N18 - Limerick Tunnel & South Ring Road Phase II

Amtmann

Okay, thanks for that. Apologies would seem to be in order!

liammur

Furet, as I said earlier I respect you as a moderator and I have no problem with your comments. However, it is not nice and indeed a dangerous allegation to make accusing people of lying which 1 poster blatantly did on more than 1 occasion. I used the figure of 12,000 because this is the average figure over the life of the tunnel which I assumed was the fairest figure, it starts off at 17,200 but decreases over time.
I did say I will post the numbers using the tunnel in a few months time but on reflection I won't. I will happily oblige privately though if anyone does want the numbers.

Amtmann

liammur wrote: »

Furet, as I said earlier I respect you as a moderator and I have no problem with your comments. However, it is not nice and indeed a dangerous allegation to make accusing people of lying which 1 poster blatantly did on more than 1 occasion. I used the figure of 12,000 because this is the average figure over the life of the tunnel which I assumed was the fairest figure, it starts off at 17,200 but decreases over time.
I did say I will post the numbers using the tunnel in a few months time but on reflection I won't. I will happily oblige privately though if anyone does want the numbers.

Well I have to say thank you for the link. It is great to know; I don't think that information was ever posted here before. It should serve as a reminder to everyone that we don't know it all here. It also demonstrates that links should generally be provided when possible. And I agree that no one should have to endure being called a liar on the forum, hence my on-thread warning to MYOB. I suggest we all move on now and put this behind us.

L1011

Organisational problems continue:

Express lanes unconed at Clonmacken. Neither worked

Tag failed to read on tunnelbound manned gate at Clonmacken also, they had to manually record the number. It worked on the outbound lane half an hour ealier and on the Portlaoise toll an hour or so later!

ItHurtsWhenIP

MYOB wrote: »

Express lanes unconed at Clonmacken. Neither worked

According to a workmate who was coming through the tunnel this morning heading to Shannon, he tried the express lane (he has a tag that works in the other lanes), it beeped as if all was well but the barrier wouldn't open.

According to the attendant that came over to him, his problem was the car behind him was following too close and that they need a separation of 30m between cars!!! :eek:

Will this get people out of the tail-gating habit? :rolleyes:

topper75

Any dates being put about for the completion of works and removal of cones on the dual carriageway approaching Coonagh (old road)?

Indeed, as I'm posting, what are these works? Lighting?

cremeegg

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

According to a workmate who was coming through the tunnel this morning heading to Shannon, he tried the express lane (he has a tag that works in the other lanes), it beeped as if all was well but the barrier wouldn't open.

According to the attendant that came over to him, his problem was the car behind him was following too close and that they need a separation of 30m between cars!!! :eek:

Will this get people out of the tail-gating habit? :rolleyes:

I try the express lanes a few times and it beeps and stays closed. and there is noone behind me.

Twin-go

cremeegg wrote: »

I try the express lanes a few times and it beeps and stays closed. and there is noone behind me.

This happened to me a few times too. Try slowing down to closer to the 50km/h. This work for me.

On another note:

Last friday I was heading towards Shannon. I went into express lane with one other car in front of me. As they went in the red X flashed then the arrow flashed telling them to exit left. They didn't exit, they sat infront of the closed barrier. When I went through I got the green light and as I got closer the barrier when up and the car in front went through. I was then forced left as the barrier closed. Looks like they got a free toll. I don't know if I was charged twice:mad:

spacetweek

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

According to a workmate who was coming through the tunnel this morning heading to Shannon, he tried the express lane (he has a tag that works in the other lanes), it beeped as if all was well but the barrier wouldn't open.

According to the attendant that came over to him, his problem was the car behind him was following too close and that they need a separation of 30m between cars!!! :eek:

That was your mate's fault; it should be pretty clear that the system can't overlap cars. You should be far enough behind that you beep *after* the bloke in front makes it under the barrier, not before.

cremeegg wrote: »

I try the express lanes a few times and it beeps and stays closed. and there is noone behind me.

It's when they're in front of you, not behind.

