What Happened On Headford Road

Storm 10

Was driving back to work at 2pm today and traffic was mental coming off the bridge, while going around the headford road roundabout I could see lots of blue flashing lights on the road opposite Dunnes Stores, anyone hear of anything happening there.

happyoutish

Storm 10 wrote: »

Was driving back to work at 2pm today and traffic was mental coming off the bridge, while going around the headford road roundabout I could see lots of blue flashing lights on the road opposite Dunnes Stores, anyone hear of anything happening there.

Don't know but the cops were closing the road off when I was heading back to work at around 2.10pm...

MattKid

Don't know what's going on

They let me get home to Dun na coiribe, but I don't know if I can get out again!

Can someone let me know when it's re-opened.

Storm 10

From Galway Bay FM Website

PEDESTRIAN HOSPITALISED FOLLOWING VEHICLE COLLISION IN CITY

September 14, 2010 - 3:23pm
A woman in her forties has been taken to hospital after being struck by a vehicle on the Headford road in the city this afternoon.
The woman was struck by the vehicle at around quarter to two, near the pedestrian crossing close to Dunnes stores.
She has been taken to university hospital Galway, but the extent of her injuries is not yet known.
Gardaí say a section of the Headford road in the city is now closed pending a technical examination of the area.

Please God she will bo ok

happyoutish

Hope she'll be ok! Poor thing

I use that crossing frequently and some drivers seem to not notice it and drive straight through the red light.

thelongfellow

Storm 10 wrote: »

The woman was struck by the vehicle at around quarter to two, near the pedestrian crossing close to Dunnes stores.

Deleted User wrote: »

I use that crossing frequently and some drivers seem to not notice it and drive straight through the red light.

Some pedestrian's don't realise there is a crossing there either and cross all over the place or just don't bother waiting for the little green man. And heading towards town from Dunnes drivers are always running that red light at the roundabout.

Not as bad as the crossing outside Brown Thomas. Someone will get hit there just for the sake of saving a few seconds and not walking up to the pedestrian crossing outside GBC.

what_traffic

thelongfellow wrote: »

Not as bad as the crossing outside Brown Thomas. Someone will get hit there just for the sake of saving a few seconds and not walking up to the pedestrian crossing outside GBC.

If more people cross there why not just move the crossing from GBC to outside Brown Thomas?

thelongfellow

what_traffic wrote: »

If more people cross there why not just move the crossing from GBC to outside Brown Thomas?

Probably difficult to have a pedestrian crossing on a 90 degree corner I guess. Who knows how Galway City Council works :rolleyes:

BornToBe?

Storm 10 wrote: »

From Galway Bay FM Website

PEDESTRIAN HOSPITALISED FOLLOWING VEHICLE COLLISION IN CITY

September 14, 2010 - 3:23pm
A woman in her forties has been taken to hospital after being struck by a vehicle on the Headford road in the city this afternoon.
The woman was struck by the vehicle at around quarter to two, near the pedestrian crossing close to Dunnes stores.
She has been taken to university hospital Galway, but the extent of her injuries is not yet known.
Gardaí say a section of the Headford road in the city is now closed pending a technical examination of the area.

Please God she will bo ok

I don't know if this is the root of the problem but traffic is at a stand still all across the city. I've never seen it even close to this bad. Anyone leaving work soon should consider leaving it awhile and going for a walk or visiting a friend. The map below is actual grid lock I've witnessed bout 20 mins ago. If I was a city engineer I'd be very sorry to the people of galway for letting things get this bad.

Dutchess

That's some traffic!

Hope the lady will be allright. That area around the Bodkin roundabout is a death trap...

cranky bollix

its still closed off, i just walked past it there, traffic is a nightmare at the moment, they should really have this cleared up by now.as for the crossing - there should be a walk bridge over that road, there should be no need to stop traffic every time someone wants to cross the road.it would probably have cost the same to put a bridge over it as it did to put the lights and the adjoining concrete island there in the first place.

i hope some of the fianna fail drinking gang get stuck in the traffic today, so they can see how bad things are outside the pale

dr.bollocko

Just spoke to the cops at the scene and they said that the lady would be OK. No word on when it'll re-open as yet. The traffic is absolutely mental. Initially I tried to leave by car about half two or so but got turned around by the cops. The road is only open to local traffic going into and out of Dun na Coiribe.

El_Dangeroso

I wanted to visit kylemore abbey today! :mad::mad:

Why is it taking them so long to reopen the road? I can see the scene from my window and no one is doing anything.

soundbyte

Nuns island, dominick street, fr griffin road, St marys road, taylors hill, nile lodge all barely moving. Its like race week.

