N3-M50 interchange

Random

The phantom lane is still there. ****ing idiots. I don't see what reason they have for it. I'd love to know the logic or thinking behind it if there was any.

It wasn't there when they opened the new M50 North slip first, then they did up the road markings and it seemed to appear ... so someone intentionally added it ...

IIMII

liamog wrote: »

OK this is ridiculous, something really needs to be done about this Phantom lane before an accident happens. Whilst passing through today we were in the correct lane, there was a que of traffic in the phantom lane. At the front of the lane were two drivers who were exchanging details.

Saw same happening myself on Fri - drivers exchanging details with cops there

Heroditas

So who was stuck in the chaos this evening up by Blanchardstown?
I was heading to Ballymun at 6.30 and joined the M50 at Liffey Valley and thought they'd reintroduced the toll barriers because the traffic was so bad.
Decided I might come off at the N3 interchange and then boot down the river road and through Finglas to get to Ballymun and just as I got to the off-ramp at the N3, saw that the traffic was ok from there northbound. Ah well, headed up the ramp anyway because it would have been dangerous to swerve back out at that stage.

Oh my!!! Eventually got to the top of the off-ramp and cars everywhere!
Nothing moving westbound and extremely difficult to head eastbound towards Auburn Road roundabout - took a few goes of the lights to even get off the main interchange roundabout. Eventually headed down to the Auburn Road roundabout and was stunned to see so much traffic heading back all the way to the Halfway House!
Anyway, nipped down New Dunsink Lane and then down the river Road and then down by Coolmine Rugby Club - the traffic was backed up to near the entrance to the club heading towards Auburn Road roundabout! :eek:

What the heck happened there this evening? It's August and it was 6.30 in the evening?! The main bulk of traffic should have dispersed by that stage.
This does not bode well for the start of September

liamog

I was on a train heading into town at about half 5, I went through the roundabout. Looking at the main carriage way I could see that a car had hit the central reservation and traffice appeared to be down to one lane. Not sure of the full details but this was probably the cause.

rameire

Heroditas wrote: »

So who was stuck in the chaos this evening up by Blanchardstown?
I was heading to Ballymun at 6.30 and joined the M50 at Liffey Valley and thought they'd reintroduced the toll barriers because the traffic was so bad.
Decided I might come off at the N3 interchange and then boot down the river road and through Finglas to get to Ballymun and just as I got to the off-ramp at the N3, saw that the traffic was ok from there northbound. Ah well, headed up the ramp anyway because it would have been dangerous to swerve back out at that stage.

Oh my!!! Eventually got to the top of the off-ramp and cars everywhere!
Nothing moving westbound and extremely difficult to head eastbound towards Auburn Road roundabout - took a few goes of the lights to even get off the main interchange roundabout. Eventually headed down to the Auburn Road roundabout and was stunned to see so much traffic heading back all the way to the Halfway House!
Anyway, nipped down New Dunsink Lane and then down the river Road and then down by Coolmine Rugby Club - the traffic was backed up to near the entrance to the club heading towards Auburn Road roundabout! :eek:

What the heck happened there this evening? It's August and it was 6.30 in the evening?! The main bulk of traffic should have dispersed by that stage.
This does not bode well for the start of September

there was a three car crash northbound on the m50 right under the n3 junction.

Heroditas

If it was under the N3 junction though, surely that wouldn't have affected any traffic joining at the N3 to go northward?
It was already building a lot by 4.30 this afternoon - the traffic was backed up from Auburn Avenue roundabout to the Phoenix Park station overbridge.

rameire

Heroditas wrote: »

If it was under the N3 junction though, surely that wouldn't have affected any traffic joining at the N3 to go northward?
It was already building a lot by 4.30 this afternoon - the traffic was backed up from Auburn Avenue roundabout to the Phoenix Park station overbridge.

i got notification of the crash around 4.30 from dublincity.ie
alot of traffic was coming off at the n3 junction northbound, the traffic was redirected from the 2 carriageway lanes onto the new lane 1 ( lane 1 is not finished )
the traffic for me was back up just passed the n4 junction.
took me 15-20 min to get from n4 junction to just passed the crash.
thankfully i was on a motorbike. so passed the crash around 5.20.
looked like a fender bender, car in the middle got mushed badly.
looked like the jeep who smashed into the middle car was badly damaged.
and the car in front wasnt too bad just some damage to the rear of the car.

At 6:10 it was back as far as Ballymount! (I was in it:()
Heard traffic reports saying the crash had already been cleared but there was a breakdown west of the N3 junction blocking everything up even more.

Heroditas

Deleted User wrote: »

but there was a breakdown west of the N3 junction blocking everything up even more.

Bingo! That must have been the nail in the coffin. Bloody hell.
One crash and one breakdown and the whole of the west of Dublin grinds to a halt - during the quietest time for traffic in the year.

thomasjad

it was a tesco truck and two cars i saw it from the foot bridge

triple-M

i was headin home from town to blanch yesterday evenin through the phoenix park and the traffic was backed all the way up auburn avenue then all the way down the castleknock road right into the phoenix park upto nearly as far as the popes cross total time from city to blanch was just over 2hrs I actually got to hear the 5pm 6pm and 7pm news on the radio

Heroditas

Big difference this morning going inbound between the M50 roundabout and the Auburn Avenue roundabout - the inbound traffic is now diverted onto the new stretch of road that cuts down below the old lanes.

Random

Traffic inbound now has the 2 lanes up past total fitness which breaks into 3 lanes on the M50 roundabout. It's much safer now with one dedicated lane for turning right (toward M50 South) and then the middle lane to go either way, with the left lane for straight on.

