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M50 upgrade - Phase II

13468935

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,400 ✭✭✭sk8board


    Just a quick update on the Nth bound sections from blanch to M1

    all the road markings are now down, bar a small bit right at the M50-M1 off-ramp.

    this evening they were putting the last of the lane writing in place on each of the 4 lanes: 'M2', 'M50', 'M50', 'M50' between blanch and finglas and its already in place at ballymun.

    I know its been asked a thousand times, but does anyone have any dates for opening it up? I don't see much left; the landscaping is all but done, and the barriers are just about in place.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    sk8board wrote: »
    Just a quick update on the Nth bound sections from blanch to M1

    all the road markings are now down, bar a small bit right at the M50-M1 off-ramp.

    this evening they were putting the last of the lane writing in place on each of the 4 lanes: 'M2', 'M50', 'M50', 'M50' between blanch and finglas and its already in place at ballymun.

    I know its been asked a thousand times, but does anyone have any dates for opening it up? I don't see much left; the landscaping is all but done, and the barriers are just about in place.

    When I went along there yesterday, I noticed that there are several gaps in the topcoat at the junctions where the slip lanes merge/demerge with the mainline that still need to be finished.

    They appear to be finishing one or two of those each night.
    Hopefully it'll open the end of this week (just lane one) in time for the school reopening. The hard shoulder is far from complete in several places.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 931 ✭✭✭whosedaddy?


    I'm also hoping this is a push to get it done before schools are back.

    I'd say the N2 bridge (the temp outside crashbarrier) needs more work. but maybeone of these nights...

    Fingers crossed, but given the track record, I'm not overly optimistic.


  • Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭oddiot


    Any thoughts on what the M50/M1 northbound merge will be like once they open the third and fourth lanes? There's a good deal of congestion between Finglas/N2 and the M1 during the day, so once the M50 capacity effectively doubles overnight, will there be long tailbacks at the M1 northbound free-flow merge?


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    oddiot wrote: »
    Any thoughts on what the M50/M1 northbound merge will be like once they open the third and fourth lanes? There's a good deal of congestion between Finglas/N2 and the M1 during the day, so once the M50 capacity effectively doubles overnight, will there be long tailbacks at the M1 northbound free-flow merge?
    Quite likely! as traffic will fly along the motorway right up to past the Ballymun junction and then squeeze into one lane.

    At least the remaining traffic wil be (mostly) unhindered going to the roundabout, some traffic may stay on till the roundabout and turn left.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,216 ✭✭✭cargo



    ............, some traffic may stay on till the roundabout and turn left.

    sssshh don't tell them :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    I'm also hoping this is a push to get it done before schools are back.

    I'd say the N2 bridge (the temp outside crashbarrier) needs more work. but maybeone of these nights...

    Fingers crossed, but given the track record, I'm not overly optimistic.


    Yeah, please, please, please let at least one extra lane be opened next Monday morning!

    The traffic have been much heavier this week and I can only imagine what it will be like next week if no extra lanes are open.

    Tailback has been back to the old toll the last 2 nights going northbound more less all the way through to the M1. This just seems to be traffic returning after everyone is back from there summer holidays and now with all schools back on Monday what will it be like??:confused:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    There were covered up permanent speed limit signs up between Ballymun and the M1 today both ways. And there is paint marking out 5 lanes heasing east to the M1/M50 junction. One lane, aux markings, 2 lanes and more aux markings and 2 more lanes.

    I'd say they should have made an extra lane on the M1N to the airport junction, to reduce the need to merge immediately coming onto the M1 mainline. Having two lanes for the Airport the full way to the junction would improve things. Similarily from the Airport to M1N onramp to the Holywell exit, an aux lane here would also reduce merging.

    I've attached a pic of the N3 junction. It's the new bridge for the offramp on the M50S to N3.
    The old Onslip N3-M50N is completely gone, you can see the whole way across the M50 to the location of the pic when getting onto the M50N at this junction.


  • Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭oddiot


    There's plenty of activity each night now, so fingers crossed for some lane openings in the short term. The official website seems to be updated daily with detail of lane closures: http://m50.ie/index.php?page=daily-traffic


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,216 ✭✭✭cargo


    The signs for the additional lanes joining the motorway went up yesterday from the M1 junction heading South/East past Ballymun. You can see these as you travel along the main carriageway to indicate there are an 2 additional lanes about to join the motorway. These are not covered up like the new speed signs.

    I suspect they must be getting ready for some openings this weekend. However there is still tidying up to be done in spots like a small section of barrier missing here and there etc

    Further along:
    The section south of Ballymount heading to Tallaght got a few layers of tar in the past 2 weeks as well. This section looked relatively untouched but they just landed in and started surfacing so I imagine they hadn't a lot of services etc to move. They were always 1 or 2 guys tipping away in the trees at the side of this but it looked very much behind but hopefully now it'll get moving and open south to Talaght soon too. Although the Tallaght offslip hasn't had any upgrade done to it yet. I presume it's getting another lane off?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,333 ✭✭✭Redsoxfan


    cargo wrote: »
    Further along:
    The section south of Ballymount heading to Tallaght got a few layers of tar in the past 2 weeks as well. This section looked relatively untouched but they just landed in and started surfacing so I imagine they hadn't a lot of services etc to move. They were always 1 or 2 guys tipping away in the trees at the side of this but it looked very much behind but hopefully now it'll get moving and open south to Talaght soon too. Although the Tallaght offslip hasn't had any upgrade done to it yet. I presume it's getting another lane off?

    Yeah, I am wondering about this myself-I guess they could extend the current lane alignment at Ballymount down as far as the N81 slip, but there still appears to be a bit of work to do on the northbound side. Still quite a lot of work to do from Tallaght-Sandyford as far as I can see. Looks like Sandyford-Leopardstown is on the brink of being ready.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,333 ✭✭✭Redsoxfan


    The road markings are now painted on the stretch from Ballymount to Tallaght, looks like it could open this week?

    Traffic now bad enough again in the mornings this week southbound at Ballymount.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I'm disappointed that another lane wasn't opened each way on the northern section! The road appears sufficiently complete to open?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,002 ✭✭✭ipodrocker


    I'm disappointed that another lane wasn't opened each way on the northern section! The road appears sufficiently complete to open?

    how much of the northern section is complete with the 3rd lane?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    The whole way from Ballymun to the M1 has 4 lanes ready, The whole way from the M1 to Ballymun has 3 lanes and 4 from where the merging at the junction finishes.
    From Ballymun to Finglas has 4 lanes finished. from Finglas back needs a bit of work at the onramp merging,

    The Armco needs finishing in the sections I mentioned, but the 3rd lane could open.

    There are 100km/h signs up from the Finglas to N3 section both ways.
    And plenty of inaccurate signs showing final lane merging diagrams while all the lanes aren't there yet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,216 ✭✭✭cargo


    I've been thinking for the past few weeks that all these extra Northern end lanes are just about to open but I had a good look yesterday evening heading home northbound and again Southbound this am. It's not as good and finished as i thought. Yes they have the lane markings down / signs up but none of them are complete all the way from one intersection to the other.

    If you look at Ballymun to M1 the "new" lanes just come to a finish at the junction. There's no new off slips or mainline lanes to accomodate them. They haven't even really started on the new slips or realignment up and over for the M1 interchange. There was only one worker working on the Northern overbridge as you come down the M1 this am.

    Simillarly Ballymun to Finglas. They were even washing the lanes this am and all machinery looked to be gone so I thought great there'll be new lanes here tomorrow am. But then halfway along to Finglas there's a digger making a big hole at the side of the road (presumably for a gantry base) and a few workers putting in steel etc. Then when you hit Finglas, again, there's nowhere for the new lanes to go!! It seems to be the case for all the bits that are coming in at present. (M1 South past the airport has new lanes but they are digging away beside them and there'e stone & soil stored all over the place)

    Yes they have major progress on all the new lanes but i think the structure work will hold back the opening of most of them. Hope I'm wrong but I keep seeing things that will need to be sorted (and there not the 3am sort of things) before we get the benifit of the new lanes.