CerebralCortex

spacetweek wrote: »

That was your mate's fault; it should be pretty clear that the system can't overlap cars. You should be far enough behind that you beep *after* the bloke in front makes it under the barrier, not before.

It's when they're in front of you, not behind.

Yes but MMFITWGDV was talking about someone behind him!

limklad

knipex wrote: »

Do you drive in Limerick ? Have you ever even been in Limerick ?

The roads in Limerick are wayyyyyyy quieter during the summer, especially the condell road, dock road and Ennis road.

Anyone who drives regularly in Limerick will tell you that.

Also as has been posted previously there is no minimum traffic guarantee in place for the tunnel.

I fully agree with this statement. It been consistent low Traffic during the summer months throughout the boom times especially when the schools are off.

ItHurtsWhenIP

spacetweek wrote: »

That was your mate's fault; it should be pretty clear that the system can't overlap cars. You should be far enough behind that you beep *after* the bloke in front makes it under the barrier, not before.

Thanks Cerebral Cortex - as you correctly pointed out my mate was referring to the guy behind him who was tail-gating him that caused the problem. Not something my mate had any control over. There was no-one in front of him.

I'm now hearing from others that you really do need to slow down going through these express lanes too. If you're too fast the "veer left" thingy comes on, but if you slow to near 50kph, the barrier will raise.

Another workmate told me that they are now putting traffic lights on the Condell road at the junction with Shelbourne road. What next speed bumps on Condell Road?:eek: (sorry mod - off topic I know ).

zilog_jones

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

Another workmate told me that they are now putting traffic lights on the Condell road at the junction with Shelbourne road. What next speed bumps on Condell Road?:eek: (sorry mod - off topic I know ).

That's just a pedestrian crossing, isn't it? That's what it looked like to me anyway when I passed it a few days ago...
(it used to be the N18, it's close enough to the topic )

daveharnett

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

What next speed bumps on Condell Road?:eek: (sorry mod - off topic I know ).

I suspect it's kind of on-topic actually, given the post above that demonstrates that the state has guaranteed a certain volume of traffic for the tunnel operator. 50kph seems an awfully slow limit for condell road.

If the numbers are looking dodgey toward the end of the year, don't be surprised to see flagmen walking up and down condell road until motorists get the hint

zilog_jones

I drove down the Condell Road today and it looks like they really are installing traffic lights at the Shelbourne Road junction, not just pedestrian crossing lights! :eek:

daveharnett wrote: »

50kph seems an awfully slow limit for condell road.

Yes it's mad, and nothing is being done to try and enforce it - it's like they don't even care. The problem is people are taking the piss and driving 100 km/h+ down the road with pedestrians getting killed as a result (I think someone was around 2007 IIRC), not that the old speed limit was too high.

TestTransmission

zilog_jones wrote: »

I drove down the Condell Road today and it looks like they really are installing traffic lights at the Shelbourne Road junction, not just pedestrian crossing lights! :eek:

About time if you ask me,badly needed there.

cremeegg

Twin-go wrote: »

This happened to me a few times too. Try slowing down to closer to the 50km/h. This work for me.

On another note:

Last friday I was heading towards Shannon. I went into express lane with one other car in front of me. As they went in the red X flashed then the arrow flashed telling them to exit left. They didn't exit, they sat infront of the closed barrier. When I went through I got the green light and as I got closer the barrier when up and the car in front went through. I was then forced left as the barrier closed. Looks like they got a free toll. I don't know if I was charged twice:mad:

ya i slowed down this evening and it parted like the red sea....

slinky2000

That's crazy. The Portlaoise toll I can go through at 100+ km/h and it lifts with plenty of time with my eflow tag!

rainbowdash

Another roundabout being installed at Sheils garage. Another delay for those hoping to avoid the toll.

highlydebased

The condell road speed limit is quite quite short sighted. It should be 80kmh in my opinion- pedestrians should not be on the road itself- There is now a separate cycle lane

Mc Love

rainbowdash wrote: »

Another roundabout being installed at Sheils garage. Another delay for those hoping to avoid the toll.

