Travelling-time experiment

CUCINA

I did a little experiment this morning on the way to work, to check what is the quickest time possible (LEGALLY!) to make to drive from Dunshaughlin village to the Easy Pass "bleep" sound on the South-bound M50, on the way to the Lucan exit.

I drove consistantly at the various maximum permitted speed limits along the route, un-impeded by any other traffic...fairly quiet on the road, so I didn't have to slow down or stop at any point along the way...ideal conditions.

Left Dunshaughlin at 9:00am, heard the Toll bleep at... 9:16am.

The total journey time to where I work near Liffey Valley took 25 minutes exactly.
In the good ol', bad ol' pre-M3/M50 upgrade days, the same Saturday journey-time would have taken nearly least twice as long, (again legally speaking!) with, for example, the delays, and stops required, at the various roundabouts approaching Blanchardstown and the M50.

So despite all the current doom and gloom, one legacy of the Celtic Tiger (maybe the only one!) has been the huge improvemnt in roads generally, right around the country.

PauloMN

Well I lived in Clonee for around 12 years before moving to Trim, and with the new N3/M50 junction and the M3 I can get from where I work in Dublin to Trim in the same time it took me to get from Dublin to Clonee before as I don't get held up at Blanch on the way in, or at Castleknock on the way home.

So glad all the road improvements around here were started before the recession really kicked in as they might never have gone ahead otherwise. Can't really remember what the old Trim-Dublin (R154) was like but it's a grand road now, and of course that terrible T-junction where the old N3 and R154 met is also gone now, so no hold-ups there either.

Only thing I need to do now is get myself a diesel as the cost of petrol is killing me!

chewed

Yes, but you have to pay (twice) for this privelege!

Skrynesaver

chewed wrote: »

Yes, but you have to pay (twice) for this privelege!

Indeed and if enough of us don't everyone else has to pick up the shortfall !

CUCINA

On that journey last Saturday morning, I joined the M3 from Fairyhouse/Dunboyne, by-passing the tolls on the M3. Also, I don't normally even use the M50 on my commute and my normal journey time takes only an extra 10 minutes.
But there is still a big benefit in having the M3 up and running even if you don't use it...this is especially so on the return journey in the evening. It is now virtually non-stop to Dunshaughlin from Clonee through Fairyhouse, and on into the village. The trip from Cherryorchard, on the far side of Liffey valley, to home is now consistantly 40 minutes, compared to previous times when it took an hour and a quarter...so happy days!

Debs_man

The M3 has been a huge benefit to those living in Cavan and North Meath as it improved journey times.

meercat

Debs_man wrote: »

The M3 has been a huge benefit to those living in Cavan and North Meath as it improved journey times.

i agree
it also helps to avoid the revenue gathering machines which frequent the old n3 almost daily
think meath must have the most safety camera vans
one at fairyhouse today 1oclock
another navan today 2.15
and yet another in oldcastle at 3oclock today
if you were not paying attention 9 points & €240 down in one day

bladespin

I tried a couple of similar experiments, I left my house in Navan, Kingscourt rd one Saturday and found myself behind a lorry transporting an ambulance, I followed it to the Motorway exit on the South side of town (beside the Willows) and then headed for the motorway, I drove along the M3 at fairly legal speeds all the way to the clonee interchange when the lorry again appeared in front of me (same reg, ambulance still aboard ).

I have to admit being a little shocked that there was little or nothing in the time difference, I doubt the lorry took the N3 at anything more than legal speeds, I even have an easypass so the toll wouldn't have caused much of a delay for me. This was midday so traffic would have been fairly light.

Later that week, to satisfy my own curiosity I timed myself using the M3 than the N3 both in the morning 8am and evening 6.30pm, on one occasion the old N3 was a couple of minutes faster though traffic was very light that evening and on another it was less than a minute slower.

I don't use the motorway anymore, paying €2.60 to save 2 minutes is a bit of a laugh IMO.