    Surely the erecting of the new signs will prove me wrong???? They would have kept them covered would they not if they didn't expect some new lanes very soon?

    There has to be someone who knows someone who knows someone who supplies T-bags to the foreman who can tell us when some of the new changes will come into effect?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭rameire


    Redsoxfan wrote: »
    The road markings are now painted on the stretch from Ballymount to Tallaght, looks like it could open this week?

    Traffic now bad enough again in the mornings this week southbound at Ballymount.
    southbound
    they have to mark the hard shoulder, also they have to put in some barriers, they have marked along the road where these will go in, so id give it a couple of weeks.
    also along the stretch from dundrum to leopardstown 13 to 14 they have started to paint the lines on the road, and the line painter was there this morning so looks like they will do more tonight.

    🌞 3.8kwp, 🌞 Split 2.28S, 1.52E. 🌞 Clonee, Dub.🌞



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 931 ✭✭✭whosedaddy?


    there where new gantries before blanch. ready to be put in place. They will not open any third lane untill all that steelwork is in place. once the lanes are open, they have nowhere to park and prepare them.

    Likewise for Ballymount -Tallagh and Dundrum - Sandyford.

    The on-/ offslip alignments still need work too. N3 to M50S, N2 to M50S , donno Ballymun.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I was just hoping that they would just open the third lane (lane 1) between junctions, like between Blanch and Finglas is now.

    Doing this would avoid bunching at the junctions that's happening now, the workers (& emergency crews) would still have the Aux lane to use. Now looks like all or nothing!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,216 ✭✭✭cargo


    I was just hoping that they would just open the third lane (lane 1) between junctions, like between Blanch and Finglas is now.

    Doing this would avoid bunching at the junctions that's happening now, the workers (& emergency crews) would still have the Aux lane to use. Now looks like all or nothing!

    I think the problem, as I mentioned above, is that the lanes are terminating at a stop so you would have a new lane (or 2) along the mainline but then a the next junction everyone would have to merge down into 2 lanes again making the bunching even worse. Hopefully there will be a little work done quickly to seemlessly take these new lanes off at the junctions while they continue to work away at the junctions themselves.

    Take the Airport turnoff for example. They don't seem to be adding a new lane onto the off-slip as normal and just taking the new mainline lane off onto it, it looks like the new lanes here will be rearranged with the eisting ones and some will go up and over the new flyover. So we'll probably have to wait until it's ready for traffic. (hopefully not)


  • Registered Users Posts: 289 ✭✭dublinhead


    Redsoxfan wrote: »
    The road markings are now painted on the stretch from Ballymount to Tallaght, looks like it could open this week?

    Traffic now bad enough again in the mornings this week southbound at Ballymount.



    From http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/

    From 7am tomorrow (3rd), three lanes will be open on the M50 southbound from J10 Ballymount to J11 Tallaght. This should help ease delays during peak times


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 931 ✭✭✭whosedaddy?


    dublinhead wrote: »
    From http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/

    From 7am tomorrow (3rd), three lanes will be open on the M50 southbound from J10 Ballymount to J11 Tallaght. This should help ease delays during peak times

    IMHO all it will do is push the bottleneck further south and encourage more ppl to sliplane surf.

    I hope I'm wrong.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,216 ✭✭✭cargo


    IMHO all it will do is push the bottleneck further south and encourage more ppl to sliplane surf.

    I hope I'm wrong.

    I was down further yesterday and they already have 3 lanes South of Tallaght (can't remember how far though)

    I dont care though, I come off at Tallaght :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,034 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    There's a long merge lane between Tallaght and Firhouse (that no-one seems to be able to use without crashing into someone). I think this might relieve some of the bottleneck pressure. At Ballymount, you have 3 lanes merging into 2 at around the same point as traffic is trying to merge from the Ballymount slip.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 931 ✭✭✭whosedaddy?