It's a nice little smooth road too once you get past the sudden sharp turn/dip between the M50 roundabout and the travel lodge.

ciaran75

new temporary road in place coming off m50 northbound.
must be start working on new flyover shortly.

thehomeofDob

So how is this coming along? Any word on what time it'll be finished at?

Davy

thehomeofDob wrote: »

So how is this coming along? Any word on what time it'll be finished at?

Oct 2010 is the finishing time. They are doing a lot of work between the main roundabout and the auburn roundabout. Half the bridge sections are in place.

Random

they've really gotta do something with the road as you pass total fitness eastbound and just get onto the m50 junction roundabout. there's 3 lanes which merge into a sliproad and 3 lanes .. but the roads markets are beyond confusing. the road signs also don't help the issue one bit as both sides of the road seem to suggest different things with the signs.

does anyone know when the n3 / auburn roundabout will be gone? i notice it looks almost flat at this stage and they've started digging up the concrete between the big roundabout and the mini one too.

Heroditas

Auburn roundabout is due to be completely gone and that junction changed into a crossroads by the end of February according to M50Mgt on the M50 thread.

I have to say that there is a fantastic improvement on the N3 outbound to the M50 roundabout in the evenings in the last couple of months. The longest it's taken me from Ashtown roundabout to get onto the M50 has been 10 minutes. Typically it takes me 3-4mins most evenings at 5pm.
Beforehand, that journey could easily take 30mins.

Can't wait until the new slip roads exiting the M50 northbound to join the N3 are finished - that should help ease the congestion causing the traffic exiting onto the N3 backing up as far as the toll bridge many mornings.

Random

the mini roundabout at the bottom of auburn is being replaced by lights too is it?

Heroditas

Random wrote: »

the mini roundabout at the bottom of auburn is being replaced by lights too is it?

No idea, sorry.

Jip

Heroditas wrote: »

The longest it's taken me from Ashtown roundabout to get onto the M50 has been 10 minutes.

You've been very lucky so, 10 minutes would have been seen as a good time, it would sometime takes over 20 minutes on a bad evening.

Heroditas

Jip wrote: »

You've been very lucky so, 10 minutes would have been seen as a good time, it would sometime takes over 20 minutes on a bad evening.

Ah this is since last October.
Prior to that, I used to avoid the N3 altogether because it was so bad. I was quicker going home via Strawberry Beds

Zamboni

Random wrote: »

they've really gotta do something with the road as you pass total fitness eastbound and just get onto the m50 junction roundabout. there's 3 lanes which merge into a sliproad and 3 lanes .. but the roads markets are beyond confusing. the road signs also don't help the issue one bit as both sides of the road seem to suggest different things with the signs.

It's just as bad trying to get southbound on the M50 from the N3 in the evenings.
As you hit the roundabout you have the right lane and middle lane all going southbound. You then have a situation where traffic merges on the actual roundabout as everyone that was in the right lane on the N3 tries to get into the middle lane on the roundabout for the 3rd exit.
You then end up with 3 lanes of traffic trying to get off at the 3rd exit which results in all forms of hilarity and danger...

daymobrew

Zamboni wrote: »

You then end up with 3 lanes of traffic trying to get off at the 3rd exit which results in all forms of hilarity and danger...

I was in the right lane once and no one would let me merge left so I had to go around the roundabout again. Bloody annoying.

Heroditas

Random wrote: »

they've really gotta do something with the road as you pass total fitness eastbound and just get onto the m50 junction roundabout. there's 3 lanes which merge into a sliproad and 3 lanes .. but the roads markets are beyond confusing. the road signs also don't help the issue one bit as both sides of the road seem to suggest different things with the signs.

I experienced that today!
I was in the leftmost lane as we hit the M50 roundabout yet three cars in the second lane decided to drift straight into my lane.
I was very lucky to avoid one of them coming straight in on top of me.

The road markings are appalling.

Stark

As far as I know, the correct movement is for cars in the middle lane from the N3 inbound to move over to the outermost lane on the roundabout while the cars from the left lane take the M50 NB on ramp. Then the cars coming from the right lane go to the middle lane as there are hashed road markings stopping you from going from right lane to innermost lane on roundabout. It should be fairly straightforward but there's a tendency for cars to go from middle lane to middle lane squeezing you into the innermost lane.

Zamboni

Stark wrote: »

As far as I know, the correct movement is for cars in the middle lane from the N3 inbound to move over to the outermost lane on the roundabout while the cars from the left lane take the M50 NB on ramp. Then the cars coming from the right lane go to the middle lane as there are hashed road markings stopping you from going from right lane to innermost lane on roundabout. It should be fairly straightforward but there's a tendency for cars to go from middle lane to middle lane squeezing you into the innermost lane.

I agree but this cannot happen at the moment as the there is only one lane left at the exit (instead of two that merge). Which essentially means the middle lane is the best place to be from the interchange until you're on the M50.
As people realise this the middle lane queue has become longer.
When people see a shorter queue in the right hand lane, they dive up thinking they are getting an advantage, hence people in the middle lane are reluctant to let the merge on the roundabout.
Can't wait until it gets back to some form of normality!

Random

i don't suppose anyone knows of a google maps type website which would have relatively up to date aerial / satellite photos of the junction?

thanks

Davy

Random wrote: »

i don't suppose anyone knows of a google maps type website which would have relatively up to date aerial / satellite photos of the junction?

thanks

Their is open street map but its far from perfect

mackerski

Davy wrote: »

Their is open street map but its far from perfect

OSM has no aerial imagery, which is what was requested, but what errors are you aware of in the mapping of this junction? (I mapped it, you see...)