First roads to be declared motorways without a motorway order

Driving west on the N/M6 tonight, I see that they have started erecting the new blue signs.

There is a new "exit" sign on junction 2 "Kinnegad" and a blue distances sign after it.

I didn't notice if any other signs at that junction or whether the M4 exit signs had ben updated as I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

I wonder if there will be gantries like on the new section of motorway or not, they are installing new posts for the exit signs rather than re-using the existing ones (only a couple of metres behind them).

Irish and Proud

Deleted User wrote: »

Driving west on the N/M6 tonight, I see that they have started erecting the new blue signs.

There is a new "exit" sign on junction 2 "Kinnegad" and a blue distances sign after it.

I didn't notice if any other signs at that junction or whether the M4 exit signs had ben updated as I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

I wonder if there will be gantries like on the new section of motorway or not, they are installing new posts for the exit signs rather than re-using the existing ones (only a couple of metres behind them).

Wonder if they'll start tearing up the parking bays and continue the hard shoulder through instead?

Also, will they start erecting emergency phones and extra lighting - features that are usually associated with motorways?

Suppose we'll just have to wait and see!

Regards!

cyclopath2001

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Also, will they start erecting emergency phones and extra lighting - features that are usually associated with motorways?

What next? Service areas where tired drivers can pull over for a break?

There are no emergency phones along the new Kilbeggan - Athlone section, doesn't look like they will bother with them at all. Also I see that the phomes on the M4 east of Kilcock have been covered in black plastic.

As for service stations, I think we are expected to leave at the next exit and hunt one down!

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

There are no emergency phones along the new Kilbeggan - Athlone section, doesn't look like they will bother with them at all. Also I see that the phomes on the M4 east of Kilcock have been covered in black plastic.

As for service stations, I think we are expected to leave at the next exit and hunt one down!

The phones on the L/M/K bypass bit of the M4 are being replaced; the ones covered in black plastic are brand new units.

As goes the service stations, I'm tempted to knock together a page with details of where the the nearest s/station to every motorway/HQDC junction is and put it on the net somewhere. I know where the M4/M1 ones are at this stage but wouldn't know the N7/N6/N8/N11 ones - and tourists, etc, are completely lost.

1huge1

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Can only sensibly be done from Shannon northwards. Limerick to Shannon isnt HQDC and has a ton of bad junctions and local house access

Ya I just took note of that the other day actually, its a shame but understandable.

Shows that it was one of the early dual carriageways in the country.

icdg

Deleted User wrote: »

Driving west on the N/M6 tonight, I see that they have started erecting the new blue signs.

There is a new "exit" sign on junction 2 "Kinnegad" and a blue distances sign after it.

I didn't notice if any other signs at that junction or whether the M4 exit signs had ben updated as I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon.

I wonder if there will be gantries like on the new section of motorway or not, they are installing new posts for the exit signs rather than re-using the existing ones (only a couple of metres behind them).

Don't think there will be gantries, there may be cantilevers though (or half-gantries).

Using gantries as a matter of course on a D2M was only done on one scheme, the M50 South Eastern Motorway and seems to have been abandoned. Cantilevers on the other look like they will be around on every new motorway scheme from now on though.

Having said that, I took a trip up the M1 today and noticed that while Next Exit signs and "Exit" (J No) gore signs have gone up, they haven't bothered with cantilvers - instead they've moved the flag signs originally at the gore to 100m back where the cantilever would be under the new signing scheme normally.

icdg

icdg wrote: »

there may be cantilevers though (or half-gantries).

.

Yep that's what I meant by gantries