Roadworks N7 Rathcoole

mobpd

hi
There are warning signs at the N7 Rathcoole junction advising of MAJOR roadworks there starting 20/10/10 until 03/12/10.
Anyone have more details of what this entails? eg will lanes on the N7 be closed?
I have searched South Dublin Council / NRA / AA Raodwatch websites and can find no details.
Perhaps we wait until Wednesday and then hope there are proper traffic managment plans in place
mobpd

L1011

http://roads.southdublin.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=167&Itemid=292 is the SDCC works list but its two weeks out of date at the moment.

dublinhead

I think its to do with the Tay Lane Safety Improvement Scheme.

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=19603

anotherlostie

Well the speed restrictions on the northbound section are being pretty much ignored - well maybe people slow to 100k from 120k for that bit.

The Tay Lane works would only affect N7 northbound traffic though - maybe the reason for the SB works will be that something is planned for that minor junction up to Saggart too?

Victor

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=19842

Revised Press Release 18th October 2010

Refurbishment of the N7 Rathcoole Interchange Bridge

From 20th October 2010 to 26th November 2010 At all times

* South Dublin County Council and the National Roads Authority wish to advise motorists of standard essential maintenance works to be carried out on Rathcoole Interchange Bridge on the N7 at Junction 4.
* Works will commence on Wednesday 20th October 2010 at approximately 9.00 PM and are expected to last approximately 5 weeks.
* During daytime hours 3 lanes heading west out of Dublin will be maintained at all times and inbound heading east to Dublin will be reduced to 2 lanes for duration of the works.
* Expected delays inbound to Dublin due to the reduction in lanes (3 to 2).
* Motorists are advised to approach the works area with caution and abide by the reduced/mandatory/regulatory speed limits.
* South Dublin County Council and the National Roads Authority would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the works.

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=19555

SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
COMHAIRLE CONTAE ATHA CLIATH THEAS
ROADS ACT 2004, SECTION 10
ROAD WORKS SPEED LIMIT ORDER

Naas Road (N7) (Rathcoole Overbridge)

Notice is herby given that in order to facilitate road and bridgeworks on the N7, South Dublin County Council in exercise of the powers vested in it by Section 10 of the Road Act 2004 have made a Road Works Speed Limit Order for a speed limit of 60km/h on the Naas Road (N7) from a point 680m west of Rathcoole Footbridge to a point 400m east of Rathcoole Overbridge, both carriageways.

The Road Works speed Limit of 60km/h on the Naas Road (N7) will apply from Monday 13th September 2010 until Tuesday 30th November 2010, inclusive.


Maps, Drawings & other Documents Available
60 km/h N7 Naas Road - MAP http://www.sdublincoco.ie/images/roads/MAP%20209092010.pdf

Davy

This work is long over due! It has been half finished for years. Glad its finally gone.

Victor

I think there was a recent bridge strike.

Davy

Victor wrote: »

I think there was a recent bridge strike.

Their was one on the citywest bridge that i remember, but that was repaired. Most of the work seems to be the slip roads, rather than the bridge itself. Northbound had red and white plastic interlock barriers for years, these should have been removed after construction but never were. These are now gone, and looks like cheesewire or standard steel rail will be going in, along with some new resurfacing on both sides.

rameire

there was cheeswire in place behind the red and white bollards.
they have removed them now. they used to get damaged all the time and i presume were very expensive to repair all the time.
they are just putting floppy orange wands in place.
they should really put a concrete barrier in place.

I predict a large crash and some fatalaties northbound at the slip road within the next 6 months.

murphaph

I noticed that a "trench" about 3 inches deep has been scoured out along the line of the old wire barrier. I immediately assumed they'll be putting in a concrete barrier there. Time will tell. It's a pain not being able to nip onto Tay Lane when heading into Newcastle though...adds an extra 5 mins to the trip.

Not

Victor wrote: »

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=19842

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=19555

Interesting. Although the speed limit at Rathcoole has actually legally been 60km/h outbound from Dublin since the 13th September, I have yet to see any signs advising motorists of this.

Although on the other side there have been signs a good while now. The first couple of times I saw them and tryed to comply as best I could, both times nearly got wiped off the road, hence for my own safety my strategy now is to go with the flow - which rarely slows down at all. So maybe they shouldn't bother with signs outbound.

flop

Hi all,

I see there are major roadworks in palce on the M7 at J4 until Dec 1st. I am wondering if anyone is communiting along this direction can they tell me how long the delays are and how long the tail baks stretch.

