TII Motorway Service Areas (MSA) Progress Thread

redtelephone

STIG83 wrote: »

Carlow and Kildare border would be Castledermot.
Only reason I ask is for tourists who visit here every year and wouldn't know where the counties start and end.

I def remember seeing a sign for Kilkenny, as it had it's motto: "open your heart to it" on it.
Have emailed NRA about it and still waiting for reply.

The Carlow Kildare border is about 3.5km south of Junction 4 (Castledermot) on the M9. It should be possible for the NRA to put the Carlow and Kildare county signs right at the border, and I'm wondering why they haven't done that.
https://goo.gl/maps/VoCbF

linny

STIG83 wrote: »

I posted this in another thread but got no reply, hopefully it ok to post it here:

I drive M9 motorway a lot to Kildare. Something I notice is the lack of county border signs, Carlow have one southbound and Kildare have one northbound.
Kilkenny had one southbound but don't see it anymore?

Can someone shed light on this?

seen an article in the Kilkenny people this week that the NRA has agreed to put up county signs for Kilkenny on the m9

STIG83

linny wrote: »

seen an article in the Kilkenny people this week that the NRA has agreed to put up county signs for Kilkenny on the m9

Link?

jd

Gantries/signage up for (not yet open) service station north of Gorey on the N11

hi5

Do both offline and online services get blue signs, or are offline signs brown?

BoatMad

offline get low key brown, the differences in signage for the Cullinmore and Gorey are remarkable !

Schadenfreudia

BoatMad wrote: »

offline get low key brown, the differences in signage for the Cullinmore and Gorey are remarkable !

Pity the difference between the brown signs for just offline (like Cullinmore etc) and "the nearest village" isn't as clear!

BoatMad

Schadenfreudia wrote: »

Pity the difference between the brown signs for just offline (like Cullinmore etc) and "the nearest village" isn't as clear!

In my view private service stations built to serve motorways should be provided with similar signage to NRA service stations.

Given the spat between Applegreen and the NRA , can't see that happening !!

marmurr1916

BoatMad wrote: »

In my view private service stations built to serve motorways should be provided with similar signage to NRA service stations.

Given the spat between Applegreen and the NRA , can't see that happening !!

It's a pity that they can't come to an arrangement whereby the private MSAs meet minimum standards in return for enhanced sign posting.

I'd like to see the NRA come to an agreement with the owners of private MSAs to sign post them as extensively as the NRA MSAs in return for the provision of minimum service levels, to be specified and agreed between the NRA and the private MSAs.

I've no doubt that most of the private MSAs would easily meet the same standards as the NRA MSAs already. Those that don't could be improved.

Such an arrangement would facilitate choice and convenience and save the NRA some money too.

Any private MSA that didn't come up to scratch could be penalised with fines (set out in the contract) with the ultimate sanction of the termination of the agreement and the removal of the enhanced signage at the expense of the private MSA's owners.

flazio

Fining is a bit heavy handed isn't it? At the end of the day people will vote with their feet (or tyres as the case may be) if somewhere is substandard drive on to the next place. Take down the signs if it is poor but don't go hitting the business in the pocket. it'll be the poor employees that'll feel it worst.

Reuben1210

Well the applegreen MSA at cullenmore on the M11 is at the same standard as the other applegreen msa's on the motorway network, and still doesn't get the same signs....just brown ones...I don't think that is fair, considering the investment was in the region of €7m for a great facility!!

Schadenfreudia

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Well the applegreen MSA at cullenmore on the M11 is at the same standard as the other applegreen msa's on the motorway network, and still doesn't get the same signs....just brown ones...I don't think that is fair, considering the investment was in the region of €7m for a great facility!!

I suppose the problem is it hasn't got a dedicated junction so the gantry is already taken?

pajoguy

Planning is being applied for off line services at Junction 11(Dromoland) on the M18. Plenty of objections in from local businesses and the NRA also have a submission in. Its located where the old compound was for the construction of that road.

loyatemu

Schadenfreudia wrote: »

I suppose the problem is it hasn't got a dedicated junction so the gantry is already taken?

To all intents and purposes it does have a dedicated junction, there's virtually nothing else at Cullenmore.

Reuben1210

that's what I mean...it is pretty unique in that way, and maybe should be given exception?

Schadenfreudia

loyatemu wrote: »

To all intents and purposes it does have a dedicated junction, there's virtually nothing else at Cullenmore.

It is the exit point for non-motorway traffic heading south or joining the N11 heading north.

munchkin_utd

Schadenfreudia wrote: »

It is the exit point for non-motorway traffic heading south or joining the N11 heading north.

useful to know, but essentially only tractors, and even then, my only time to use that road recently I turned off at Cullenmore and the tractor laden with hay ploughed on down the motorway.

Junctions not serving a town, urban population or destination of any kind like Cullenmore are the perfect place for an unofficial MSA.
J3 M8 Manor Stone services would be the similar, abeit that is a moderately busy junction on local through traffic and quarry traffic.
But again, it doesnt really serve any town as Abbeyleix/Durrow traffic towards Dublin would be as quick to goto Portlaoise on the old road (not to mention saving a toll), so it is also essentially a rural junction serving next to no population with no prospect of that ever changing and a perfect place to locate an offline MSA.

Schadenfreudia

munchkin_utd wrote: »

useful to know, but essentially only tractors, and even then, my only time to use that road recently I turned off at Cullenmore and the tractor laden with hay ploughed on down the motorway.

The short stretch of M11 betweens Coynes and Wicklow is notorious from non-motorway traffic (including cyclists).

