Road layout at Beacon Hotel/city bound Blackthorn Road

puppy cat

http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&q=blackthorn+road+sandyford+map&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Blackthorn+Rd,+Stillorgan,+Co.+Dun+Laoghaire&gl=ie&ei=a2LgTJKOE8qBhQf-69T9DA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA

Heading northbound on M50, take exit to head towards sandyford ind est, Beacon Hotel on your right, you're heading towards the traffic lights at big crossroads.

So there's 2 lanes on the right which are for turning right into Sandyford ind est only, the lane on the left is for turning left and going straight only. But when you come through the lights at the roundabout on the flyover you're automatically in the far left lane for turning right up ahead at the lights.

Since the new slip road has opened from M50 southbound all that traffic is coming into the left turn/straight ahead only lane.

So if you're trying to get into the lane for turning left/straight at the lights you more often than not can't get into it because of the slip lane traffic. You can't nip across the hatched lines either. And you can't keep driving down the lane your in because that's for turning right only. And more often than not the lane you need to be in to either turn left or drive straight ahead is full of traffic coming off the M50. So what do you do? Come to a complete stop in the lane you're in? Risk being rear ended, chewed out of it (as happened to me when the guy behind me took the time to get out of his car and attempt to put his fist through my window! :eek:)

It's just such a bad layout (surprise surprise) and there have already been numerous accidents there, each driver blaming the other, causes mayhem for the rest of us.

Anyone got any idea what the correct procedure is? It's doing my head in!

I realise my explanation of things may not be great so I'm hoping there's a few on here that are familiar with the particular layout i'm talking about.

meemeep

It's one of many disasters out there. I take the same route you do but I've had no problems changing from middle to left - it's the slip road trying to get to far right that have the biggest problem I think.

Another disaster is leopardstown roundabout (central park) into the industrial estate. Coming from sandyford there is a slip road which merges with traffic coming from roundabout. But there is jostling for position to get into right or left lane depending on where you are headed in the ind. estate. If there's no gap, you end up driving up the left hand lane with right indicator on hoping for a nice person to let you in, but most think you are skipping the traffic and refuse! Alternative is to stop and wait with ind. on, thereby holding up the left lane traffic - not good either.

copacetic

where are you heading for OP? If heading toward straight on toward goatstown. The right turn @ crossroads gets more light time in mornings so you could take it, go down to the new left turn at end of road and drive back up parallel to luas turning right onto the link road at the kilmacud stop.

Or a lot of people just force their way into the straight on lane a the junction itself, but this can be riskly also as it annoys people who have been stuck waiting for less light time in the straight on lane.

Personally I'd never go near that area unless going to into the estate itself if there was any other option.

Del2005

puppy cat wrote: »

http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&q=blackthorn+road+sandyford+map&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Blackthorn+Rd,+Stillorgan,+Co.+Dun+Laoghaire&gl=ie&ei=a2LgTJKOE8qBhQf-69T9DA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA

Heading northbound on M50, take exit to head towards sandyford ind est, Beacon Hotel on your right, you're heading towards the traffic lights at big crossroads.

So there's 2 lanes on the right which are for turning right into Sandyford ind est only, the lane on the left is for turning left and going straight only. But when you come through the lights at the roundabout on the flyover you're automatically in the far left lane for turning right up ahead at the lights.

Since the new slip road has opened from M50 southbound all that traffic is coming into the left turn/straight ahead only lane.

So if you're trying to get into the lane for turning left/straight at the lights you more often than not can't get into it because of the slip lane traffic. You can't nip across the hatched lines either. And you can't keep driving down the lane your in because that's for turning right only. And more often than not the lane you need to be in to either turn left or drive straight ahead is full of traffic coming off the M50. So what do you do? Come to a complete stop in the lane you're in? Risk being rear ended, chewed out of it (as happened to me when the guy behind me took the time to get out of his car and attempt to put his fist through my window! :eek:)

It's just such a bad layout (surprise surprise) and there have already been numerous accidents there, each driver blaming the other, causes mayhem for the rest of us.

Anyone got any idea what the correct procedure is? It's doing my head in!

