And so it begins........North Strand Road

alentejo

Dublin City Council (DCC) resurfaced North Strand Road in early 2008. The road surface prior to this was in bits. Uneven surface, ducting works over the years which were collapsing resulting in potholes, painted lines which were well worn. From a cycling point of view it was dangerous - Instead of keeping an eye out for traffic etc, you were constantly looking at the road to avoid putting your bike into pothole.

Like most of Dublin's Streets in the city center, the street had lots of cable and ducting work carried out over the years with several contractors getting permits to dug ducts and reinstate them. However, the reinstated surface never seemed to be as good quality as the original surface which left the road surface bumpy and looking like some scarred surgery gone wrong after a short time.

Lowe and behold, DCC resurfaced this road in 2008 to a very good standard with very clear road markings. Cycling on this stretch was made much easier, could now finally concentrate on looking out for traffic (which is a tricky enough task in its self!).

Over the past few weeks, some contractor (NTL possibly) have started digging some trenches on this road with the usual temporary surface filled in. No doubt, in 2/3 months time a more permanent surface will be filled in and in 2/3 years this too will result in potholes etc.

Do all streets in Dublin have to be dug up all the time. From a cycling perspective, the street surfaces are the Biggest challenge in my daily commute. Sorry for the rant, but give North Strand Road 5 years and the street surface will be in bits.

Gavin

Absolutely beats me why DCC don't simply install large ducting underneath the roads and then rent access to this duct, or even just give it free to the various cabling people.

Hermy

Gavin wrote: »

Absolutely beats me why DCC don't simply install large ducting underneath the roads and then rent access to this duct, or even just give it free to the various cabling people.

This just reeks of common sense which isn't allowed under DCC regs...:o

Mena

Gavin wrote: »

Absolutely beats me why DCC don't simply install large ducting underneath the roads and then rent access to this duct, or even just give it free to the various cabling people.

They have such ducts in a lot of places... good luck getting them to agree to let you use one... Been there done that and have the scars left over

RobAMerc

they seriously need to have someone inspect the quality of the work done on the road and fineing the people who make an arse of it.

some of the repair works are a absolute joke - I am saying this as a cyclist and a particularly as a paying (extortionate amounts) road tax motorist.

penexpers

Sigh, for the last time, you don't pay road tax, you pay motor tax.

Enduro

penexpers wrote: »

for the last time

I doubt it:D

BostonB

RobAMerc wrote: »

they seriously need to have someone inspect the quality of the work done on the road and fineing the people who make an arse of it.

some of the repair works are a absolute joke - I am saying this as a cyclist and a particularly as a paying (extortionate amounts) road tax motorist.

Thats the solution right there.

Limestone1

RobAMerc wrote: »

they seriously need to have someone inspect the quality of the work done on the road and fineing the people who make an arse of it.

.

They do. Each area has an inspector who has to 'accept' the works after a utility has dug up a road and reinstated it. If the quality is not up to scratch then the utility is generally forced to redo the reinstatement. Until the works are accepted by the council, the utility is responsible for maintaining that piece of road.

Turbulent Bill

Gavin wrote: »

Absolutely beats me why DCC don't simply install large ducting underneath the roads and then rent access to this duct, or even just give it free to the various cabling people.

I think Sweden has a system like this. From what I remember they also only allow duct entry/exits at certain points so the contractors can't make Swiss cheese of the ducts, leaving potholes at street level in their wake.

fletch

Also can't understand why they don't put a gritted surface on manhole covers???

petethedrummer

As of this morning, Dublin Bus are offering a new convertible bus service on the North Strand Road (see details below):

Chips Lovell

What did it hit?

Raam

If only we knew of some hack who could write an article highlighting the woes of a commuting cyclist...

Killgore Trout

Looks too clean for a hit - the roof would be crumpled. not knowing the story it looks like the roof was cut off. Who could do that? The fire brigade. Why? now thats what i'm wondering now.

Chips Lovell

I'm wondering if he took a side street down there and hit one of those low bridges.

Killgore Trout

Okay - i take it back. http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhsnqlqleysn/


But i'm still guessing the bus was bet into the tree and the roof was cut off

spurious

Some entanglement with a tree apparently.

petethedrummer

I didn't see it happening but it hit a tree. There was a small amount of bark removed from the tree. Which you can just about see if you look closely.

The buses are always hitting branches along there, I wonder did the tree shift position or something cos he was within the lane. Do trees move?

Gavin

petethedrummer wrote: »

I didn't see it happening but it hit a tree. There was a small amount of bark removed from the tree. Which you can just about see if you look closely.

The buses are always hitting branches along there, I wonder did the tree shift position or something cos he was within the lane. Do trees move?

Could have been an Ent who got pissed off

dubmess

Look how narrow that lane is... he was right against the curb. You can see where it hit the tree clearly in the second pic, he was almost driving on the path.