Kilkenny / Waterford Motorway opening?

MassDeb8r

Hey.

I was just wondering if anyone knew when the N9 was opening between Kilkenny and Waterford. I know the weather has been dire lately but they don't seem to be doing a lot on it. The road signs say it will open in Spring 2009, doubt that !!

alpha2zulu

The sooner the better, that drive has to be one of the most stressful primary route drives in the country at the moment between tractors, trucks and locals dithering around at 50-60kph for miles at a time.
I'm making the trip every day at the moment and I just hope theres not another fatality on the Waterford -Knocktopher section before the M9 opens.
Some of the overtaking heading into the bend approaching the Ballyhale railway bridge from the Waterford side nearly makes me look away.

road_high

It's two years since contruction started. After an initial year of good progress, the past year has been very leisurely indeed with no real push on to get the road open, which is a great pity considering the standard of the existing N9.
This project has been discussed at length over on the Infrastructure forum if anybody is interested.

road_high

Seems to be August/Sept the stretch from Knocktopher to Waterford will finally open in tandem with the Waterford bypass.

On the Kildare side of things I reckon the stretch between Casteldermot and Kilcullen will also open before years end. So the journey time between KK and Dublin will be greatly reduced

There is huge work going on around the city here too,the stretch from Knocktopher to the Carlow bypass. The road is practically all excavated at this stage and most of the bridges and flyovers are in place. Hopefullu things will go even quicker now with fine weather..

G_R

have a loo at the 'infrastructure' and 'commuting and transport' threads there is loads of info bout this there.

MassDeb8r

Hi,

I e-mailed the county council today and the answer I got was below, so now we know!!

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From Knocktopher to Waterford will probably open in Sept this year while the rest should open in the 3rd quarter of 2010.



*** ******

Project Coordinator

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Original Message

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From: *************
Sent: 23 March 2009 08:28
To: NRO
Subject: Kilkenny / Waterford

Hi,

I was just wondering if you knew when the new motorway was opening between Kilkenny and Waterford.

Thanks,

*******

This message is intended only for the use of the person(s) ("the intended recipient(s)") to whom it is addressed. It may contain information which is privileged and confidential within the meaning of applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender as soon as possible. The views expressed in this communication may not necessarily be the views held by Kilkenny County Council.

road_high

In line with the Waterford bypass as people were saying. Would take the second date with a pinch of salt. I can't see it dragging on that long..

road_high

Lots of road closures/road works throughout the county as the M9/10 works progress further. Works out the Carlow road 1st April onwards (must be putting up the beams for the N10 link road flyover);

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/RSS_Roads_Notices/

road_high

Great pics of the M9 and progress to date over on the Infrastructure forum if anybody is interested...

road_high

Looks like the section between Carlow and Kilcullen will be next to open, in the Autumn probably, no more Castledermot after then

There is an awful lot of activity going on between Kilkenny and Paulstown/Leighlinbridge too so that should not be very long either.

Stephen

Carlow-Dublin commuters will be celebrating. Death to Castledermot :pac:

catbear

Stephen wrote: »

Carlow-Dublin commuters will be celebrating. Death to Castledermot :pac:

sorry castledermot, but amen to that.

road_high

Stephen wrote: »

Carlow-Dublin commuters will be celebrating. Death to Castledermot :pac:

....and me too. Can be very hard to get onto the Baltinglass road at rush hour.
Should be a roundabout at that junction.
And the journey between KK and Dublin will be cut significantly. Motorway all the way from after Leighlinbridge to Dublin. Then from Kilkenny itself soon after that opens.

jiggajt

I think a fair prediction would be that the entire M9 will be finished around this time next year. I work in this industry and i feel making predictions on early openings can be a dangerous game. For instance, the carlow bypass was finished and handed over to the council and it was another 3 months before they got their act together and opened it.
I commute to Dublin alot and i cant wait until they're finished. I might even buy a new car to celebrate!

PhilipMarlowe

jiggajt wrote: »

I commute to Dublin alot and i cant wait until they're finished. I might even buy a new car to celebrate!

Make sure it has cruise control!

road_high

The link road in Paulstown is really taking shape the past few days. There will be roundabouts linking to the existing N9 and N10 to the new motorway. One of 6 junctions on the M9 in Co. Kilkenny. A lot of other counties will be looking very enviously at our road network over the next few years. Makes a pleasant change from what we have had over the years .

zootroid

Well going to Dublin or Waterford will be fine obviously, but there still needs to be major improvements on the other approach roads. The road to Clonmel is a joke, and even dangerous in places. The road north of the city to Portlaoise/Athy could also do with being widened and straightened. Still, will be happy enough with the M9, will make getting to Dublin a lot easier

road_high

I agree re the N77 Portlaoise road, much of it is abysmal. There have been lots of plans to upgrade it but it has never been high up the pecking order unfortunately.
The Athy road beyond the junction with the N77 at Henebrys Cross will most definitely not see any upgrading except for minor works. The M9 has and will taken thevast majority of traffic off it and it is now a quite enough secondary route.

