M1 New Section of D3 (three lanes) at Swords

cargo

sdeire wrote: »

Absent mindedness on my part, completely forgot about the section from the bridge to Lissenhall - short but still a separate job most likely. My Ireland comment refers to the fact that nothing ever seems to run to schedule.

One thing about this job - rather than pay one crew (or one contractor, as the case may be) to do 3 different sections/phases, why not pay three crews to do them all at once? Wouldn't this work out at the same cost, or is this a rather simplistic view?

Wondered about this too and I assume it's something to do with traffic management although I cant really see any difference between doing all the mainline at once or in 3 phases except for the tie-in period. Perhaps it's just down to the economics for the contractor. Less staff / machinery to hire in?

They seem to be getting stuck in to the section between the 2 bridges now. Good bit of digging going on there currently.

Carawaystick

Going from s-n through Lissenhall junction on the r132 has been redirected onto a new straighter through section on the southern side

On the m1n the median concrete machine was back and reinforcing steel wires laid from the current northern end of the barrier to where the Tarmac courses end

cargo

Carawaystick wrote: »

On the m1n the median concrete machine was back and reinforcing steel wires laid from the current northern end of the barrier to where the Tarmac courses end

Is that just the 20m or so that they left behind last time? If so I would have thought they'd have waited to finish that when the next section was been done

Irish and Proud

Serious activity now apparent on Cam #112 (DCC's Traffic Cam Page)! Also, the median on the final stretch of M1 towards Lissenhall appears to lined with cones (Cam #113) - I'd say we'll be seeing Armco barriers there pretty soon after which the bulldozers shouldn't be long arriving.

At Lissenhall, there's tar down on the cut-through links within both the North and South Roundabouts as well as at least one of the tunnel structures for the cycle underpasses to be seen (I saw the one for the M1 North off-ramp).

Regards!

cargo

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Serious activity now apparent on Cam #112 (DCC's Traffic Cam Page)! Also, the median on the final stretch of M1 towards Lissenhall appears to lined with cones (Cam #113) - I'd say we'll be seeing Armco barriers there pretty soon after which the bulldozers shouldn't be long arriving.

At Lissenhall, there's tar down on the cut-through links within both the North and South Roundabouts as well as at least one of the tunnel structures for the cycle underpasses to be seen (I saw the one for the M1 North off-ramp).

Regards!

On the mainline they seem to be tidying up the centre median to allow for proper surfacing to be laid down (as in the cam feed linked above). It's a bit slower than normal though as they have so little room to store spoil, which in turn they use to pack out between the two concrete barriers. They havent done a whole lot on the little section they started between the two bridges. Perhaps they are leaving this section until the start works on the final mainline section.

I'd imagine we'll see a lot of final grading material and then a line of truck (tar) in the next few days along here.

cargo

As I thought above, loads of levelling material gone in this week for both NB & SB lanes. Steel / timber level markers for the planner machines have been erected also so I imagine we'll see tar on these lanes next week.

They seem to have just used the small section they started into between the 2 bridges as a storage area for excess soil. This will most likely be place in between the barriers once constructed.

I've noticed they have used used 2 finish types on the barrier in-fill on the 2 sections completed to date. The 1st section of upgrade has a stone finish with a few bushes planted at the edges right beside the concrete barrier and the bit of hte 2nd section completed to date have an all soil finish with grass seeds. Bit unusual to see these side-by-side as the same construction guys did both sections and now they will need difference maintenance going forward.

Carawaystick

A load of tarmac gone down today ( southbound I think), there was about a dozen lorries lined up to deliver tarmac at 8:10am

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera112.jpg

cargo

Good stuff. Shouldnt take them long to finish SB & NB with tar then move in the barrier machine. However we wont be seeing any benefits until the full mainline is finished and they open it.

I went through the junction overhead one day last week (actually only Swords to M1-NB). There still seems to be loads of work to be done up there. I saw some of the underpasses in place but a lot of work still needed finishing around them.

Irish and Proud

Carawaystick wrote: »

A load of tarmac gone down today ( southbound I think), there was about a dozen lorries lined up to deliver tarmac at 8:10am

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera112.jpg

Just been through there NB and indeed, there is a lot of activity in the median. I can also see plenty of evidence on the traffic cam.

celticbest

cargo wrote: »

Good stuff. Shouldnt take them long to finish SB & NB with tar then move in the barrier machine. However we wont be seeing any benefits until the full mainline is finished and they open it.

If this upgrade follows the same path as the first upgraded section then they will also resurface Lanes 1 & 2, this could cause a bit of agro while being done, if memory serves me correctly they split the lanes at stages - Lanes 1 & 3 open to traffic and lane 2 closed for resurfacing etc.

It will be interesting to see if they do the same again or if they just tie into the existing surface.

cargo

celticbest wrote: »

If this upgrade follows the same path as the first upgraded section then they will also resurface Lanes 1 & 2, this could cause a bit of agro while being done, if memory serves me correctly they split the lanes at stages - Lanes 1 & 3 open to traffic and lane 2 closed for resurfacing etc.

It will be interesting to see if they do the same again or if they just tie into the existing surface.

Yeah they've left the final few cm of top wearing surface off for now on the bits of this second stage they have completed so it looks like they will be going back and ripping up L1 & L2 and putting a new surface down there also. Although maybe they just left the wearing course off while they were travelling with heavy machinery on it but I'd take a guess that they will do L1/2 also.

cargo

Tar down on about 85% NB & SB so that'll be finished up today or tomorrow.

Has anyone any updates on the junction works? Are any of the slip works nearing completion or are any of the temp diversions ready to revert yet? Are all the cycle underpasses in place? Any photos?

celticbest

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera112.jpg

Looks like good progress is being made alright.