Surely this cant just be the FF cavalcade and the Headford Road collision?

cranky bollix

its mainly the headford road, does anyone know if its open yet

tinofapples

BornToBe? wrote: »

I don't know if this is the root of the problem but traffic is at a stand still all across the city. I've never seen it even close to this bad. Anyone leaving work soon should consider leaving it awhile and going for a walk or visiting a friend. The map below is actual grid lock I've witnessed bout 20 mins ago. If I was a city engineer I'd be very sorry to the people of galway for letting things get this bad.

Did you run out of red ink cause there was alot more than that effected by the chaos. I was half an hour coming outta college raod and doubt bohermore was much better.

God love the lady involved but such a joke that one accident can cause so much gridlock for so many people. Why does the road need to be closed off for 4 hours ? Is it cause all the shades are too bust up in the Ardilaun ???

Like I said, hope the lady involved will make full recovery but our city is a joke.

dr.bollocko

The road is currently definitely 100% still closed.
Police line right across it.

Dutchess

cranky bollix wrote: »

its mainly the headford road, does anyone know if its open yet

Cant quite tell, Im up at those estates there, what I can see from traffic seems to veeeery slooooowly moving.

dr.bollocko

soundbyte wrote: »

Nuns island, dominick street, fr griffin road, St marys road, taylors hill, nile lodge all barely moving. Its like race week.

Surely this cant just be the FF cavalcade and the Headford Road collision?

I think the headford road collision is the only reason. It's forced traffic to back up over the bridge, down the the monagesha(sp) junction and slowed traffic coming out of town too.

BornToBe?

tinofapples wrote: »

Did you run out of red ink cause there was alot more than that effected by the chaos.

no, I just didn't witness that side of town so I couldn't say what was going on. but I would put money on it that it was a city wide gridlock.

As I said, if I was the city engineer, I'd hand in my resignation and apolgise to the people, and who ever is brave enough to sort out the mess I let happen.

Babalons

The road is still closed out there. Went for a run earlier and the traffic is nuts! Wouldn't like to be in a car on Quincentennial Bridge, westside..... actually anywhere in the city! Hope that lady is ok.

cranky bollix

dr.bollocko wrote: »

The road is currently definitely 100% still closed.
Police line right across it.

best wishes to the injured lady

BornToBe?

BornToBe? wrote: »

Did you run out of red ink cause there was alot more than that effected by the chaos.

no, I just didn't witness that side of town so I couldn't say what was going on. but I would put money on it that it was a city wide gridlock.

As I said, if I was the city engineer, I'd hand in my resignation and apolgise to the people, and who ever is brave enough to sort out the mess I let happen.

It's thirty years of planning, investment, objections etc - it's not just one person's fault.

I'm sure the city engineer has great plans but without the cash...

plonk

Seamus quirke, bishop o donnell and all access roads are at a crawl.

Sponge Bob

Got a text there, Oranmore to Spiddal via Moneenageesha and docks took 2 hours 20 mins leaving at 3:30pm and that for a 5pm meeting. Hope they brought a weatherproof tent and can find a dry field out there for the night.

dr.bollocko

Still closed... Still jammers.

confuseddotcom

Ohmygoodness that bridge on a regular day is just about do-able out of necessity really.
bridge+crash=absurdity. Seriously like, I so pity any-one having to sit on that bridge today.

~Hope injured party(ies) make full recovery.~

dr.bollocko

I could be really evil and order a chinese and a pizza delivered here.

confuseddotcom

Out of curiousity what would a taxi with a fare do sitting in this traffic for however many hours compared to the staple 10minute fare ..... :eek:

JONJO THE MISER

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I could be really evil and order a chinese and a pizza delivered here.

Does anywhere do a free pizza offer if it takes more than 30mins to deliver:p

confuseddotcom

confuseddotcom wrote: »

Out of curiousity what would a taxi with a fare do sitting in this traffic 4 however many hours compared to the staple 10minute fare ..... :eek:

They charge by time if they aren't moving:
http://www.taxiregulator.ie/consumer/for-consumers.html

challengemaster

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Does anywhere do a free pizza offer if it takes more than 30mins to deliver:p

Pizza places USUALLY have small motorbikes for deliveries though, especially ones that would be inner-city drop offs....