I typically communute along this route once a week to get to Damatstown Dublin 15. If the delays are as bad a i fear then i may look at alternate routes off J7/6 or 5

Cheers
Flop

keithgalby

I came up from Portlaoise to Blanchardstown which I commute every day. I found the traffic to continously move without any major delays. I would recommend giving yourself an extra 20 minutes as traffic will likely get heavy mid-to-end of week.

flop

Thanks for the update Keith.

I heard on Morning Ireland this morning that the traffic was backed up as far as kill (J7) this morning around 8am.

Seems i will be delayedf by 20 mins if i stay on the N7 or take a detour via Straffan/Maynooth.

Flop

lynchie

flop wrote: »

Thanks for the update Keith.

I heard on Morning Ireland this morning that the traffic was backed up as far as kill (J7) this morning around 8am.

Seems i will be delayedf by 20 mins if i stay on the N7 or take a detour via Straffan/Maynooth.

Flop

I left Kill at 7:30 this morning and it was backed up between Kill and Johnstown exists. Inbound at Rathcoole is down to two lanes yet outbound is still 3 lanes :eek:

rameire

travelled by the bridge works this morning.

the traffic was back to between junction 6 and 7 and was moving at a slower than normal pace.

took me an extra 5 min or so to navigate the traffic.
prob will add between 20 and 30 min for a car driver.
they have a contra flow a full 2 lanes in place at the junction until just after the esso station for the outbound traffic, they also have 1 lane on the correct side still in place outbound.
if you want to go to the esso, you will need to use the lane on the correct side and not in the contra flow lanes.

MaceFace

Went Dublin bound about 6.45am this morning and travelled in the car at 20km/h due to what I think was rubber necking to the southbound carriageway.
Southbound, where it goes into 1 lane and a seperate 2 lane carriageway - the single lane was blocked with the Guards there. Possible accident.

Not looking forward to going home.

-Corkie-

What exactly are they doing????. Looks like a waste of money to me. Why have Dublin bound 2 lanes and Naas 3. If they had any brains they would have a system to have 3 lanes on either side for rush hour traffic.

rameire

-Corkie- wrote: »

What exactly are they doing????. Looks like a waste of money to me. Why have Dublin bound 2 lanes and Naas 3. If they had any brains they would have a system to have 3 lanes on either side for rush hour traffic.

they dont have enough space for 3 lanes for each direction.
and it looks like re-inforcement works on the bridge, probably after a bridge strike.

Well that was fun today! I left work at half 3 (been going in early to avoid the traffic in the morning) and was stuck for ages between Newlands and Rathcoole. They've made a serious mess of this. I believe the traffic is still mental...

rameire

what ever it was, it was retarded.

they reduced the lanes outbound from 3 lanes to 1 lane and then opened it up again just before the bridge.
it was purely stupid and unnecessary.
trafic was mental on the way home at 5.30 and back up all the way bumper to bumper passed the mad cow.
it added an extta 10 min onto my journey

foggy_lad

Left Dublin at 6pm and just got past those roadworks now! They have closed all naas bound lanes and are using two lanes on the city bound carriageway for outbound traffic! A complete mess tonight!

starviewadams

Traffic outbound is still horrendous looking from my window here (am just beside Newlands X)haven't seen it this bad at this time of the evening since the snow last year.

Citybound traffic is moving as normal.

Cant wait to see what its like when they start work at Newlands X next year!

RIRI

While I don;t doubt that these works are necessary do they really have to work on the roads during rush hour? It took me 2 hours and 20 mins to travel all of 7 miles from the Red Cow Inn to Newcastle this evening. Anyone know who the contractor is so I can send them the bill for the extra childcare

Seriously though I am penning a letter to sdcc about their lack of foresight & planning. In any other country these works would be carried out at night. Apart form anything else it is dangerous, between the rubberecking & frustration people tend to take chances. Rant over - i'm off to plan my rout home for tomorrow

TheBazman

It was down to one lane outbound until around 4:30 this afternoon. It just couldnt cope with the volume. I was stuck for around an hour and a half and that was early.

