M1 New Section of D3 (three lanes) at Swords

cargo

celticbest wrote: »

View from Traffic cams this morning, still doesn't seem to be to much movement today.....

I really thought the Top Layer would have been layed by now going SB.

They did get a good bit of tidying up done NB with the concrete median barrier when the scheme starts heading NB. There's now a finished barrier from the start (in behind the temporary steel ones) up as far as the airport junction and the NB side now looks to be tidied up also to allow completion of the barrier along the length.

Still have works in the HS NB though.

cargo

KevR wrote: »

Not sure about Dublin but it was pretty cold here in the midlands this morning - I wonder if it was/is too cold for them to do work on laying the final layer today?

Wouldn't think so to be honest although it probably was too wet yesterday alright.

celticbest

Looks like there continuing to Lay the wearing layer SB, I presume once this is complete traffic will be moved across so they can resurface the original lanes as they are currently in bad shape.

Bluetonic

From 8:30pm, southbound traffic on the M1 Belfast/Dublin Rd will be down to one lane between J3 Drynam and J2 Dublin Airport until 6am Tues 22nd Feb for works

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

irishdub14

Some activity:

cargo

Looks like they did some planing during the closures.

Hurry up please

Irish and Proud

cargo wrote: »

Looks like they did some planing during the closures.

Hurry up please

OMG, this project is progressing at lightning speed - I'd now say March for completion - all there is now is the surfacing, lining, studding, cat's eyes and signage (including the gantry signs).

It looks like that almost all the concrete barriers are laid and that much of the median area between is backfilled. I wouldn't say there is much work to do on lighting as AFAIK, there is no verge widening involved.

Bring on the plans for widening the M1 to Lissenhall - should be extremely straight forward - the Broad Meadow Viaduct is designed (as per the original spec) to accommodate a third lane each way.

Regards!

Irish and Proud

irishdub14 wrote: »

Some activity:

Looks like they're already marking out the lanes!

celticbest

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Looks like they're already marking out the lanes!

I 'd say once the new lane is ready they will have to split traffic on the mainline so they can resurface it as it is currently in a terrible condition.

chinchin

Along with the line marking last night, it looks like the first half southbound (from Holywell to the start of the airport junction) has been resurfaced from the central barrier all the way over the what will be lane one. The current lane one which will be the hard shoulder when they are finished still needs to be done though and is in a very bad state at this stage.

Bluetonic

celticbest wrote: »

I 'd say once the new lane is ready they will have to split traffic on the mainline so they can resurface it as it is currently in a terrible condition.

They'll have to do work to align the on ramp with the main line anyhow.

At least it's only in bits where they removed the lines from the hard shoulder. The surface on the original lane one is seemingly grand.

Chris_5339762

Looking at the pics as of the time of this post, they've moved traffic onto the new section and are working in the other lanes.

chinchin

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Looking at the pics as of the time of this post, they've moved traffic onto the new section and are working in the other lanes.

Yep, looks like lane 3 is open! Let's hope it stays that way, they can't be far off finishing now.

chinchin

Yep, just drove it, 3 lanes open southbound!

Irish and Proud

chinchin wrote: »

Yep, just drove it, 3 lanes open southbound!

Was on it today and the 3 SB lanes were open all the way from Drynam to the SB merge from the Airport - I was very surprised by this. That said, the hard shoulder was closed off and on the way back, the two NB lanes were very tight with armco barriers on both sides.

Definitely March for completion I'd say!

Dr Galen

3 lanes open going south alright. Working away on the hard shoulder area. Made a nice difference heading in this morning, although the middle lane hogs have already taken residence since the move to the 3 lanes

cargo

NB looked to be cleaned up inside the "new lane" barrier yesterday ready to take the top layer. Hopefully they'll get this down and lined soon and open it up also. They can then continue to work away in the HS inside that barrier. I did see some patching / joining works still ongoing in the central concrete barrier so I suppose they'll have to be completed also. Only a small bit to sort so hopefully wearing course and lining this week with a weekend opening again (if not before).

There's is a good bit of planning and patching to be done at off ramps / HS etc as other posters have mentioned above but at least they can get the mainlines flowing and work on these at night / weekends.

SB flying along yesterday and this am but I've been later than rush hour (10 - 11am) both mornings so not sure what it's like at 8 - 9am.

Anyone pass between 7.30 and 9.30 the past 2 mornings? (I know it may be helped too by mid-term and all that!!)

Dingatron

I drive in hitting Junction 4/Lissenhall around 8:30 most mornings. Yesterday I was slightly late hitting it around 8:45 and was parked at the airport at 9:00. Usually I'd not get in till 9:20 at least. This morning I hit Junction 4/Lissenhall at 8:20 and parked at the airport around 8:40 while usually it would be around 9:10-20 before I'd get in. I'm afraid to be too optimistic just yet as I'm not sure if the kids are still on mid term but traffic has actually flowed the last two days as opposed to the usual car park from junction 4-2. I'll try and take some accurate timings for the rest of the week if I think of it.