    I think the short uphill merge after firehouse will be the new hotspot.
    you can exit at tallagh (bypassing possible tailbacks) on the inside lane, go onto the tallagh firhouse merging lane and rejoin m50 after firhouse. hope this won't get too popular.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,588 ✭✭✭Bluetonic


    This ties in here as the M1 at the M50 is being upgraded as part of the M50 works.
    Tunnel tolls will not be reduced

    TOLL CHARGES in the Dublin Port Tunnel can not be lowered as part of the emergency measures to assist displaced northern line rail commuters because it is against public policy to encourage car commuters to use the Port Tunnel, it has emerged.

    Some 20,000 commuter journeys per day, divided evenly in terms of journeys into and out of the city centre, are being replaced on an emergency basis by road-based public transport, following the collapse of the Broadmeadow railway viaduct at the end of last month.

    The National Roads Authority (NRA) said that it had suspended its timetable for works on the airport M1/M50 junction to facilitate the road transport effort to get commuters in and out of the city centre from the northern suburbs.

    But a new traffic committee involving representatives from An Garda Síochána, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann, Dublin City and Fingal local authorities, as well as the NRA, has decided that toll charges for private cars – which are as high as €24 per day – must remain in place.

    NRA spokesman Sean O’Neill said the traffic committee had overseen the mobilisation of commuters by Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and private operators and included a special service between Drogheda station and Dublin city centre which utilised the Dublin Port Tunnel.

    Mr O’Neill said the committee believed the mobilisation was going well and it would not be possible to distinguish between genuinely affected commuters and those from the northern suburbs who would “get into bad habits” by bringing their cars into the city centre through the tunnel.

    This is despite an assertion from Labour Party Transport Spokesman Tommy Broughan that “a number of Balbriggan-based commuters have informed me that it is extremely difficult to get home to Balbriggan during off-peak times”.

    Mr Broughan called on the Department of Transport to sanction an additional route for buses through the Dublin Port Tunnel to help efforts.

    The refusal to reduce the toll from the peak charge of €12 per single journey to €3 will disappoint Labour Senator Brendan Ryan, who called for the move, arguing that many rail commuters are using their cars instead of the additional services that have been put in place.

    “The €3 charge I am suggesting is not a new charge but is the charge that currently applies at weekends and after 10pm,” said Mr Ryan.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0902/1224253656897.html


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,400 ✭✭✭sk8board


    IMHO all it will do is push the bottleneck further south and encourage more ppl to sliplane surf.

    I hope I'm wrong.

    the sliplane surfing is a pain in my ass as I join the M50 in the evening at the Ballymount junct, and theres always a queue from all outbound roads to the small roundabout at the ind estate cause of all the sliplane surfers coming down to the round-about, all around and back up again. And they have the right of way too!

    hopefully that is no more now that the 3 lanes are open for a bit further down the m50


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    cargo wrote: »
    I've been thinking for the past few weeks that all these extra Northern end lanes are just about to open but I had a good look yesterday evening heading home northbound and again Southbound this am. It's not as good and finished as i thought. Yes they have the lane markings down / signs up but none of them are complete all the way from one intersection to the other.

    If you look at Ballymun to M1 the "new" lanes just come to a finish at the junction. There's no new off slips or mainline lanes to accomodate them. They haven't even really started on the new slips or realignment up and over for the M1 interchange. There was only one worker working on the Northern overbridge as you come down the M1 this am.
    There's definitely room to open the third lane from Ballymun to the M1. At the M1/n32/M50 junction you have 1 lane slipping left to the M1N and 2 go on to the RAB.

    Coming the other way, there is definitely room for the 3rd lane to be open, and for it to diverge to the Ballymun offslip. same thing at Finglas.

