Shannon Bridge Roundabout

thesimpsons

anyone see the headlines in Leader about taking out the roundabout at Dock Road junction and replacing it with lights? Personally I think its a mad idea and the roundabout works very effectively and the lights will just lead to traffic build up. However the powers that be think that the roundabout has outlived its effectiveness and that lights will improve traffic management and traffic flow. This roundabout has always worked well and even more so now with the reduced traffic in the city centre since the opening of the tunnel. I travel this route at all times of day and night and there is virtually no traffic issues there now. Wouldn't the money spent on this be better spent on repairing the state of roads around the city.

munstergirl

Seems like Limerick if its NOT broken fix it, if it is broken don't fix it

I really think they want more people using the tunnell. I think most normal drivers aren't using it at all, only commuters and bypassers.

Insect Overlord

If they're actually serious about this then whoever came up with the idea should be barred from ever holding any position of influence in the city again. The roundabout at the bridge is functioning perfectly now, even with the ridiculous positioning of the pedestrian crossings. Removing it would be insulting to the public as well as a waste of money.

kilburn

this is a daft idea, want i would love to know is who comes up with these madcap suggestions. Is it the councillors or the planners or the roads department?

mitresize5

back up traffic coming in the condell road -> more people take the tunnel -> extra revenue

Makes perfect sense

AnCapaillMor

Seems a bit mad but it can be a pain trying to get on the rounadabout from jurys and the garda barracks side.

Also its about time they put in traffic lights after the bridge by the schools. Trying to get in\out there in the evening was frustarting as hell. A few years ago someone would let you through but every since the ass feel out of the economy most people won't.

the drifter

this makes me sad

TestTransmission

the drifter wrote: »

this makes me sad

Makes me sadder,all these traffic lights are wrecking my route to work in the morning.

phill106

Stupid idea.
Just remove the pedestrian crossing. If they feel the need to spend money, let them build a small pedestrian bridge to cross the road, that will speed up traffic and stop accidents being caused the silly location of the current crossing.

Amazotheamazing

The weighting of the traffic on that roundabout isn't quite right though, the cars leaving the dock road and leaving the bridge have an advantage over cars on the quay or cars coming down Mallow street as less cars go onto the quay from the dock road (for whatever reason).

I don't think traffic lights are the way to solve it. Anyhow, it seems to working perfectly since the tunnel opened?

phill106

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

The weighting of the traffic on that roundabout isn't quite right though, the cars leaving the dock road and leaving the bridge have an advantage over cars on the quay or cars coming down Mallow street as less cars go onto the quay from the dock road (for whatever reason).

I don't think traffic lights are the way to solve it. Anyhow, it seems to working perfectly since the tunnel opened?

In the absence of traffic lights on the roundabout, how does weighting work there? Just due to the amount of cars coming from the bridge.

Twin-go

Are the people here serious?

I don't know how many near/accidents I've witnessed here. Mostly because the drivers of this country don't know how to use round-abouts.

Coming from Shannon Bridge going to Dock road how many people use the left lane?

Coming from Shannon Street going to the bridge, 3 lanes trying to get into one lane. 3 into 1 doesn't go!

Coming from Dock Rd going over the bridge. Looking right to pick a gap and avoid the 3 cars trying to get into the one lane. See a small gap and go for it but, whats this a pelican crossing so jam on the breaks.

Also waiting for a gap is like Russian roulette. Trying to guess what exit people are going for because they don't use indecators and I'm no mind reader.

Taffic lights could be good if they get the cadence right.

Reaganomical

Twin-go wrote: »

Are the people here serious?

I don't know how many near/accidents I've witnessed here. Mostly because the drivers of this country don't know how to use round-abouts.

Coming from Shannon Bridge going to Dock road how many people use the left lane?

Coming from Shannon Street going to the bridge, 3 lanes trying to get into one lane. 3 into 1 doesn't go!

Coming from Dock Rd going over the bridge. Looking right to pick a gap and avoid the 3 cars trying to get into the one lane. See a small gap and go for it but, whats this a pelican crossing so jam on the breaks.

Also waiting for a gap is like Russian roulette. Trying to guess what exit people are going for because they don't use indecators and I'm no mind reader.

Taffic lights could be good if they get the cadence right.

Spot on, if ppl knew how to use the roundabout properly, it might work perfectly!

phill106

Twin-go wrote: »

Are the people here serious?

I don't know how many near/accidents I've witnessed here. Mostly because the drivers of this country don't know how to use round-abouts.

Coming from Shannon Bridge going to Dock road how many people use the left lane?

Coming from Shannon Street going to the bridge, 3 lanes trying to get into one lane. 3 into 1 doesn't go!

Coming from Dock Rd going over the bridge. Looking right to pick a gap and avoid the 3 cars trying to get into the one lane. See a small gap and go for it but, whats this a pelican crossing so jam on the breaks.

Also waiting for a gap is like Russian roulette. Trying to guess what exit people are going for because they don't use indecators and I'm no mind reader.

Taffic lights could be good if they get the cadence right.

schnellimbiss wrote: »

Spot on, if ppl knew how to use the roundabout properly, it might work perfectly!

Left lane from shannon bridge is for 1st and 2nd exit. Not Dock road.

Coming from shannon street, left lane is for dock road. Middle and right lane are for shannon bridge, or continuing around roundabout.

Never had a problem coming from dock road to shannon bridge, as SHOULD be only 2 lanes merging from my right along with myself.

the drifter

The same can be said for the new dumbell roundabouts on the dock roak interchange...oh i know..lets stick some traffic lights on them....and maybe a pedrestian crossing or two...and why not a bus stop....

Amazotheamazing

phill106 wrote: »

In the absence of traffic lights on the roundabout, how does weighting work there? Just due to the amount of cars coming from the bridge.

