Seamus Quirke roadworks merge

snubbleste

The hospital exit to the Corrib Park roundabout was open today. It is normally closed at weekends. Anyone know why it is usually closed or whether it was part of the granted planning permission that it would be closed at weekends?

at1withmyself

The rahoon road exit opposite the Oaks Hotel was changed to allow works where the road used to be but other then the idiots coming out from the junction on the Oaks side and making illegal right turns there doesn't seem to be any effect on traffic. They are going doing something similar by the Dunnes entrance further down which shouldn't make any difference either.

There does some to be something planned down by the Corrib Park roundabout though which will make exiting onto the roundabout interesting unless they dig up the island. Might otherwise cause extra delays in the area.

Wonder is it still on schedule for completion in October??

Sponge Bob

at1withmyself wrote: »

Wonder is it still on schedule for completion in October??

October 2012 more like. The only bit of good news is that they are out blocking right hand turns at Aldi, finally.

Lad working up there says they will deffo stop eastbound traffic from turning right into Aldi even if they gotta barrier not cone it. They will stop eastbound traffic turning right OUT of Aldi as well he says by knocking out the traffic lights altogether.

Phase 1 will be cones and a no right turn sign

galah

good to see that. Hope they get rid of that dumb filter light turning left from shantalla direction onto Seamus Quirke as well - that light does not reflect reality and is constantly ignored by pretty much everyone...might as well switch it off completely. (and while we're at it - can anyone tell me the point of the lollipop people AT the trafic lights, stopping traffic INBETWEEN green phases? (ensuring that kids can safely cross while the pedestrian light is green - fine, there are enough motorists breaking the red lights, I can see the need. But adding additional stop phases on top of the traffic lights is really annoying and unnecesssary. My opinion.)

That Aldi exit was stupidly contructed as well, really. A right hand turn should have never been allowed there - they should have had the entry/exit either straight onto Seamus Quirke, or into the estate behind it....

snubbleste

galah wrote: »

. (and while we're at it - can anyone tell me the point of the lollipop people AT the trafic lights, stopping traffic INBETWEEN green phases? (ensuring that kids can safely cross while the pedestrian light is green - fine, there are enough motorists breaking the red lights, I can see the need. But adding additional stop phases on top of the traffic lights is really annoying and unnecesssary. My opinion.)
That Aldi exit was stupidly contructed as well, really.

Have you actually seen this happen?

meh..

Storm 10

In fairness I have not been stopped by the lolly pop man when the lights are green, I have seen him loads of times escorting people across the road when the lights are red, also I think its wrong to stop people turning right as there was always an arrow there to allow this, If I was working in Aldi I would not be very happy as it puts people off going in there. I dont think enough thought was put into this junction for this road upgrade.

Robbo

Storm 10 wrote: »

In fairness I have not been stopped by the lolly pop man when the lights are green, I have seen him loads of times escorting people across the road when the lights are red, also I think its wrong to stop people turning right as there was always an arrow there to allow this, If I was working in Aldi I would not be very happy as it puts people off going in there. I dont think enough thought was put into this junction for this road upgrade.

Fair enough there's an arrow there but the problem is that the filter lane isn't there and it backs things up something rotten when people ignore the orange signs and turn right.

For the record, I have been stopped there by the lollipop man when the lights were green, and at the crossing/lights at the Pres primary. It doesn't bother me in any way but it does seem particularly redundant at these places where light controlled crossings have been put in.

Storm 10

Yeah it makes no sense to have a lolly pop man at a pedestrian crossing as they will cross with the green light anyway, I always thought they were intended for crossing near a school where there was no lights. I still maintain they did not think out this junction at the planning for the road.
They could easily have moved the island where you turn right into Aldi and that would have given you a bit more space for a right turn there.

Did you see where they had to open a new road at Dunnes Westside as the traders in there rightly protested when they were going to close the road and divert you around the Corrib Park roundabout and in the back way. Either way lets all hope this works

galah

snubbleste wrote: »

Have you actually seen this happen?

meh..