Underpass seems to be progressing well at the top of J4 off the M1NB. Will try to get some pics this evening if I get stopped at the right spot (all depends on the lights).....

Irish and Proud

celticbest wrote: »

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera112.jpg

<snip>

As of now (12:30pm snapshot - 25/07/2012), the second layer of tarmac appears to be going in - see bottom left of image...

...me thinks the RCB will soon follow!

celticbest

Irish and Proud wrote: »

As of now (12:30pm snapshot - 25/07/2012), the second layer of tarmac appears to be going in - see bottom left of image...

...me thinks the RCB will soon follow!

Plenty of lorries lined up, I'd say they'll complete a good stretch today by the looks of it.

celticbest

Underpass progress at the top of J4 off ramp on the M1NB,

Carawaystick

There's a similar underpass at the corner of the R132N->M1N where the slip is diverted. There was a roller compressing the fill at the underpass Celticbest posted yesterday.

This morning there was a seal of tar all along the join between the Jersey barrier SB and the road, down to the 3 lane section at Drynam, like they were gonna surface the entire new section up to wearing course.

Bluetonic

M1 north bound after J3 for a few 100 meters on the new lane 3 is after having it's solid white line painted today. This is the line which divides it from the central median.

I wonder are they going to fast track a few 100 meters and have it open before September when the roads get busy again in the hope that it reduces congestion and accidents at J3.

The full width of lane 3 isn't actually complete as it does not join lane 2 yet (there's an inch of two height different for a few feet). Presumably a complete tar over of lane 1 and 3 will join it to 3.

Carawaystick

The M1S has the new lane open from about the malahide road south, ie the first section of widening. Only the 2 lanes nearest the median are open, but the centre lane has been relaid so the the left lane/shoulder shuld be done soon

The surface is bumpy, lots of Tarmac droppings in the new lane, whether they'll wear away quickly or not

Irish and Proud

Carawaystick wrote: »

The M1S has the new lane open from about the malahide road south, ie the first section of widening. Only the 2 lanes nearest the median are open, but the centre lane has been relaid so the the left lane/shoulder shuld be done soon

The surface is bumpy, lots of Tarmac droppings in the new lane, whether they'll wear away quickly or not

I've just been down that way myself (both NB & SB) and the new lanes 2 & 3 are open (new surface) both ways (on the most advanced section). While the surface is not totally even, I'd disagree that it's bumpy - well at least Lane 2. Glad that they appear to be resurfacing the whole thing.

Good progress IMO!

Irish and Proud

One thing that I forgot to mention is that the lane configuration Northbound has been changed. The left lane tapers off instead of the right lane and does so immediately after Jct 3 as per Traffic Cam #111 on the DCC live traffic page. I first found that out today while driving - it is pretty clearly signed though.

Regards!

sgarvan

And they seem to be laying another layer of tar down to the estuary bridge at the moment

cargo

sgarvan wrote: »

And they seem to be laying another layer of tar down to the estuary bridge at the moment

They were finishing off laying the final wearing layer SB from the Estuary bridge this am and the central barrier machine had landed on-site so the barrier should be in place before the weekend.

The were also unloading a lot of drainage piping and concrete drainage stuff off into the hardshoulder SB this am. It looks like they are going to start installing drainage upgrades inside the hardshoulder on the latest section they have done hence the move of the running lanes onto the new section over the weekend.

cargo

Anyone along this route today? Have they started laying the barrier SB yet?

Traffic was quite slow at 18:15 NB yesterday where the "inside" lane tapered into the "outer" lanes but picked up quickly once past that. Hopefully this will speed up a little once the regular commuters get used to the new layout.

Carawaystick

cargo wrote: »

Anyone along this route today? Have they started laying the barrier SB yet?

They started yesterday, had about 80m done as I passed ~17:30

The Swordsman

Even though I only live a couple of miles away, I hadn't been down near the Lissenhall interchange for a while until a few days ago and I wasn't aware that it was being upgraded (and has been for a while).

One quick question. Will it be freeflow or will it continue to be signal controlled?

BTW, I've always wondered why the layout of the intersection (ie the two roundabouts etc) is that way. It seems a little overcomplicated for what it does i.e. an exit for Donabate and Lusk/Rush in one direction and Swords North in another direction.

Carawaystick

Well, if you had one Roundabout, you'ld need 2 bridges over the M1, or have closed off the individual roundabouts at the bridge end to make one big dog-bone-shaped roundabout.

It is going to be traffic light controlled, with more lanes and less conflicting movements, allowing a higher throughput. Hearse Road-M1S will be freeflow and M1N-R132S also

I can't see why the R132N-M1N isn't freeflow, maybe it will be when the design is done

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Files/Roads/L131133GA.pdf

Irish and Proud

Carawaystick wrote: »

cargo wrote: »

Anyone along this route today? Have they started laying the barrier SB yet?

They started yesterday, had about 80m done as I passed ~17:30

The RCB can now be seen progressing Southwards along the SB carriageway as per DCC Traffic Cam #112. Great to see such progress - the contractors certainly seem to be making good use of the little bit of good weather we're getting ATM.

:):)

celticbest

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera112.jpg

Irish and Proud wrote: »

The RCB can now be seen progressing Southwards along the SB carriageway as per DCC Traffic Cam #112. Great to see such progress - the contractors certainly seem to be making good use of the little bit of good weather we're getting ATM.

:):)

Even with the weather not looking so great today they still seem to have laid about 20 meters already today.

cargo

I wouldnt say the weather is as important for the RCB as the road layers.

There is now a full set of ducting along with the drainage ones I mentioned above in the hard shoulder SB, telco, electricity etc. I imagine the move onto the new lanes will be for quite a while as there's a fair bit of digging etc to get all those installed.