    I had a good look on Saturday as I drove along at the speed limit.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,333 ✭✭✭Redsoxfan


    So this morning the 3rd lane from Ballymount to Tallaght was open-the auxiliary lane is marked out, but there are no barriers installed yet. Gantries have been erected, but no signs yet. No bottleneck at Ballymount, and not much busier at Firhouse, but I was on the road around 30 mins earlier than normal this morning.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 85 ✭✭cormthechippy


    was on the M50 a cupla days ago heading back to donegal and noticed they have the new N3 signage up... it couldn`t help notice that Ballyshannon was missing from it... any idea why? it`s a replica of the old sign...cavan, navan and blanch signed. thought sham town had to be mentioned because it was the terminal town..


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,110 ✭✭✭KevR


    Anyone know why they haven't considered charging everyone that uses the M50 since it went barrier free rather than just charging people who happen to pass by one particular point?

    Charge everyone but only charge each person once per-day regardless of number of journeys. Surely that would be a lot fairer. As it is now, some people are paying to use it twice everyday on their commute while others aren't paying at all because they're not passing the toll point.
    If someone uses the M50 (above ground section) and then uses the Port Tunnel, the cost of the above ground toll is knocked off the PT toll price and if someone uses the PT, they don't pay for the above ground section that day.

    This has probably been discussed before but I was just thinking about it today and am wondering what others think?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 69,538 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    You wouldn't be suggesting that if you lived in Dublin! A lot of the recent additions to the south suburbs have been built in such a way that the M50 is the main road; and the road network off the M50 has generally not been built up to cope with the massive traffic flows that would ensue if all journeys were charged.

    Also, it seems Irish people accept tolls more if they're "for" something expensive - a big bridge or a tunnel. M1, N25, M8 Blackwater Viaduct, etc....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,333 ✭✭✭Redsoxfan


    Anyone else come across the cyclist holding up traffic between Sandyford and Firhouse this evening? Never seen or heard of it until I came across this thread a few days ago. I hope it's not the beginning of a trend.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    In recent months, I've seen cyclists, horses (loose) horses (riden) tractors & pedestrians on the M50, all I need for the full set is to see a clown directing traffic (Guatamala city, a street entertainer directed traffic after a lorry tipped over in the street - and was stripped bare (the lorry ;)) within 30 seconds by onlookers).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    There's 3 running lanes open now from the M1 all the way to the N81


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭celticbest


    There's 3 running lanes open now from the M1 all the way to the N81


    Yeah, saw the three lanes open this morning, let's hope that this makes a big improvement to the traffic flow in the evening rush hour.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 127 ✭✭M50 Traffic MGT


    All,

    Unfortunately we have only come across this thread recently. As you are aware there are now 3 lanes running from the M1/M50 Interchange to the N81 Tallaght slips NB & SB. The M1 Interchange will be fully operational by the end of October. As there are night works ongoing we will be able to advertise these closures on this thread, hopefully giving everybody a heads up before they get stuck in traffic. There will be works ongoing on the M1 SB for the next week or so until it is finished and tonight we will be starting on the M1 NB from inside the tunnel to the M1/M50 Interchange from 22:00 to 05:30. This will mean reducing the existing situation of 3 lanes down to 2, i.e. traffic on the hard shoulder & lane 1, giving us the other 2 lanes to work on and then switch traffic over. If you have any questions you can post them here and we would be happy to reply

    M50 D&C Traffic Management


  • Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭The Dark Knight


    All,

    Unfortunately we have only come across this thread recently. As you are aware there are now 3 lanes running from the M1/M50 Interchange to the N81 Tallaght slips NB & SB. The M1 Interchange will be fully operational by the end of October. As there are night works ongoing we will be able to advertise these closures on this thread, hopefully giving everybody a heads up before they get stuck in traffic. There will be works ongoing on the M1 SB for the next week or so until it is finished and tonight we will be starting on the M1 NB from inside the tunnel to the M1/M50 Interchange from 22:00 to 05:30. This will mean reducing the existing situation of 3 lanes down to 2, i.e. traffic on the hard shoulder & lane 1, giving us the other 2 lanes to work on and then switch traffic over. If you have any questions you can post them here and we would be happy to reply

    M50 D&C Traffic Management

    Hi,
    Great to have the information "straight from the horses mouth". Welcome to the thread!! I think this will really help us all as we negotiate the final few months of the works.
    Congratulation on a good job so far on traffic management.... I think it's fair to say that we all though it would be much worse.