As the N76 to Clonmel, it is not great in parts alright but as national secondaries go it is not the worst by any means. There are a good few wide straight stretches and Callan is bypassed. It will not be a priority either.

road_high

A lot of those dumper truck guys could do with a lesson in manners on the road in my opinion. They are very busy on the Kilkenny-Leighlinbridge section now. While a lot of them are very couteous and pull into the hard shoulder to let you off if you are stuck behind, others just hog the road at 45-50 mph spraying you with muck, grit and dirt :mad:.
I know they are not obliged to pull into the hard shoulder at all to let you off but in fairness it is not a hugr safety risk as much of the road is quite wide,straight with a good hard shoulder in place.
I have noticed this in particular the past few months as works have progressed further.

road_high

They have poles put up at Danefort at the approach to the new road and roundabouts, must be putting up info signs re the new road.

jiggajt

As far as i know this is how the M9 project currently stands:

Section from Kilcullen to Carlow will be complete Q4 2009. This is approximately 12 months ahead of schedule.

Section from powerstown to knocktopher incuding the danesfort junction (i.e. Junction 9 of the new M9) will not be open until well into 2010.

Section from knocktopher to waterford is pretty much finished but cant be opened until the waterford city bypass is finished which will be late this year.

However, I have been out at danesfort and have seen the progress and i reckon they might include the section between junction 9 and 10 between danesfort and knocktopher in the opening of the waterford section. This means by the end of the year it will motorway practically all the way to waterford and motorway all the way from powerstown to dublin. Cant wait!

Also mfitzy, I agree with you about the trucks. I work in Carlow and i've stopped washing my car as every time i do it just gets covered in crap again the next day when some truck pulls out in front of me at paulstown. At least when its finished i'll have a nice clean motorway to commute to work on. (Assuming i still have a job then :rolleyes:)

road_high

I'm on it most days too and it was brutal during the wet weather a few weeks ago. Now it's just really dusty. In fairness they do clean it a good bit but even still. Can't wait for it to open.
Carlow to Kilkenny in 15 mins should be easily enough done

PhilipMarlowe

Maybe at 120kph in a straight line but 15 mins is a little ambitious

road_high

Licksy wrote: »

Maybe at 120kph in a straight line but 15 mins is a little ambitious

Well personally speaking I've done from Purcellisinch to Dolmen hotel in 22 mins (I measured ) before on a clear run so I'd imagine on a motorway 15 mins should not be far off the mark. It's only a little over 20 miles like.

Bards

Licksy wrote: »

Maybe at 120kph in a straight line but 15 mins is a little ambitious

20 Miles = 32 Kms

at 120 Km/h which is 2 kms every minute, therefore it will take 16 mins to travel the 32Km

bennyob

does anyone know what section or sections are going to be tolled?

fricatus

bennyob wrote: »

does anyone know what section or sections are going to be tolled?

None of it, apart from if you use the new bridge to get to the west side of Waterford, which will be €1.90.

Rice Bridge, the one in the city centre, will continue to be free, and should also benefit from reduced traffic.

road_high

Urlingford-Cashel is a similar distance and it never seems like more than 15-20 mins on the M8; That is the luxury of a superb motorway on your doorstep.
I for one cannot wait. Kilkenny and the sth east will be boosted no end

Already see big big plans for an "Eastlink" business park in KK just linking off the new road; as a direct consequence of access to the new road.

road_high

Update from Kilkenny coco on the M9 Carlow-Knoctopher section;
http://kilkennycoco.kilkenny.ie/eng/Services/Roads/Roads_Projects/N9-N10_Kilcullen_to_Waterford_Road_Scheme/N9_N10_Powerstown_to_Waterford_Road.html

road_high

Excellent pics of the Carlow-KK and Carlow-Kilcullen section here on the Infrastructure forum and Flicker, courtesy of Munurty. Really excellent work and give a good overview of the M9/N10 as they stand at present (i.e. very advanced )

Link;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/munurty/sets/72157621907640905/

MassDeb8r

Gentlemen and ladies does anyone know when the motorway is opening ?

Will it be tolled ?

Driving to and from waterford from north kilkenny is taking 2.5 hours a day now with school back, I can't go on!!