Chris_5339762

AA Roadwatch are citing "emergency works". What in heavens name did they do to cause this mess?

mightysurveyor

Shambolic carry on this afternoon at Rathcoole. To think in this day and age nobody with any foresight thought that they'd reduce a major motorway down to one lane at peak time.

The contractor and SDCC will be getting galloped out of it in the morning. I swear I'm still fit to strangle someone and I'm home two hours ago.

foggy_lad

RIRI wrote: »

While I don;t doubt that these works are necessary do they really have to work on the roads during rush hour? It took me 2 hours and 20 mins to travel all of 7 miles from the Red Cow Inn to Newcastle this evening. Anyone know who the contractor is so I can send them the bill for the extra childcare

Seriously though I am penning a letter to sdcc about their lack of foresight & planning. In any other country these works would be carried out at night. Apart form anything else it is dangerous, between the rubberecking & frustration people tend to take chances. Rant over - i'm off to plan my rout home for tomorrow

they are not doing the roadworks\repairs yet! they are just redirecting traffic away from the bridge they need to work on and when finished in the morning there will be 4lanes on the inbound side of the naas road two heading inbound and two outbound. this will remain in place until early next month.

millb

I saw a sign saying the Brittas - Bornabreena back road will be closed next week for roadworks... :mad:HELL SDCC why make the N7 worse??:mad:
Crucify the nation

millb

That route closed from 10am till 4pm. Mon 8th- Friday 12th
and 8-4 Sat / Sun 14th.

http://www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=939&pid=19905

Still a hassle for a few thousand N81 / N7 corridor commuters.

manufanu

http://www.sdcc.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=694&Itemid=54

Note point number 3:

During daytime hours 3 lanes heading west out of Dublin will be maintained at all times and inbound traffic heading east to Dublin will be reduced to 2 lanes for duration of the works.

This work should be done between the hours of 8pm to 6am like most road projects. Drove by this morning at 7am and not a worker in sight, do the council have monkeys in the offices making decisions for them? They should also have done it during the summer when the schools are off and the traffic is lighter. This is just another typical end of year budget scheme. Wait till November to see how much money is left and then spend, spend, spend to use up the full budget so that they will be allocated a similar budget next year.

BAM are the main contractors for all those people who want to give them hell.

pclive

I understand the frustration etc with the long delays outbound on the n7yesterday evening but did any of the previous posters not hear it on the traffic reports advising that outbound was down to 1 lane and to take an alternative route? I heard it from about 4pm.
Did you hear it and think oh well it might not be that bad etc or is this the only viable route home for you?
I believe a lot of motorists are unwilling or incapable of leaving their usual route home.
Any thoughts on this?

manufanu

Well I did here the news and turned off the M50 at Tallaght and got home 15 mins later than usual which was fine, but I know people who were parked at the Luas at the Red Cow and they have to turn on to the N7 to get home. Took 25 mins to get from Luas to Green Isle Hotel, which is about 200m.

Triangla

pclive wrote: »

I understand the frustration etc with the long delays outbound on the n7yesterday evening but did any of the previous posters not hear it on the traffic reports advising that outbound was down to 1 lane and to take an alternative route? I heard it from about 4pm.
Did you hear it and think oh well it might not be that bad etc or is this the only viable route home for you?
I believe a lot of motorists are unwilling or incapable of leaving their usual route home.
Any thoughts on this?

Eh - It's not like we can just magic up a new road.

I've taken alternate routes before and they are usually worse. You end up taking a detour that everyone else is taking, get caught up in traffic and can get lost.

Also, if you're going from Dublin to Naas, you may not have any option but to take the Naas road.

I drove from Dublin to Kilkenny yesterday. It took 2hrs 30mins to get the 10 miles to the road works. There were cars with parents & kids and buses full of people around and you could see them going mental inside. I myself was bursting for a pi$$ and had to hold it until I could actually pull in and do it legally.

The issue isn't the roadworks, they need to occur. The issue is how it was managed.

There's delays and there's utter madness, the radio alert yesterday said it was down to two lanes until 7pm, and would go down to one lane from then.

I passed the actual roadworks at around half 6 and it was down to one lane and there was no sign of actual construction work going on, just machinery.

These works should have been planned for summer when traffic is lighter and there is more daylight.

The actual work should have occurred, as in a previous post, from 8pm to 6am. Basically when the road is not being used as much.

There was absolutlely no regard at all given for the road user. No detours or contraflows in inbound lane arranged.