I have (otherwise I wouldn't have written it - I don't have a random grudge against the lollipop man - I think they're great, but just a bit annoying if they work against the traffic lights as well ;-))

Would/could they not take the opportunity to revamp that crossroad there as well? The traffic lights definitely need to be changed, and they could alos change the exit for Aldi...

snubbleste

I've never seen the lollipop fella at that junction stepping out when the light for traffic was green..ever. I think he's a bit lazy, because when the kids cross the main part of the junction, motorists continue to drive through the red light at the filter lane(westbound) putting lives in danger and he seems not to care too much when I queried him about it..three years ago.

AAroadwatch referring to Seamus Quirke Road as Bishop O'Donnell Road. Also broadcast to the nation that the works will finish in December.

Sponge Bob

snubbleste wrote: »

AAroadwatch referring to Seamus Quirke Road as Bishop O'Donnell Road. Also broadcast to the nation that the works will finish in December.

Only if all the services are under the carriageway they are working on for nearly a year now. Means digging up the old road will be easy.

A 2011 finish looks absolutely impossible to me . They will have no new road open for the races...meaning early august after the holidays. None.

galwaycyclist

Robbo wrote: »

For the record, I have been stopped there by the lollipop man when the lights were green, and at the crossing/lights at the Pres primary. It doesn't bother me in any way but it does seem particularly redundant at these places where light controlled crossings have been put in.

Hmm I got beeped at by an irate motorist recently because I had stopped at a red light at the pedestrian crossing at Aldi - the light would have been green for the pedestrians. I got off my bicycle to clarify his position regarding red lights and he told me the lights were "wrong" and I should keep going.

If I had kids walking to school I would not be inclined to assume the "green man" is any protection. Bearing in mind also that Ireland historically had the highest child pedestrian death rate in Western Europe.

Iwannahurl

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Hmm I got beeped at by an irate motorist recently because I had stopped at a red light at the pedestrian crossing at Aldi - the light would have been green for the pedestrians. I got off my bicycle to clarify his position regarding red lights and he told me the lights were "wrong" and I should keep going.

If I had kids walking to school I would not be inclined to assume the "green man" is any protection. Bearing in mind also that Ireland historically had the highest child pedestrian death rate in Western Europe.

Have you considered working for the diplomatic corps or the UN?




.

snubbleste

So for all those complaining about the bus lane and cycle lane..now is your chance to air your gripes about part of it.

Plans are available to view at City Hall until 22 August
Submissions and observations to be made by 5 September.
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/060711_02.html

inisboffin

snubbleste wrote: »

So for all those complaining about the bus lane and cycle lane..now is your chance to air your gripes about part of it.

Plans are available to view at City Hall until 22 August
Submissions and observations to be made by 5 September.
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/060711_02.html

This is for a whole different bus lane/cycle lane up the 'top' Rahoon Road, not on the main road. I'd say there is going to be war on this one. The bus lane is only to be used by City Direct buses, the Bus Eireann can't stop at their stops! Also, according to the first plans I had a look at, they'll either have to take a chunk out of the back gardens of Cruachan Park or a chunk out of Rockfield. I know someone who the latter would effect, and they are already having structural damage as their house is up near the graveyard and the road is way busier up there. If they widen it, their bedroom would basically be on a bus!

Iwannahurl

snubbleste wrote: »

So for all those complaining about the bus lane and cycle lane..now is your chance to air your gripes about part of it.

Plans are available to view at City Hall until 22 August
Submissions and observations to be made by 5 September.
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/060711_02.html

I think this is the road/link in question.

In general, what is the value of a bus route where buses just get caught up in general traffic? IIRC this stretch of road is routinely jammed with cars of a morning. A bus lane would give buses an advantage, which in general is a reasonable aim IMO.

inisboffin

Iwannahurl wrote: »

snubbleste wrote: »

So for all those complaining about the bus lane and cycle lane..now is your chance to air your gripes about part of it.

Plans are available to view at City Hall until 22 August
Submissions and observations to be made by 5 September.
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/060711_02.html

I think this is the road/link in question.

In general, what is the value of a bus route where buses just get caught up in general traffic? IIRC this stretch of road is routinely jammed with cars of a morning. A bus lane would give buses an advantage, which in general is a reasonable aim IMO.

