M1 New Section of D3 (three lanes) at Swords

Carawaystick

They were putting tarmac down north of the estuary yesterday evening.

cargo

Carawaystick wrote: »

They were putting tarmac down north of the estuary yesterday evening.

Plenty of tar been laid in the area again today. Also see diggers have moved back onto the hardshoulder to work on the services in the verge again.

cargo

They had a section of concrete median laid SB yesterday evening (section South of the southern bridge) and were completing the tar on the northern end of the works.

Still a few layers to be laid over the Estuary Bridge but they were washing it yesterday so I imagine they are ready to move onto it now. (possibly today but not passing that way to check)

I can see the mainline been open for the end of the year. I'm not sure what it's like up top of the junction though.

sgarvan

cargo wrote: »

They had a section of concrete median laid SB yesterday evening (section South of the southern bridge) and were completing the tar on the northern end of the works.

Still a few layers to be laid over the Estuary Bridge but they were washing it yesterday so I imagine they are ready to move onto it now. (possibly today but not passing that way to check)

I can see the mainline been open for the end of the year. I'm not sure what it's like up top of the junction though.

I hope the mainline is open soon as it is becoming a nightmare in the mornings there. So slow now. Taking well over 10 mins to clear from before J4 to M1/M50 junction.

cargo

sgarvan wrote: »

I hope the mainline is open soon as it is becoming a nightmare in the mornings there. So slow now. Taking well over 10 mins to clear from before J4 to M1/M50 junction.

yeah it really slowed up once they started this big push with tar. mmmh maybe it's due to me stopping in the middle of the road to check out what they've been up to

sgarvan

cargo wrote: »

yeah it really slowed up once they started this big push with tar. mmmh maybe it's due to me stopping in the middle of the road to check out what they've been up to

That would explain it because once you get paste the diggers it all moves fine.

It is nearly a case of - oh look there is a digger lets jam on the breaks, have a look, and then speed up

LFCFan

sgarvan wrote: »

have a look, and then speed up

%^*$*$% Rubberkneckers :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

celticbest

After what was good progress early last week it just looks like works have grinded to a halt again, is there no penalty in place for the project running over time?

LFCFan

Why is this upgrade taking so long? In terms of length and complication compared to the M50 upgrade it seems so much easier but it just seems to be taking a ridiculous amount of time to get it done. So sick of the delays there every morning and evening!!

antoobrien

celticbest wrote: »

After what was good progress early last week it just looks like works have grinded to a halt again, is there no penalty in place for the project running over time?

I don't go up that way much but is it possible they are doing some "hard" work that doesn't show much in the way of progress until its done.

Kumsheen

LFCFan wrote: »

Why is this upgrade taking so long? In terms of length and complication compared to the M50 upgrade it seems so much easier but it just seems to be taking a ridiculous amount of time to get it done. So sick of the delays there every morning and evening!!

It just seems to be less people working on the project than before and i also notice no work happening outside hours. Maybe it's cheaper to do it this way.

celticbest

antoobrien wrote: »

I don't go up that way much but is it possible they are doing some "hard" work that doesn't show much in the way of progress until its done.

At stages when I pass the works I don't see any work being done.... unless there all in the underpasses !!

Carawaystick

sgarvan wrote: »

That would explain it because once you get paste the diggers it all moves fine.

It is nearly a case of - oh look there is a digger lets jam on the breaks, have a look, and then speed up

The fact the speedlimit halves approaching the works, along with the reduced capacity of the road and merging traffic from Lissenhall might have a bit more to do with it than rubbernecking.

google traffic standing waves to see how slowdowns on a motorway affect following traffic more and more.

cargo

Carawaystick wrote: »

The fact the speedlimit halves approaching the works, along with the reduced capacity of the road and merging traffic from Lissenhall might have a bit more to do with it than rubbernecking.

google traffic standing waves to see how slowdowns on a motorway affect following traffic more and more.

No it's definitely me stopping in the middle of hte works and getting out my notepad and pencil to take notes and report back here. By the time I get the tripod and camera packed away again there's always a huge build-up

anyway havent been down that way for a few days, have they finished the tar works yet? they still had a few layers on the estuary bridge section to put down. Both sides of it looked to be finished other than the tie-in bit at the Northern end.

Kumsheen

Was driving on the R132 this AM and noticed most of the workers were working in the area where the new slip road from the R126 from Donabate on to the M1 S will go.

Carawaystick

Kumsheen wrote: »

Was driving on the R132 this AM and noticed most of the workers were working in the area where the new slip road from the R126 from Donabate on to the M1 S will go.

Yeah, saw a load of tarmac lorries this morning, and the rollers & tarmac machine was on the slip last night.

There's been a huge amount of excavation done at that corner (Hearse road/M1S) to build the tunnels for the cycle tracks. I guess the Hearse road will need to be diverted now to tunnel under it.

sk8board

the slip from the R132 SB on to the M1 is now open as of 7am this morning. when you come down to the roundabout you bear left and then go straight-ahead, rather than 1/3 way around the roundabout and then exit sharp left.

its progress anyway

sgarvan

Lissenhall Junction Upgrade Works - Diversion

The contractor on the M1 upgrade is planning a series of works this weekend 30th Nov that will involved a diversion to traffic leaving the M1 northbound at Junction 4 Lissenhall. All traffic leaving the motorway northbound at junction 4 will have to turn left on the R132 towards Swords and make a U-turn at the Estuary Roundabout.