Dr Galen

its definitely better between Lissenhall and the M50, the problems do seem to be shifting down the road though, Whitehall junction and Drumcondra Road were busier than before.

Heading Northbound is still a huge issue. People coming from the M50 to the M1 merging in all sorts of crazy ways really doesn't help, I'm always surprised that there aren't more accidents on this stretch tbh.

Dingatron

Junction 4 SB 08:44
Junction 2 SB 08:49

cargo

Dingatron wrote: »

Junction 4 SB 08:44
Junction 2 SB 08:49

Yep passed through Junction 4 (Lissenhall) at 08:59 doing 120kms this am. even managed to see a jeep & Artic all merge in with me from J4 on-ramp at full tilt. No delays through the roadworks are either. Smiles all round!!!

Quickly wiped off my face when it took 45mins to get between J7 - J9 on the M50 due to an accident

Ah well can't win them all.

No big push NB this am but there was a small tar machine been lined up down at the airport end (final layer there is only a small strip) and one roller heading down the site in that direction also so hopefully they'll be laying that too.

On another note they were topping off the central gap between the two barriers with a membrane and fine stones (like parts of the M50) so that'll get rid of the need to maintain the grass in between the barriers. (and give extra impact protection)

I don't think they can open NB lanes until they are fully finished in the center and have removed (or decommissioned at least the site offices / compound in the central reservation especially now that the central void is filled up. Could be a big decamp this weekend though with a bit of luck.

Praetorian

It'll take at least a week to see how well the upgrade is really working, it certainly has surprised me south bound in the mornings, although traffic does seem to be light in general. Going home around 5.30 - 6pm is a disaster, will we ever see peak time traffic around m1 / m50 flowing well? I don't think the opening of the north bound lane is the magic solution.

Are there any plans at all to expand the 3 lanes on the m1 from drynam to lissenhall? I think this should still be a minimum future upgrade for the m1.

cargo

Don't know of any future plans on this stretch. Did have a good feeling lately looking at the traffic SB in the am that these works would have a positive effect SB but like you I'm not so sure if it'll work as good NB. Time will tell.

Noticed yesterday that most of the NB final layer is already down and old lane 2 has also been replaced so it must have been done last weekend while the traffic was moved over. Just that little strip at the start I mentioned above and some more missing at the end of the works as far as I could see. Needs to be lined also.

Dingatron

Today was a good test due to the dense fog around the area.

Junction 4 SB 08:49
Junction 2 SB 08:55

celticbest

Just drove NB and the three lanes are marked and cats eyes are down more than half the length of the upgrade, its looking good for the three lanes being open for the evening rush hour on monday :-)

cargo

celticbest wrote: »

Just drove NB and the three lanes are marked and cats eyes are down more than half the length of the upgrade, its looking good for the three lanes being open for the evening rush hour on monday :-)

Came through it also around 10.30 tonight and there's loads of activity on site. Starting to apply final layer at the NB end bit thats left and also moving traffic away fro the little strip at the start of the N section to be finished also. Both of those should be done in the next few hours. And lanes have been lined in between the sections already this evening.

Also planning machine on-site SB near the airport junction so I imagine they are going to tidy up the slips tonight as well. Could be all finished before am (except on-going works behind the barriers in the HS.)

sk8board

looks like the NB lanes are open?

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera111.jpg

chinchin

sk8board wrote: »

looks like the NB lanes are open?

http://www.dublincity.ie/dublintraffic/Site0Camera111.jpg

Yep, 3 lanes open northbound, a bit confusing as the overhead gantries before the airport don't match the lanes now that the outside 3 run on past that junction.

Very unusual merge signs coming up to the holywell slip to warn drives that lane 3 needs to merge into lane 2, they are black and yellow rather than the blue and white you might expect on a motorway.

NFD100

chinchin wrote: »

Yep, 3 lanes open northbound, a bit confusing as the overhead gantries before the airport don't match the lanes now that the outside 3 run on past that junction.

Very unusual merge signs coming up to the holywell slip to warn drives that lane 3 needs to merge into lane 2, they are black and yellow rather than the blue and white you might expect on a motorway.

Yeah saw those. They look very made up to me. Nice to see the new Traffic Sign Manuel is being complied with, especially with the stick up poles at the top :rolleyes

sk8board

drove it NB tonight and I'm not sold at all on the lane-merge just after the swords exit .... there were 4 cars, 2 in each lane that was merging, and both the outside lane drivers got caught out badly and had to almost swerve over on top of the 2 of us in the inside lane

is the merge too sudden? It seems to me that there may be a whole new traffic slow-down at this merge