    Now get ready for the moan from us armature road designers :)

    You mention the M50/M1 junction being fully operational by end of Oct. I have one major worry on this.
    I was travelling on the M50 NB yesterday and noticed a huge tailback in Lane 1 heading towards the Airport, while lanes 2 & 3 were relatively empty. Obviously cars were getting in lane early for the M1 NB exit.
    I believe this could be an issue for this junction. At the moment lane 2 & 3 will be N33 traffic, I think this should be switched to Lane 3 only. This would help traffic get into the appropriate Lane as early as possible. My lane layout would be:

    Aux Lane - Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 1 - Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 2 - M50 (Port Tunnel Bound) (...ie M1 SB)
    Lane 3 - N33 EB

    I believe this would serve to distribute the traffic much better across the Motorway after the Ballymun exit.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Hi,
    Great to have the information "straight from the horses mouth". Welcome to the thread!! I think this will really help us all as we negotiate the final few months of the works.
    Congratulation on a good job so far on traffic management.... I think it's fair to say that we all though it would be much worse.

    Now get ready for the moan from us armature road designers :)

    You mention the M50/M1 junction being fully operational by end of Oct. I have one major worry on this.
    I was travelling on the M50 NB yesterday and noticed a huge tailback in Lane 1 heading towards the Airport, while lanes 2 & 3 were relatively empty. Obviously cars were getting in lane early for the M1 NB exit.
    I believe this could be an issue for this junction. At the moment lane 2 & 3 will be N33 traffic, I think this should be switched to Lane 3 only. This would help traffic get into the appropriate Lane as early as possible. My lane layout would be:

    Aux Lane - Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 1 - Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 2 - M50 (Port Tunnel Bound) (...ie M1 SB)
    Lane 3 - N33 EB

    I believe this would serve to distribute the traffic much better across the Motorway after the Ballymun exit.
    From what I can see, there will be five lanes just after the Ballymun junction, giving motorists more options to pick a lane.


  • Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭The Dark Knight


    From what I can see, there will be five lanes just after the Ballymun junction, giving motorists more options to pick a lane.
    I though the "5th lane" didn't appear until a few hundred metres before the M1 Junction.... but you may be correct....I couldn't see it properly yesterday.
    Regardless, I think the N33 only needs Lane 3, with most traffic heading either towards the M1(NB) or The M50 (City/Port Tunnel Bound).


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 127 ✭✭M50 Traffic MGT


    At the M1 Interchange NB on the M50,
    junction3_large.jpg
    Auxiliary Lane: Airport/M1 NB (Goes to 2 lanes before M1)
    Lane 1: Port Tunnel/M1 SB
    Lane 2: Port Tunnel/M1 NB
    Lane 3: N32 EB
    Lane 4: N32 EB

    Unfortunately due to construction works on the free-flow to the M1 NB space is limited to 1 lane as we need to tie-in the road surface with the new structure. This is why there is only 1 lane dedicated to the M1 NB. This evening, traffic appears to be as busy as usual, even though there is an extra lane. The queue for the M1 NB still starts back at Ballymun. Once completed, the existing M1/M50 Roundabout will still be operational as it is at the moment, only with a few lane reductions. It will still be signalised, whereas the free-flows will not


  • Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭oddiot


    Well this evening, the third lane southbound freed up the usual congestion between M1 and Blanchardstown, with the exception of a little spillover from the M50 south to N3 off-ramp into lane 1. Hopefully this will be less of an issue when they open more or all of the aux lane back towards Finglas.