Also, the barriers up there are lethal, grey concrete that is difficult to see in bad weather - at all speeds. No reflective material at all on them. When they are wet and it's dark they look like the actual road.

Whoever signed off on these works should go away and learn how to do their job before making more stupid decisions.

Letter of complaint and phonecall going to SDCC this morning.

pclive

The extra lanes were closed due to road subsidence, it was not planned works

smokingman

I heard that it was due to be down to one lane from 8pm-3am just before the 5pm news - this was on the AA Roadwatch report so whatever mess actually happened, it doesn't look like it was planned.

Either that or the clowns in charge just decided to deliberately mess with peoples evenings (took me two and a half hours to get home compared to 50 mins...)

pclive

Emergency roadworks dont tend to be planned hence the name

MaceFace

It actually was a disaster yesterday - no doubt about it.

I was there about 3.20 and here is what I found:

Everything slowed to a crawl two or three miles before the roadworks.
I switched to the overtaking lane as it was moving much faster. The inside lane was very very slow - almost not moving.
When I got to the roadworks, it went from 3 lanes to 2 (overtaking lane merged into middle lane), and then middle lane merged into inside lane).
After maybe 300m or so of one lane with absolutely nothing in the coned off 2 outer lanes, it opened up again to two lanes.
I took the outside lane which went on to the Northbound carriageway.
I think I saw why it was down to two lanes - there was a hole in one of the lanes (the normal overtaking lane of the Northbound carriageway). It was maybe 1 foot in diameter and maybe 3-5 inches deep. It looked to me like a digger damaged the road.
There were a few guys talking maybe 20m past this with very little action.

Anway, the reason it was a disaster:
1. It went from 3 lanes to 1 and back to 2. No obvious reason to not keep two lanes open.
2. All traffic updates from this time (including Dublin City FM) mentioned that the road was down to two lanes, not one. I got home about 4.15 and nothing I heard up to this time mentioned one lane.

Mers1

It was absolutely ridiculous, fine if there was an emergency, but dont close the lanes where they really did not need to be closed! It took me 75 mins to get from Newlands Cross to Avoca, at this stage the guys were well and truly packing up! A colleague left at 9pm and it too took him just over an hour to reach the same point, however, there was no one to be seen at this time, road clear but lanes still closed!

Who is the idiot in charge of the project, and why weren't the Guards out trying to sort out the chaos?

Unbelievable!

rameire

pclive wrote: »

I understand the frustration etc with the long delays outbound on the n7yesterday evening but did any of the previous posters not hear it on the traffic reports advising that outbound was down to 1 lane and to take an alternative route? I heard it from about 4pm.
Did you hear it and think oh well it might not be that bad etc or is this the only viable route home for you?
I believe a lot of motorists are unwilling or incapable of leaving their usual route home.
Any thoughts on this?

i didnt hear it no.
i drive a motorbike so dont have radio.
but id say alot of people are like that, they cannot change as they may end up lost.
if i was driving the car i would have heard it and changed my route, as i know alot of the rat runs and other roads to get passed the N7.

AlekSmart

Who is the idiot in charge of the project, and why weren't the Guards out trying to sort out the chaos?

Unbelievable!

Mers1,you will find a great deal of difficulty in conatcting the "Individual" idiot responsible for this scenario as the Local Authorities have a substantial reserve of such people.

You may well have to wait until the project finishes and a large Sign is erected with a list of fine-fellows who were involved in whatever project is ongoing here.

The essence of ALL such projects in Ireland is the "Office Hours" ethos.

This,for example was most publicly seen on the long running (!) O Connell St upgrade project when long balmy summer days went past with no work being attempted.

Then usually around the Winter Equinox we would see a sudden emergence of labourers attempting to perform their tasks in driving rain,frost and even snow totally oblivious to the productive elements which had existed during the summer.

Added to this is the 0800-1600 time frame caused by an unwillingness to pay workers shift premia which might increase the tender price.

At no point in the traditional Irish Civic Administration physche does the "Just Get it Done " principle feature.....

As to the second point....

why weren't the Guards out trying to sort out the chaos?

They most likely were`nt told and had to rely on after the event reports....at that stage it`s waaaay too late.

Worse still Mers1,it`s Totally believable and in the Irish context even Predictable !!