Roundabouts are fine, its traffic lights that are a beeatch

zilog_jones

Neon-Circles wrote: »

The condell road speed limit is quite quite short sighted. It should be 80kmh in my opinion- pedestrians should not be on the road itself- There is now a separate cycle lane

Not sure how well you know the area but there's a footpath behind the verge on the left (northbound) all the way from the bridge to the Clonmacken roundabout, and a park between it and the NCR (near the current pedestrian crossing) on the other side with very little along the lines of barriers between the road (some low stone wall in parts). Because of these (and other paths on the other side) there's not a hope in hell there'll be ever speed limits any higher than 60 km/h there unless they put up a shitload of barriers along the road.

mackerski

Neon-Circles wrote: »

The condell road speed limit is quite quite short sighted. It should be 80kmh in my opinion- pedestrians should not be on the road itself- There is now a separate cycle lane

Pedestrians are not permitted to use cycle lanes.

highlydebased

mackerski wrote: »

Pedestrians are not permitted to use cycle lanes.

Thats my point.

zilog_jones wrote: »

Not sure how well you know the area but there's a footpath behind the verge on the left (northbound) all the way from the bridge to the Clonmacken roundabout, and a park between it and the NCR (near the current pedestrian crossing) on the other side with very little along the lines of barriers between the road (some low stone wall in parts). Because of these (and other paths on the other side) there's not a hope in hell there'll be ever speed limits any higher than 60 km/h there unless they put up a shitload of barriers along the road.

Yes....but the path is either up a hill at the north side or across some grass and through some trees at the other part, surely this is safe enough for them?

zilog_jones

Neon-Circles wrote: »

Yes....but the path is either up a hill at the north side or across some grass and through some trees at the other part, surely this is safe enough for them?

The path is still only around 1-2m from the road for most parts, and on closer inpection there's no wall between the NCR park and the road. There's not enough protection from pedestrians, and still too much of a risk of pedestrians crossing at random points. I don't know the regulations behind this kind of stuff but I can't think of any other road I've seen in this country with similarly exposed footpaths and speed limits any higher than 60 km/h.

blackwarrior

zilog_jones wrote: »

Not sure how well you know the area but there's a footpath behind the verge on the left (northbound) all the way from the bridge to the Clonmacken roundabout,

It has a name actually - Cleeve's Bank, fondly remembered by us Treaty city diehards. Presumably named for the Cleeves (toffee) factory now used as a dairy by Golden Vale. The bank ran from St Michael's Boat Club as far as Barrington's pier, more or less in a straight line. It's still intact. Quite a remote walk/cycle when I was young .....

CerebralCortex

I took a walk on that path the one evening and found a lizard! Which, believe it or not are native to Ireland.

mossym

CerebralCortex wrote: »

I took a walk on that path the one evening and found a lizard! Which, believe it or not are native to Ireland.

indeed they are,one of the largest communities can be found in Leinster House, dublin.

sorry for the OT post

topper75

rainbowdash wrote: »

Another roundabout being installed at Sheils garage. Another delay for those hoping to avoid the toll.

I saw this in construction and can't figure out why that new roundabout is needed. Am I missing something? It's more in front of the TwoMile Inn (closing anyway) rather than Sheils garage.

CerebralCortex wrote: »

I took a walk on that path the one evening and found a lizard! Which, believe it or not are native to Ireland.

Well spotted. I've never seen a live one. There is supposed to be another yoke up around the Burren area that looks snake-like called a 'Slow Worm'. It is not a snake technically but a legless lizard. It is not native like our lizard. It is introduced - escaped pets or something.
http://www.npws.ie/en/Biodiversity/Ireland/Reptiles/

brainyneuron

Nice to see them using their heads and blocking off the main entrance to the house on the left at the merge of the new N18 tunnel/toll bridge off ramp and the old road into Limerick (Limerick--> Shannon direction) Why did that horrible flat house ever get planning permission?? Anyway, the merge there is short enough without having a private entrance in the mix. Think they've made an access road for the house connecting with the the roundabout under the ramp.