    I will point out though that Irish road users are slow to adapt to change. At one point there was several hundred meters between me and the next car in front in lane 1 and also to the next car behind. I would imagine this is because people don't realise it's a full through lane just yet - so give it a week to settle.

    Northbound still looks a little slow between Ballymun and the M1.


  • Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭The Dark Knight


    At the M1 Interchange NB on the M50,
    junction3_large.jpg
    Auxiliary Lane: Airport/M1 NB (Goes to 2 lanes before M1)
    Lane 1: Port Tunnel/M1 SB
    Lane 2: Port Tunnel/M1 NB
    Lane 3: N32 EB
    Lane 4: N32 EB

    Unfortunately due to construction works on the free-flow to the M1 NB space is limited to 1 lane as we need to tie-in the road surface with the new structure. This is why there is only 1 lane dedicated to the M1 NB. This evening, traffic appears to be as busy as usual, even though there is an extra lane. The queue for the M1 NB still starts back at Ballymun. Once completed, the existing M1/M50 Roundabout will still be operational as it is at the moment, only with a few lane reductions. It will still be signalised, whereas the free-flows will not
    Thanks for the details above.
    I believe it confirms my point. If we take the M50 NB Just after the Ballymun interchange we will have:
    Aux Lane: Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 1: Port Tunnel/M1 SB
    Lane 2: Port Tunnel/M1 NB
    Lane 3: N32 EB
    Lane 4: N32 EB

    This gives 2 Lanes dedicated for N32 and only 1 Lane for the M1NB & Airport. (Although this becomes 2 before the Junction).

    I think it should be:
    Aux Lane: Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 1: Airport/M1 NB
    Lane 2: Port Tunnel/M1 NB
    Lane 3: Port Tunnel/M1 NB
    Lane 4: N32 EB (Becoming 2 lanes after M1 Exit)

    Based on the M1NB/Airport vs. N32 demand, I think this would be a more balanced line allocation, and reduce lane crossings required.
    Looking at the artist impression above, I don't see any major constraints with this lane allocation.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    The three lanes for the M1 (Aux, 1 & 2) will divide up again into four lanes, two Nb & 2 SB. I think it would be better if lane one split into two rather than the aux lane.
    There is currently only one lane which will be three when works are complete, to me the design looks good.

    It's easy to see congestion when it's all funnelled into two lanes and then into one lane NB.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 440 ✭✭towger


    So, M50 to N32 will still have traffic lights ? please NO !!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,082 ✭✭✭Chris_533976


    If there isnt a slip from M50 clockwise to N32 its just daft. Theres bags of room there and theres a nice field to put a slip road in.

    Edit: Lets face is its M32 officially so there would be no redesignation **** :D


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    towger wrote: »
    So, M50 to N32 will still have traffic lights ? please NO !!!
    Down to money, as usual!

    Hopefully the sequence will be modified as the traffic load will be much lighter from the M50, as in the M/N32 traffic will be favoured instead of that from the M50.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 247 ✭✭bg07


    Down to money, as usual!

    Hopefully the sequence will be modified as the traffic load will be much lighter from the M50, as in the M/N32 traffic will be favoured instead of that from the M50.
    Would traffic volumes be low enough for a normal unsignalled roundabout? Although Irish do seem to have trouble have trouble with such a complex concept as a large roundabout without traffic lights.


  • Posts: 31,118 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    bg07 wrote: »
    Would traffic volumes be low enough for a normal unsignalled roundabout?
    I see no reason why not!
    bg07 wrote: »
    Although Irish do seem to have trouble have trouble with such a complex concept as a large roundabout without traffic lights.

    Except this one :(


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  • Registered Users Posts: 397 ✭✭Geogregor


    Wow you got messages straight from "the source"
    I like when people responsible for projects communicate on this sort of forums.
    On Polish sub-forum of Skyscrapercity we got extra pictures with dedication for forumers from project management.


This discussion has been closed.
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