M7 roadworks

Stark

I've noticed they've started roadworks on the Naas bypass part of the M7. Does anyone know if they're just resurfacing or if they're expanding the motorway to 3 lanes? Information on the web just states "improvement works", but I noticed the grass verge in the middle of the road has been totally dug up in parts leaving lane wide strips of bare earth just like on the M50.

dubred

Found this on the Kildare Co Co website:

KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL

ROAD-WORKS SPEED LIMIT ORDER
M7 NAAS BYPASS

All motorists please note that in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 2004, it is hereby ordered that, in the interest of public safety, a Road-works Speed Limit of 60Km/h be applied to road-works on the M7 Naas Bypass in the townlands of Osberstown and Monread North, and a road-works speed limit of 80Km/h be applied to road-works on the M7 Naas Bypass in the townlands of Osberstown and Maudlins in the County of Kildare. These special speed limits are being imposed to facilitate resurfacing and improvement works on the Naas Bypass and will apply from 30 April to 30 October 2007.


Edit: just re-read your post, you've obviously seen this!!

Bogger77

Are they going to deal with the surface water problems along there, perhaps?

patrickc

there a nuisance either way, those rails in the middle with gaps between them make cars at night coming the opposite way look like theyre flashing you..

spacetweek

Why don't they widen to 6 lanes while they're at it? It needs it.

Zoney

spacetweek wrote:

Why don't they widen to 6 lanes while they're at it? It needs it.

It needed to have been upgraded already, ready for this year. The NRA recommended AADT (Annual average daily traffic) capacity for standard dual two lane motorway is 52,000 (although I do not know, if the M7 is *wide* dual two lane then theoretically the capacity magically increases to 55,500 - this doesn't have much bearing though as that limit is being reached also).

The NRA traffic counter values for 2006:

M7-031 (link here), south of M9 junction: 33670 (10.6% increase on 2005)
M7-035 (link here), north of M9 junction: 51712 (10% increase on 2005)
M7-036 (link here), Dublin end of motorway: 54992 (7.1% increase on 2005)

There are predicted values for 2007 on some of those pages as well.
M7-031: 37673 (11.9% increase on 2006)
M7-035: 59510 (15.1% increase on 2006)

If the latter figures are correct, then traffic is growing at an alarming *increasing* rate.

Victor

Zoney wrote:

although I do not know, if the M7 is *wide* dual two lane then theoretically the capacity magically increases to 55,500

I imagine it is - the lanes would be 3.75m, 3m hard shoulder, wide median.

SeanW

If they were going to widen it, Cullen would have announced it 10 times over the past decade.