I realise my explanation of things may not be great so I'm hoping there's a few on here that are familiar with the particular layout i'm talking about.

If traffic is backing up you can drive across hatchings, they aren't solid barriers. I've driven buses and trucks across hatch markings when doing the driving test and never failed, you get marked down for obstruction if you don't.

You can always drive slowly down the right turn lane and about half way down signal and stop if necessary, it's up to drivers behind to leave enough space for them to stop and if you're going slow they should be able. Otherwise you'll have to turn right and do a U turn around the Beacon.

puppy cat

copacetic wrote: »

where are you heading for OP? If heading toward straight on toward goatstown. The right turn @ crossroads gets more light time in mornings so you could take it, go down to the new left turn at end of road and drive back up parallel to luas turning right onto the link road at the kilmacud stop.

Or a lot of people just force their way into the straight on lane a the junction itself, but this can be riskly also as it annoys people who have been stuck waiting for less light time in the straight on lane.

Personally I'd never go near that area unless going to into the estate itself if there was any other option.

I get where you're coming from about turning right instead, but seriously, do these so called roads planners actually drive or do they just sit in an office every day behind a computer and walk to and from work??? It makes my blood boil :mad:

Del2005 wrote: »

If traffic is backing up you can drive across hatchings, they aren't solid barriers. I've driven buses and trucks across hatch markings when doing the driving test and never failed, you get marked down for obstruction if you don't.

You can always drive slowly down the right turn lane and about half way down signal and stop if necessary, it's up to drivers behind to leave enough space for them to stop and if you're going slow they should be able. Otherwise you'll have to turn right and do a U turn around the Beacon.

I can't believe that about the hatched lines! I got pulled recently in that exact spot, cop didn't take any notice of my explanation, or listen to my questions about the layout, and tbh that is what has prompted my OP, that and the crazy loon who tried smashing my drivers side window to murder me for stopping and putting my indicator on to try to merge into the lane.

Unfortunately I can't avoid the area at all and the stress of it is making me sick! I'm not a nervous/anxious driver at all, but its the reactions from the other drivers around me that gets to me, everyone thinks they're right, i'm wrong, and nobody gives an inch when you're trying to change lane.

I like my car, i like my NCB, I like that I've never injured anyone else on the road, or damaged their car, or succumbed to road rage........I'm not a driving miss daisy type of driver, i'm not out to annoy anyone, or wind people up, i just want to get from A to B in one piece without any hassle!

The whole place is a shambles

copacetic

Where roughly to you need to end up? There are always other ways to go if it is getting to you that much, even just hitting it 30mins early would prob mean no issue.

puppy cat

copacetic wrote: »

Where roughly to you need to end up? There are always other ways to go if it is getting to you that much, even just hitting it 30mins early would prob mean no issue.

Do you know what?
You're dead right. I'm just going to avoid that area from now on, it's not worth the stress and potential for an accident (through no fault of my own? who knows with the way that road is laid out!)

I've been there at lots of different times of day, different days of the week, and it's always the same.

Still though, what were they thinking when that layout was proposed? There's going to be a major pile up there at some stage, or someone will completely lose the plot and go all Michael Douglas in "Falling Down"!

I won't be there to witness it though.

Del2005

puppy cat wrote: »

I can't believe that about the hatched lines! I got pulled recently in that exact spot, cop didn't take any notice of my explanation, or listen to my questions about the layout, and tbh that is what has prompted my OP, that and the crazy loon who tried smashing my drivers side window to murder me for stopping and putting my indicator on to try to merge into the lane.

Unfortunately I can't avoid the area at all and the stress of it is making me sick! I'm not a nervous/anxious driver at all, but its the reactions from the other drivers around me that gets to me, everyone thinks they're right, i'm wrong, and nobody gives an inch when you're trying to change lane.

I like my car, i like my NCB, I like that I've never injured anyone else on the road, or damaged their car, or succumbed to road rage........I'm not a driving miss daisy type of driver, i'm not out to annoy anyone, or wind people up, i just want to get from A to B in one piece without any hassle!

The whole place is a shambles

A jobsworth Gardaí with no clue of the real world.

The only option then would be to get off the exit before and go through the estate or go up the link road and back down to join in the correct lane.