.

impr0v

Paparazzo wrote:

What's the difference between a HQDC and a motorway? Except for green signs instead of blue?

HQDC refers to the cross section classification. It has a different cross section and technical design standards than a motorway, though with recent specification changes the two different standards have converged. Merge/diverge lengths and curve/crest(hills)/sag(hollows) max radii would be still be a little different, though these things have inherent large factors of safety, so the HQDC cross section can still adequately cater for the higher speed.

The land for the N2 would have been acquired by means of a compulsory purchase order, as opposed to a motorway order. The latter sterilises land on either side of the land acquired for the motorway, so as to legally prevent access from the land to the motorway, and brings the restrictions on L drivers, etc. into play. The compulsory purchase order contains no such restrictions.

Balfa

impr0v wrote:

Merge/diverge lengths and curve/crest(hills)/sag(hollows) max radii would be still be a little different

Wouldn't it be minimum radii? I don't see why or even how someone would impose maximum radii limits on these things.

impr0v

yer right.