The diversion will be in place from Friday 30.11.12 at 20.00hrs and will be completed by Sunday 02.12.12 at 18.00hrs. (times approx)

The diversion drawing is attached. Fingal County Council regrets any inconvenience in this regard.

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Roads/ROADWORKS/LissenhallJunctionUpgradeWorks-Diversion/

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Files/Roads/2012BL15.pdf

Bluetonic

Live Drive mentioned earlier that road work will continue until end of march 2013.

They had confirmation today.

celticbest

Bluetonic wrote: »

Live Drive mentioned earlier that road work will continue until end of march 2013.

They had confirmation today.

What a joke, I hope there is a clause in the contract making the contractor pay a penalty for the overrun.

Squeaksoutloud

The Contract will be carried out under the Public Works Contracts which are quite stringent on Contractors. The Contractors would be entitled to extensions of time due to variations in the works and also potentially weather delays. Either way they can be penalised but without knowing the details of additional works instructed or weather delays they could be entitled to some time extension....I would imagine its a combination of extensions for the above and their own delays which they would be penalised for.

cargo

I thought this mainline upgrade ended before the actual Jct4 structure i.e. at the tie-in to the NB/SB slips but I they have now in the past 2 weeks cleared all the central barrier & topsoil all the way back to the bridge supports under the junction structure and are now laying drainage in this area also. I found the link to the design in post #474 and it does indeed finish off in under the junction structure so this piece is the final bit of mainline to be finished.

The still have some works to complete on both bridge structures (minor kerbing and lay cables on the CB side) before a final wearing course can be laid. They don't seem to be in any rush to complete this small piece of tidying up so they will more than likely be laying the final wearing course once the rest of the mainline civil's are complete. Can wait for it to finish!!

spacetweek

cargo wrote: »

I thought this mainline upgrade ended before the actual Jct4 structure i.e. at the tie-in to the NB/SB slips but I they have now in the past 2 weeks cleared all the central barrier & topsoil all the way back to the bridge supports under the junction structure and are now laying drainage in this area also. I found the link to the design in post #474 and it does indeed finish off in under the junction structure so this piece is the final bit of mainline to be finished.

The only reason you would do that is if you intended to eventually continue the widening even further.

Pretty silly that 6 lanes weren't specced originally, I mean this section of M1 only opened in 2003! It's not like it dates from the 1980s or anything.

cargo

spacetweek wrote: »

The only reason you would do that is if you intended to eventually continue the widening even further.

yeah probably longterm plans to take it out to Jullianstown junction eventually. (20whenever)

spacetweek

spacetweek wrote: »

Pretty silly that 6 lanes weren't specced originally, I mean this section of M1 only opened in 2003! It's not like it dates from the 1980s or anything.

While maybe 3 lanes weren't necessary at the time I do wonder how much extra it would have cost at the time to just lay an extra lane's width of tarmac. Even if they want to leave it so it could be widened it's bloody ridiculous everytime they widen part of the road seeing all the services having to be shifted. Like the point of leaving the space was so it would be simple to add a lane later but they went down a path that had little actual benefit.

Bluetonic

spacetweek wrote: »

Pretty silly that 6 lanes weren't specced originally, I mean this section of M1 only opened in 2003! It's not like it dates from the 1980s or anything.

This section of motorway took years to get approved due to the estuary.

It was designed in the early 1990s, prior to 1995, and long before areas of NCD, Louth and Meath had their land rezoned for housing, let alone developed upon.

Wed 04 Apr 1998

Three years after Fingal County Council applied for approval, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, has finally sanctioned the Northern Motorway linking the M1, at its turn-off to Dublin Airport, with the Balbriggan bypass.

The order made yesterday by the Minister contains a number of design modifications to the controversial bridge spanning Broad meadow Estuary, west of Malahide, which he said would help to minimise environmental impact.

Interesting document here

Chris_5339762

They better not do any more D3ing on the M1 after this, until the M7 is made D3 to the waterford junction!

Bluetonic

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

They better not do any more D3ing on the M1 after this, until the M7 is made D3 to the waterford junction!

We are getting a roof on it next from J4 to the Port Tunnel (M50)

Irish and Proud

spacetweek wrote: »

The only reason you would do that is if you intended to eventually continue the widening even further.

Pretty silly that 6 lanes weren't specced originally, I mean this section of M1 only opened in 2003! It's not like it dates from the 1980s or anything.

+1

Building the M1 as a 4 lane motorway was a big mistake IMO - it should have been 6 lanes to Dundalk really. Also, to clean up the issue of lane usage, maybe Lane 1 should have a speed limit of 90kph while Lanes 2 and 3 would have a limit of 120ph - this way, cars and trucks would be sorted out to a large extent. Also, no car (in normal conditions) should be allowed to cruise at a speed below 100kph on a motorway IMO.

Regards!

nordydan

Irish and Proud wrote: »

+1

Building the M1 as a 4 lane motorway was a big mistake IMO - it should have been 6 lanes to Dundalk really. Also, to clean up the issue of lane usage, maybe Lane 1 should have a speed limit of 90kph while Lanes 2 and 3 would have a limit of 120ph - this way, cars and trucks would be sorted out to a large extent. Also, no car (in normal conditions) should be allowed to cruise at a speed below 100kph on a motorway IMO.

Regards!

6 lanes to Dundalk are not required, and there is scope for future widening for nearly all of the M1 (ROI). 6 lanes to Balbriggan (J7) are required however