N8/N25/N40 - Dunkettle Interchange [open to traffic]

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123071644#Comment_123071644

Where did I mention anything about speeding?

Exiled Rebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123101994#Comment_123101994

By all means explain your comment.

AugustusMinimus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123103357#Comment_123103357

I misread your post. I thought you were offering it as a solution to improving traffic flow through the Dunkettle Interchange.

EurasiaEndtoEnd

Hi all,

Living overseas and used to love taking a glance at the Dunkettle Traffic Cams to see how the project was going and also to see the weather in my hometown, Cork ! Does anyone know if the live feed is supposed to come back or is it curtains for that location? The feed went down after the big storm a few weeks ago and came back as static shots and now there is nothing to see.

Appreciate any replies.

Regards, MJC

niloc1951

I see the JLT route will be completely closed in both directions again for maintenance work this week.

I'm currently travelling in Spain where road tunnels are two a penny. I've come across quite a few where one bore is closed for maintenance with a contra flow operating in the other.

Why is this facility not used when maintenance work is required in the JLT, instead of completely closed the route and redirecting traffic through the city centre.

Leatra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342076#Comment_123342076

You'd really wonder. There's very clearly provision for it at each end of the tunnel with a break in the central median, but (per Google Streetview) that's been in-filled with wands and a plastic bump that looks semi-permanent. Yet another instance of a needlessly poor road management decision overriding the initial, well thought-out design.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342757#Comment_123342757

This is the well-thought out version of the plan. There's only seven hours of possession every night. Traffic management to set up the crossover would take about an hour, tearing it down would take another hour, so to do the 21 hours of scheduled work would require four closures, not three.

But it’s not just that: traffic along N40 is minimal at night, and these works are on the lowest-traffic nights of the week, but that also means that people tend to drive faster. Making one of the tunnel bores two way sounds like a great idea, but if there were an accident, a head-on collision inside that tunnel would be catastrophic.

The crossovers are there if a long-term closure of one bore is required (or to allow emergency services to pass the “wrong” way down the tunnel for access).

Between 2100 and 0400, using the N28 South Link/ N8 Tivoli isn’t exactly a hardship. People will live, but I suppose the likes of the Daily Mail and the Sun need to frame this as an injustice, given that there’s clearly nothing bad happening anywhere else in the world.

Chris_5339762

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342913#Comment_123342913

It was a right royal PITA last year when there were roadworks at the Elysian at night too.

I think they would contraflow if they could but if this is electrical works then I can understand just get it done.

If you look at it, all of the lighting in the tunnel are old skool fluorescent lights too, so they need to go.

niloc1951

Apart from the set up time it's also a safety factor. That makes me think I'm far safer in a Spanish or French tunnel with a contra flow in operation that in an Irish tunnel.

Also, if it really is a road safety issue how come conta flow is used in the N18 Shannon River tunnel

hans aus dtschl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123362934#Comment_123362934

The issue, as far as I remember, was to do with blowing smoke/fumes in a particular direction causing significant problems with contra flow. I don't remember the full details of this I'm afraid. All I remember is that there was a crash and the subsequent investigation concluded that contra flow was to be avoided.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123342076#Comment_123342076

There is zero value attached to additional time spent by citizens when there is roadworks, so as a consequence these are run for the convenience of the contractors etc. Divert 1000 people at €25/hour (the median salary) and there is a significant cost to people who is not mitigated.

KrisW1001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123367651#Comment_123367651

There is a calculated cost notional cost of roadworks on the economy, and it’s not zero. Travel to and from your work does not come out of your salaried employment, so what’s being lost is the opportunity cost of leisure time, not employment. The exception, of course, is people who must travel as part of their work, but they’re not the ones commuting at peak times.

The cost of works is pretty much always far higher than these notional costs to the public, so it’s better to get the roadworks done as quickly as possible rather than draw it out over a long period. Politically, this is also true: people quickly forget about two or three days of stopped traffic, but they will remember enduring weeks of slow traffic.

SL01

I haven't read through this thread in its entirety (yet!) but what I've read so far is very interesting. I travel this route every day (N25 / N40) and have experienced the myriad of issues people are talking about. I have a question - travelling westward on the N25 (after J2 Little Island) and before the exit for the Tunnel / N40, there is a gantry that looks like it was supposed to have an overhead sign, but to date, it's empty. Could this be a mistake (i.e. wasn't meant to be there in the first place) or an oversite (they forgot to install it)? It certainly looks like it should have an overhead sign and indeed one would be very useful there! (picture from Google Maps - quality not the best)

SL01

Also, one other observation that I would like people's opinion on. A number of comments here mentioned drivers changing lane in the tunnel (very dangerous of course). One thing I have noticed it that there are no "No Overtaking" regulatory signs approaching the tunnel. Granted, there are solid white lines, "Stay In Lane" markings and a VMS with the same message but I think a regulatory sign like the one picture might deter at least some drivers from lane changing. Also (and I'm no legal expert) if there were an accident due to changing lanes, the driver involved (or rather, their smart lawyer) could argue that without the "No Overtaking" regulatory sign…. etc. etc…

No Bills

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123386722#Comment_123386722

It looks like that gantry has been in place for many years. Here's a screenshot from Google Maps dated 2009:

SL01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123386763#Comment_123386763

OK, thanks. That explains it!