It's essentially from by the graveyard to the junction at Hanley Oaks. It is only for use (at the moment) for City Direct stops, not Bus Éireann. I'm not against bus lanes at all but the plans for this small section will be incredibly intrusive to local houses. Traffic is bad there at the moment, particularly due to the diversions. The main junction is littered with crash debris from a lot of recent accidents too.

Storm 10

The roadworks wont be finished until December according to todays Sentinal, not a hope, some time in 2012 the way its going. its gone very slow lately.

soundbyte

Storm 10 wrote: »

The roadworks wont be finished until December according to todays Sentinal, not a hope, some time in 2012 the way its going. its gone very slow lately.

Ya, they said the completion date was *always* going to be December. That's a lie, it was October.

Interestingly, they have no late penalty clause for the contractor and there is no actual 'finish by date'???

And this after they only had a verbal agreement with the guys who own the land at Dunarus?

Another Eyre Square debacle on the horizon anyone??

Chicken1

Yesterday I passed by the roadworks and I counted 8 people that I could see working from the Corrib Park roundabout to the top of Taylors hill, this morning I counted 4 from Dunnes stores to the Corrib Park roundabout, surely a major job like this should be crawling with workers if its to be finished on time. There is no way this roadworks will be completed by December. wont they have to spend the same length of time on the opposite side. The most that I have seen there are the guys building the beautiful wall, I counted 8 working on it. Anyone any thoughts on this and when its likely to finish.

Sponge Bob

October........................................2012

Storm 10

There is no way it will be finished on time, it has got very slow in the last while, I even thought that when I was passing yesterday there was very few workers around the place.

Malice

Remember that there's no penalty to be imposed if (when) the deadline is missed so there's no incentive for anyone to be working hard on the roadworks.

Storm 10

Malice wrote: »

Remember that there's no penalty to be imposed if (when) the deadline is missed so there's no incentive for anyone to be working hard on the roadworks.

I could not understand how a major road upgrade that causes so much disruption to residents and business in the area had no time penalty built into the contract. You would think that whoever signed the contract would have looked at it.

KevR

The opposite side won't take as long but progress is still painfully slow of late.

soundbyte

Storm 10 wrote: »

I could not understand how a major road upgrade that causes so much disruption to residents and business in the area had no time penalty built into the contract. You would think that whoever signed the contract would have looked at it.

The same person who also entered only a verbal agreement to encroach on land at Dunarus and ended up costing the Council an extra 70k plus legal fees.

The same person who failed to notice that the new wall by Corrib Park was 10ft out.

I would say it beggars belief, but it's the City Council.

Storm 10

soundbyte wrote: »

The same person who also entered only a verbal agreement to encroach on land at Dunarus and ended up costing the Council an extra 70k plus legal fees.

The same person who failed to notice that the new wall by Corrib Park was 10ft out.

I would say it beggars belief, but it's the City Council.

Hi soundbyte which way is it out, is it to far out on the road or where is the problem

soundbyte

Storm 10 wrote: »

Hi soundbyte which way is it out, is it to far out on the road or where is the problem

The Council used an OS map when planning the wall. When they came around to building it, they realised they'd have to chop 50 trees down because the wall was too far back (by 10ft) from the existing road.

What sort of engineer uses an OS map to plan a road in precise detail?

http://www.galwaynews.ie/19425-corrib-park-residents-fight-stop-tree-cutting

Kate10

soundbyte wrote: »

Interestingly, they have no late penalty clause for the contractor and there is no actual 'finish by date'???

Where do you get this stuff from? Do you know anything at all about construction contracts?

TristanPeter

soundbyte wrote: »

Ya, they said the completion date was *always* going to be December. That's a lie, it was October.

Interestingly, they have no late penalty clause for the contractor and there is no actual 'finish by date'???

It will be nice to have the road works finished. I'm really sick of being stuck in traffic at this stage. The cycle lanes will be a nice addition too but as for helping traffic flow in general, I really don't see how it will improve anything. The bus lanes finish at the Corrib Park roundabout, so then what? Am I missing something here but basically all these roadworks will do is allow buses to move more quickly from one end of Seamus Quirke Road to the other...where they will have to merge back into single traffic lanes (going into the city centre) i.e. the same old bottle-necks and jams. Either way I hope they finish by December at the latest.