Never seen a tractor or bike pulled over. Maybe when it's continuous all the way to Gorey they'll clamp down on tractors

Reuben1210

Does anyone here have any useful info or news on whether after the motorway to oilgate is completed sometime circa 2018, that the stretch of low quality DC between bray and coynes cross is earmarked to be upgraded, and even a third lane added as far south as kilmacanogue or glen of the downs, as the traffic levels there are now way over the limit of what that road was designed to take, and will only get worse..?? (I can't find the most recent report on this, but it is out there)

spacetweek

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Does anyone here have any useful info or news on whether after the motorway to oilgate is completed sometime circa 2018, that the stretch of low quality DC between bray and coynes cross is earmarked to be upgraded, and even a third lane added as far south as kilmacanogue or glen of the downs, as the traffic levels there are now way over the limit of what that road was designed to take, and will only get worse..?? (I can't find the most recent report on this, but it is out there)

Wicklow CC did a report a few years ago but there is no concrete plan or funding. Yes, traffic is very high and even if they can't make it into a motorway they can at least widen it to 6 lanes.

loyatemu

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Does anyone here have any useful info or news on whether after the motorway to oilgate is completed sometime circa 2018, that the stretch of low quality DC between bray and coynes cross is earmarked to be upgraded, and even a third lane added as far south as kilmacanogue or glen of the downs, as the traffic levels there are now way over the limit of what that road was designed to take, and will only get worse..?? (I can't find the most recent report on this, but it is out there)

In fairness it's only really low quality between Bray and Kilmac. Beyond there they could do with closing a few extraneous junctions but the road is pretty good.

The Newtown Bypass and Coynes Cross sections are motorway standard - I assume the only reason it hasn't been redesignated is because the back road between Newtown and Ashford is very narrow.

Reuben1210

loyatemu wrote: »

In fairness it's only really low quality between Bray and Kilmac. Beyond there they could do with closing a few extraneous junctions but the road is pretty good.

The Newtown Bypass and Coynes Cross sections are motorway standard - I assume the only reason it hasn't been redesignated is because the back road between Newtown and Ashford is very narrow.

Also,
is it not a European directive that this route E01 must be motorway standard?

Carawaystick

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Also,
is it not a European directive that this route E01 must be motorway standard?

E routes are a UN thing, so no directive. Also the N1 from Ballymascanlon to the Armagh border is non-motorway and only recently built.

rameire

seems like not much has been going on lately on the M9 just after Kilcullen.
but
they are just completing the final layer on the last slip road, so that would be all the slip roads done.
they have spread alot of top soil and are near t completion on the tidy up side.
barriers are 95% complete on the main line.
all they need to worry about now are the actual services.

Reuben1210

rameire wrote: »

seems like not much has been going on lately on the M9 just after Kilcullen.
but
they are just completing the final layer on the last slip road, so that would be all the slip roads done.
they have spread alot of top soil and are near t completion on the tidy up side.
barriers are 95% complete on the main line.
all they need to worry about now are the actual services.

Do you have any [ictures of the progress? are they going to be as good quality as an online facility, like the M11 service area in Wicklow? or more like Cahir?

rameire

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Do you have any [ictures of the progress? are they going to be as good quality as an online facility, like the M11 service area in Wicklow? or more like Cahir?

ill have to check the wife's dash cam, that's all I would have.

BoatMad

loyatemu wrote: »

In fairness it's only really low quality between Bray and Kilmac. Beyond there they could do with closing a few extraneous junctions but the road is pretty good.

The Newtown Bypass and Coynes Cross sections are motorway standard - I assume the only reason it hasn't been redesignated is because the back road between Newtown and Ashford is very narrow.

true , but the anomalies of various speed limits on some sections of the N11 /M11 need to be looked at

A camera van for example was situated for several days at the 100kmh section which runs about 500 metres from the end of the roadwork to the arklow exit , which then magically becomes a motorway , this nonsense needs to end

jd

BoatMad wrote: »

true , but the anomalies of various speed limits on some sections of the N11 /M11 need to be looked at

A camera van for example was situated for several days at the 100kmh section which runs about 500 metres from the end of the roadwork to the arklow exit , which then magically becomes a motorway , this nonsense needs to end

This all off topic, but it's 100 there because of the Lilos for Arklow rugby club, think there have been a few accidents there.
https://www.google.ie/maps/@52.831994,-6.126427,3a,75y,129.01h,67.53t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdrQKZeNrhKP43fLpwvSnlw!2e0?hl=en
Anyway, they will be closed off and Coynes Cross to south of Gorey will be all motorway in August, with Gorey - Oylegate motorway by 2018. A motorway always starts at an exit, so vehicles/bicycles/drivers not permitted on the motorway may take an alternative route. The north end of the dual carriageway around Arklow does not start with a junction, so the motorway cannot start there, the next junctions are the Lilos, so can't start there, hence motorway starts at the junction you mentioned.

spacetweek

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Also,
is it not a European directive that this route E01 must be motorway standard?

Seems to be frequently misquoted. There's an EU directive that Euroroutes 'should' be motorways if possible but they're still subject to case-by-case study.

Carawaystick

jd wrote: »

This all off topic, but it's 100 there because of the Lilos for Arklow rugby club, think there have been a few accidents there.

There are no collisions reported at those junctions according to the map on the rsa website
http://rsa.ie/RSA/Road-Safety/Our-Research/Ireland-Road-Collisions/

The road is 100 because WCC never applied to increase the speed limit on the dual carriageway section.


The speed cameras are there because the gards and rsa allow an overly long "risk zone" where there have been accidents, and roll up incidents where Joy riders killed people and murders with "normal" RTA's

But we've digressed now from the thread's point a lot.