Seriously though, 1 road causing an entire city gridlock.....madness...

harryd2

Just travelled across the city from Mervue to Salthill through the city centre.
Never saw the traffic this bad.
Took me 15mins on the bike

BornToBe?

Deleted User wrote: »

It's thirty years of planning, investment, objections etc - it's not just one person's fault.

I'm sure the city engineer has great plans but without the cash...

I'd normally would agree, but they managed to find the cash to resurface the Thomas Hynes road, which, of all roads, was perfect, but yet, when the colleges start, schools are back, they decide to dig it up and resurface it. so if its to do with previous mistakes over a 30 year period, then, isn't that alot of lessons learned? narrowing down to the right outcome and decisions? and as the city engineer, wouldn't you be embarressed to state your title, to the thousand of people who had to sit in traffic today? one accident should not, nor ever should, bring an entire city to a stand still.
It's thier job, they've got the qualifications and experience that got them the job, I hope, to design a system that works, not just on an normal day, but when things go wrong.
All I ask of my council, is that they'd be intelligent, and who ever appointed them, picked the best person for the job, and then, stood by thier decisions, and went ahead with the changes, for the good for its people.
They argue they don't have enough money? How much money was wasted today? how much enviormental impact of thousands of cars sitting there burning petrol? Someone asked recently why repaired pot holes magically re appear? broken water mains, yet they want to bring in water charges? who's gonna pay for that wasted water?
If it's so hard to run a big town / small city, how the hell does cities like Paris, London, New York even exist?

galah

is i still bad, or getting back to normal?

I wanna go home...
Is the Headford Road inbound (from Tuam Road/Eastern Bypass towards Terryland and Tesco) open?

Average-Ro

How are things looking now? I'm out in Tuam at the moment, but I'll be heading back in soon, not looking forward to it if it's still hectic.

Newport81

Have just been stuck on st marys road for an hour!!!!

dr.bollocko

The road is now open. Just back from Dunnes and it opened about 10-15 mins ago by the looks of it.
Good luck getting home folks.

Babalons

Average-Ro wrote: »

How are things looking now? I'm out in Tuam at the moment, but I'll be heading back in soon, not looking forward to it if it's still hectic.

My house-mate just arrived home, to Dun Na Coiribe on the headford road from the Tuam road direction. he said the traffic aint too bad getting in. Must be calming down by now, or else its ok coming towards the city.

Fey!

A lot of the problems coming off the bridge are the people who speed past the row of left lane traffic on the right, then force their way into the left lane near the roundabout.

Worse are the people who let them force their way in. I say leave them stuck blocking the right lane; once it happens to them a few times they might use the left lane from the start, and then the left lane will start to move quicker as there will be noone forcing their way in at the roundabout.

A few Gardai there to ticket the people crossing the solid white line at the roundabout, a couple at the Marriot roundabout for the people entering the roundabout in the left lane heading to the right, and a couple more at the fire station for the red light jumpers and yellow box blockers would generate a LOT of revenue for the state coffers, and speed up traffic in the process!

I hope that the lady who got hit is OK, and that everyone made it home in one piece.

schween

I left NUIG at 19.00. and got home at 20.45... I live 10 minutes past Oranmore.

galwayrush

When are we getting the ****ing by pass?:mad:

bagels

Many people here don't seem to realise that its Official Policy to close a road after a serious accident and leave it closed for an excessive period of time so as to cause maximum inconvenience for motorists.
The thinking behind it is that it might convince motorists to take more care.
As far as i'm concerned it achieves little good.
It creates road rage.
It encourages some people to drive even faster to make up for time lost, thereby creating even more danger on our roads.
It causes long delays for public transport passengers, amongst others.
Its a form of group punishment but group punishment is actually banned by law, eg barrack damages being imposed upon a group rather than on an individual.
I believe its far better to open the road as soon as possible (after the injured are cared for of course) but allow the traffic to pass at a crawl so that motorists can view the terrible scene, wreckage, etc.
This might bring home to drivers the seriousness of the situation and encourage them to cop on.
Best wishes to the lady who was injured.

Mollie Breathna

The Guards shut the roads after an accident - not the City Engineer. Maybe they are trying to make a road safety point but I doubt it.
What they could and should do is set up a contra -flow on the opposite side of the road and not allow the city descend into grid-lock allegedly in the name of accident investigation.
Of course, the Guards, if they even bother to answer any query, will claim that they have to close the roads and that's that.

bagels

Mollie Breathna wrote: »

The Guards shut the roads after an accident - not the City Engineer. Maybe they are trying to make a road safety point but I doubt it.