By rights, a steady stream of cars from the dock road should have priority over the cars coming off the bridge which would open up the lanes for cars from the quays and Mallow street, which would then regulate the cars leaving the dock road to allow the bridge to move, which would then regulate the quay and Mallow street allowing the dock road to move but for whatever reason, few cars go straight on from the dock road so the inordinate amount of cars on the bridge have priority.

Amazotheamazing

Twin-go wrote: »

Are the people here serious?

I don't know how many near/accidents I've witnessed here. Mostly because the drivers of this country don't know how to use round-abouts.

Coming from Shannon Bridge going to Dock road how many people use the left lane?

Coming from Shannon Street going to the bridge, 3 lanes trying to get into one lane. 3 into 1 doesn't go!

Coming from Dock Rd going over the bridge. Looking right to pick a gap and avoid the 3 cars trying to get into the one lane. See a small gap and go for it but, whats this a pelican crossing so jam on the breaks.

Also waiting for a gap is like Russian roulette. Trying to guess what exit people are going for because they don't use indecators and I'm no mind reader.

Taffic lights could be good if they get the cadence right.

There shouldn't be three lanes going onto one on the bridge, it should be two lanes filtering into one with one of those lanes predominately used for going onto the quays. The left lane on mallow street is left turn only, ie, dock road only, really annoys me when people cut across it as it's pretty lethal as you point out.

Again, people shouldn't be using the left lane on the bridge to get onto the dock road, that lane is left or straight ahead only.

You shouldn't be accelerating aggressively off a roundabout, you should be progressing normally which allows plenty of time to stop for pedestrians. Same applies to the roundabouts out by UL, Chawkes etc.

phill106

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

There shouldn't be three lanes going onto one on the bridge, it should be two lanes filtering into one with one of those lanes predominately used for going onto the quays. The left lane on mallow street is left turn only, ie, dock road only, really annoys me when people cut across it as it's pretty lethal as you point out.

Again, people shouldn't be using the left lane on the bridge to get onto the dock road, that lane is left or straight ahead only.

You shouldn't be accelerating aggressively off a roundabout, you should be progressing normally which allows plenty of time to stop for pedestrians. Same applies to the roundabouts out by UL, Chawkes etc.

Good, at least one other person knows how to use a roundabout!
High fives amazotheamazing!

Amazotheamazing

phill106 wrote: »

Good, at least one other person knows how to use a roundabout!
High fives amazotheamazing!

Bad practice on roundabouts is another one of the things that makes me furious, in general, Irish drivers don't handle them well.

Kess73

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Bad practice on roundabouts is another one of the things that makes me furious, in general, Irish drivers don't handle them well.

Very true, and it is not just roundabouts that Irish drivers seem unable to handle on the roads. Oddly enough I seem to find the standard of driving in and around Cork city somewhat better than most other cities or major towns in Ireland though.


I lived in Southern Germany on two occasions, coming to ten or so years, and the difference in driving there to here is astounding.

Amazotheamazing

Kess73 wrote: »

Very true, and it is not just roundabouts that Irish drivers seem unable to handle on the roads. Oddly enough I seem to find the standard of driving in and around Cork city somewhat better than most other cities or major towns in Ireland though.


I lived in Southern Germany on two occasions, coming to ten or so years, and the difference in driving there to here is astounding.

The standard of driving seems to get worse the further up the country you get. Galway is far worse than Limerick (or maybe it's more roundabouts).

It's something we need to rethink, driving should taught in schools here.

Kess73

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

The standard of driving seems to get worse the further up the country you get. Galway is far worse than Limerick (or maybe it's more roundabouts).

It's something we need to rethink, driving should taught in schools here.

Totally agree with that.

CrazyChick18

I dont think any road can survive without having traffic lights!! Its very annoying!

bazz26

Another obstacal imo to force drivers to go through the Clonmaken toll plaza instead of using the Condell/Dock road.

zuroph

you know what would solve this?! :pac:

cee_jay

zuroph wrote: »

you know what would solve this?! :pac:

Monorail!!

kilburn

zuroph wrote: »

you know what would solve this?! :pac:

blow the bridge ?

Mc Love

How about traffic lights on the roundabout??? They use them to good effect in Dublin and Galway!

phill106

Mc Love wrote: »

How about traffic lights on the roundabout??? They use them to good effect in Dublin and Galway!

Well the galway one is called magic roundabout, need some to get through it apparently.

Jofspring

With the amount of traffic lights going up around the city a simple 5 minute drive into town on a quiet day is going to turn into a 15 to 20 minute one. Its going to be even worse early mornings. How many times in this city have you been sitting at traffic lights at rush hour and when the lights turn green about two cars get through and they are back red again? Roundabouts when used properly are much more effective at keeping the traffic flowing. Most places around the country are putting more roundabouts in to manage the flow of traffic but Limerick seems to want to get rid of them and pop in traffic lights instead :rolleyes:

If they are putting more traffic lights in around the city they need to manage them better and not have one set of lights green for 2 minutes and the other green for 20 seconds (Henry Street and all the junctions onto it are desperate for this).

johndaman66

schnellimbiss wrote: »

Spot on, if ppl knew how to use the roundabout properly, it might work perfectly!

+1 on this but my inkling is that most people are too downright lazy or obsessively try to get ahead of the car in front as to not use roundabouts proplerly....A lot of drivers out there have full licenses so I'd be thinking/ hoping they at least learned how to use roundabouts at some stage in their lifes. Granted there are the percentage who don't have an absolute to use roundabouts full stop though.

Is it just me or do other people reckon the pedestrian crossings being just after the exits on the Groody roundabout in Castletroy are just lethal, being so close to the roundabout. I hope not but I can forsee a pedestrian being killed or seriously injured crossing there at some stage.