Mul75

Does anyone know if this has now been cleared and we're back to "normality" or are we going to be down to 1 lane for the foreseeable future?

BTW, in response to PCLIVE:
1) My wife gets the bus home and that took her 3 hours from Inchicore to Saggart...no way that she can take an alternative route.
2) I have often (and when I say often, I mean over 20 or 30 times) listened to a traffic report on a radio station telling me that a certain road is chocabloc (or even completely clear) when actually, it's the complete opposite, so there are no guarantees there either. You might think that a texter is the most relevant and realtime update as well but you are sorely mistaken. By the time they read those out, the situation has usually changed.
3) What if you happen to be listening to your own music, rather than the muck on the radio and don't hear the traffic report?!

In short...there are various reasons why people were travelling on the N7 yesterday and it's not necessarily down to stupidy, laziness or unwillingness to take a different route, so less of the sarcasm and just make your point.

foggy_lad

to avoid this heading to naas or southeast take the N4 onto the M4 and torn off at maynooth and head into straffan or clane on to naas or take the blessington road from citywest and turn off onto the naas road, there are plenty of longer routes which may be a few miles longer but will not involve delays of over 90 minutes.

Pablod

Was about to head home yesterday, and got a call from a work colleague who was stuck at rathcoole, left kylemore road at 4:45 got to rathcoole an hour later !!!!

No thanks- took a nice detour, ended up going through clondalkin, throgh newcastle out the back road towards celbridge, take a quick left and your out at the castlewarden turn off at the N7 (just past the jonston logistics)
The back road is lethal as you can just about squeeze two cars down it
But beats sitting on the N7

Saying that took the usual route home today and it was flowing ok-ish past rathcoole

foggy_lad

The major hassles were caused by closing off the lanes outbound and moving that traffic onto two lanes on the inbound carriageway. And the miserable weather won't have helped.

Redsoxfan

Mul75 wrote: »

3) What if you happen to be listening to your own music, rather than the muck on the radio and don't hear the traffic report?!

And this is why we need Traffic Advice re-installed on broadcast system!

ThisRegard

Mul75 wrote: »

2) I have often (and when I say often, I mean over 20 or 30 times) listened to a traffic report on a radio station telling me that a certain road is chocabloc (or even completely clear) when actually, it's the complete opposite, so there are no guarantees there either. You might think that a texter is the most relevant and realtime update as well but you are sorely mistaken. By the time they read those out, the situation has usually changed.

That's usually the AA Roadwatch, very rare are they accurate and spout the same guff everyday. You need to listen to Live Drive on Dublin City FM, they're always bang on and were flagging the issues on the N7 from 4 o'clock, the reports I heard all mentioned it was down to one lane and back to the Red Cow.

flop

So what is the status of the road today? AA roadwatch says the following below but i would rather hear from first hand experience.

Cheers
Flop



*N7/RATHCOOLE* The N7/Naas Rd inbound is down to two lanes at J4 Rathcoole. Morning commuters should allow for 20 minute delays as major works continue here until December. Alternative routes: the N81 Baltinglass Rd or the N4 Lucan Rd. Outbound traffic was just affected on Wednesday 3rd but is back to 3 lanes now.

Vic_08

flop wrote: »

So what is the status of the road today? AA roadwatch says the following below but i would rather hear from first hand experience.

Cheers
Flop



*N7/RATHCOOLE* The N7/Naas Rd inbound is down to two lanes at J4 Rathcoole. Morning commuters should allow for 20 minute delays as major works continue here until December. Alternative routes: the N81 Baltinglass Rd or the N4 Lucan Rd. Outbound traffic was just affected on Wednesday 3rd but is back to 3 lanes now.

Should be OK. Passed earlier this afternoon and it was 3 lanes outbound as above.

From what I have been told what happened on Wednesday was that the 2 contraflow lanes heading outbound had to be closed in the afternoon for emergency works. This was due to the temporary surface laid across the central reservation breaking up and becoming dangerous. I drove down there that morning and there was a large hole forming, it gave the bus wheel a good bang. A few hours later and I would say it was capable of ripping car wheel off.

wellbutty

Havent been up in Dublin at peak morning time for a few years, if I have to be in the airport at 8.30 on Thursday, what's the latest I'd have to be passing Naas at??? Thanks

rameire

4.30 its really bad.

only joking
id say 7.30 at naas
should be no more than an hour from there.