I can't supply a link to support my comment but i've seen/heard it on the media that its official policy to close the road for an unnecessarily excessive period of time to inconvenience motorists.
Have you ever come across the scene of an accident where the road is still closed even though the clean-up is completed, all vehicles have left the scene and a lone garda is left behind twiddling his/her thumbs with boredom?
Have you ever come upon the same scene hours later to discover the road is still closed?
I have, lots of times.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

bagels wrote: »

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I can't supply a link to support my comment but i've seen/heard it on the media that its official policy to close the road for an unnecessarily excessive period of time to inconvenience motorists.
Have you ever come across the scene of an accident where the road is still closed even though the clean-up is completed, all vehicles have left the scene and a lone garda is left behind twiddling his/her thumbs with boredom?
Have you ever come upon the same scene hours later to discover the road is still closed?
I have, lots of times.

It's policy to inconvenience motorists????

C'mon,accident like that are a potential crime scene, evidence needs to be gathered, this is similar in every country.
Perhaps sometimes it could be done quicker but then Gardai are under resourced as it is and there are lots of readings that need to be taken from a scene.

Or else Gardai will have failed to collect enough evidence, which would be complained about aswell...

ronnie3585

bagels wrote: »

Many people here don't seem to realise that its Official Policy to close a road after a serious accident and leave it closed for an excessive period of time so as to cause maximum inconvenience for motorists.
The thinking behind it is that it might convince motorists to take more care.
As far as i'm concerned it achieves little good.
It creates road rage.
It encourages some people to drive even faster to make up for time lost, thereby creating even more danger on our roads.
It causes long delays for public transport passengers, amongst others.
Its a form of group punishment but group punishment is actually banned by law, eg barrack damages being imposed upon a group rather than on an individual.
I believe its far better to open the road as soon as possible (after the injured are cared for of course) but allow the traffic to pass at a crawl so that motorists can view the terrible scene, wreckage, etc.
This might bring home to drivers the seriousness of the situation and encourage them to cop on.
Best wishes to the lady who was injured.

Well there we have it folks, the most ridiculous post ever on Boards. That is utter tripe. Were you in the Ardilaun last night too?

As the above poster said, a road is closed after a serious accident in order for the Gardai to gather evidence.

Mollie Breathna

ronnie3585 wrote: »

As the above poster said, a road is closed after a serious accident in order for the Gardai to gather evidence.

I don't doubt that they have to collect evidence - my point is the inordinate time that take to do it and the fact that they seem to be unable/unwilling to put in any sort of alternative traffic management plan to simply closing the road. They could very easily have opened a contra-flow today with a couple of guards at each roundabout.

challengemaster

Mollie Breathna wrote: »

I don't doubt that they have to collect evidence - my point is the inordinate time that take to do it and the fact that they seem to be unable/unwilling to put in any sort of alternative traffic management plan to simply closing the road. They could very easily have opened a contra-flow today with a couple of guards at each roundabout.

Normal gardaí probably aren't allowed to collect evidence, they aren't qualified and don't have the equipment (if needed) at hand, especially if it's a 1 car initial response.

All they can do is close off the area to protect whatever evidence might be there, call in the CSI's and let them at it. Also, the only forensics lab in the country is in phoenix park.... each major branch probably has their own 1 or 2 qualified people for certain circumstances, but they're hardly at the station 24/7, so they might have to come from home... otherwise, it's a dispatch from Dublin. Sure, it might take an inordinate amount of time, but you have to take into account what else is going on.

I've no idea, but I'd imagine in a situation like this.... something like the following occurs - I may be completely wrong, but this is just what I think makes sense...

Go from the point where it happened
- Someone saw, called emergency services, other emergency services contacted as ambulance is dispatched, and nearest patrol car responds.
- Gardaí at the scene need to figure out what's going on and decide what to do, while trying to direct traffic around the immediate area
- More gardaí arrive on scene and block off the area
- At the same time, some gardaí have to try find witnesses/talk to people, and someone probably had to go to the hospital to talk with the injured person, get a statement if possible. Also there still has to be people in the station - they all can't leave and lock up the place....

That's a lot of gardaí - how many are actually on duty at any one time in galway? It might be an inconvenience for people, but I doubt the emergency services were delighted to hear about someone being knocked down.

doubleglaze

ronnie3585 wrote: »

Well there we have it folks, the most ridiculous post ever on Boards. That is utter tripe. Were you in the Ardilaun last night too?

Ronnie, that simply is not true. You have completely over-reacted and are being censorious.