Phoenix Park - Prepare for 3 months of gridlock!

thomasj

From RTE
http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0920/phoenixpark.html

Chesterfield Avenue in the Phoenix Park is to be closed for up to three months to allow for the reconstruction of the roadway.

A large section of the main thoroughfare in the Phoenix Park is to be closed for up to three months from the beginning of October to allow for the reconstruction of the roadway.

Major traffic disruption is expected as almost the entire length of Chesterfield Avenue will be closed to traffic.

The road is used by over 20,000 vehicles a day.
It has not weathered well during the recent harsh winters and despite a temporary resurfacing measure earlier this year, it has a large number of cracks, bumps and potholes.

The Office of Public Works is to carry out a €3m reconstruction project on the road which will begin on 3 October.
However that will involve closing the road from the Gough Roundabout near the Parkgate Street entrance to the Mountjoy Roundabout beside the Castleknock Gate.

A one-way system will be put in place inside the park which will essentially turn it into a large roundabout.

The road closure is likely to cause major traffic disruption and inconvenience some park users.

The reconstruction project is due to last about 12 weeks and the road should be reopened by Christmas.

The full traffic management plan will be published in the coming days.
The Minister of State at with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Brian Hayes, has insisted that the road works are necessary.
"Chesterfield Avenue was never designed to take the volume and weight of traffic that it does and the condition of the road has been a cause of increasing concern," Mr Hayes said.

"The extreme weather conditions experienced in recent years have exacerbated the situation. While the surface degradation was the most immediate and evident sign of the problems prevailing, surveys confirmed that the underlying cause was with the substructure of the road and, in order to address the problem properly, work to the substructure is required.
"Works to achieve the necessary substantive repair and reconstruction of the most damaged areas of the road have been tendered and the contract has just been placed."

Should be fun if last time is anything to go by!

Mimikyu

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jack presley

Captain Morgan wrote: »

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or rains?

athtrasna

FFS :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Crazy, crazy, crazy, why not do it in sections?

The craziest part of it all is that the worst part of Chesterfield Ave at the moment is the section between Mountjoy Roundabout and Castleknock Gate as this is the only section that wasn't repaired earlier in the year (it wasn't going to the Aras or the US Ambassador's place or Farmleigh - so we didn't need to pretend it was in good nick) - and it's not looking like that section will be done as it's not on the closed list?

BostonB

Train or bicycle and avoid the whole sorry mess.

athtrasna

Here's a map of the diversions/nightmare that lies ahead http://www.phoenixpark.ie/media/Phoenix%20Park%20Diversions.pdf

Morag

Godge

Did they base that on some traffic analysis?

Or was it just crayon and hope?

Expect huge pressure on Blackhorse Avenue.

BostonB

Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, "They'd be dangerous with a crayon"

athtrasna

Any idea what the best alternative is? I was away for the first two weeks of the diversions so am only now experimenting...the detour inbound in the park is miles long...as I found out today, won't be doing that again. Yesterday I went up the Snugborough Road...Cappagh..but got caught at the level crossing on the River Road.

The queue on the Navan Road was back before the petrol station...any alternatives that work? Feel free to pm to help keep them fee

BostonB

What way are you going. I haven't found it too bad tbh, it probably even made my journey time shorter as everyone seems to be avoiding the park and around it. Unfortunately further out seems to be heavy, so it can be slower to get to the park, even if its faster to get through it.

irishfeller

Why do they do this work coming up to Christmas when the traffic is heaviest? This kind of thing should be done in the middle of the summer when there is a lot less traffic.

Slydice

because they are a government funded body

so it's about money

they don't know how much they get until the start of the year

they don't know how much they need until they use it

they don't know if they can afford such big works until the end of the year (around now)

if they don't spend it, they have to give the money back

if they give it back, then the dept of finance think they didn't need

if the dept of finance think they didn't need, they won't give them as much money as they might need for next year

athtrasna

I need to get from Waterville to Dublin 2 every morning...route 3 today on my third day of trying to find a route...Blackhorse Avenue...not good for my blood pressure due to

• people who are scared of their cars almost stopping before every speed bump (despite a speed bump free Navan Road running just parallel)
• being stuck for ages trying to get from Castleknock Ave onto Blackhorse Ave because of people ignoring the no left turn 7-10 sign from the Ashtown Roundabout road onto Blackhorse Ave
• and my favourite of the day...a driver who committed both afore mentioned sins feeling the need to indicate at every bend on the road..and just following the road..

Am really missing the park as an option, not just for the option but also for the other cars it takes off the road. It's still incredibly frustrating that the section between Castleknock gate and Mountjoy roundabout (where the road surface is a total wreck outbound) is not on the list for repair.

LXFlyer

Would you not be better driving to Navan Road Parkway station and taking the train from there for the duration of the works?

Or using the bus?

BostonB

You could walk to castleknock station, cycle to it, or indeed cycle to the D.2 it would only take 30 mins. If you want to drive, go in at 7.30 and go for coffee.

athtrasna

Can't cycle or walk that far due to recent surgery

BostonB

Ah well. Leave early so.

BostonB

Just to add they are going close two lanes on wolfe tone quay while the fix the structural problems caused by the flood. They reckon up to a month.

http://www.joe.ie/news-politics/current-affairs/the-damage-of-the-deluge-wolfe-tone-quays-gaping-wound-0017080-1

athtrasna

As if things weren't bad enough! Roadworks on the Ratoath Road having a big effect on traffic too.

I can take the bus a few days a week between now and Christmas but the problem with that is the journey home takes nearly twice as long as the journey in due to lack of bus lane on the Navan Road outbound. Have to drive a couple of days due to other commitments before/after work.

BostonB

Maybe park and ride to navan rd station?

who_ru

wondering if these works are on schedule to finish before xmas?

jack presley

who_ru wrote: »

wondering if these works are on schedule to finish before xmas?

To be fair, in the evenings anyway, the doomsday scenario never really happened. I've had no trouble getting through most days. The bloody ramps are annoying though!

BostonB

Well it seems to have caused chaos else where as traffic seemed to avoid the park completely. I've done the same where I can, those ramps would destroy your suspension in no time. Savage. Lucan and Finglas routes seem a lot busier from reports.

jack presley

BostonB wrote: »

Well it seems to have caused chaos else where as traffic seemed to avoid the park completely. I've done the same where I can, those ramps would destroy your suspension in no time. Savage. Lucan and Finglas routes seem a lot busier from reports.

The new bus lanes around phibsboro outbound dont help the N2 traffic

Slydice

I've been cycling through the park the last few weeks.

They've made some progress and there's some sort of new road surfacing starting to take shape but I doubt they'll be finished until mid to late january ... especially if they are gonna take any Christmas holidays.

who_ru

Slydice wrote: »

I've been cycling through the park the last few weeks.

They've made some progress and there's some sort of new road surfacing starting to take shape but I doubt they'll be finished until mid to late january ... especially if they are gonna take any Christmas holidays.

thanks for the info.....living in chapelizod, knockmaroon hill has been a traffic nightmare these last few months.

BostonB

I travel just off peak and ironically through the park is usually the quickest way. Going around it brings you into heavy traffic.

Slydice

Went through it tonight, it's open up as far as the aras but then still closed with a one way system to get from the aras to the castleknock gate.

Murt10

I had a look at the new road myself.

They have done all that work, spent all that time and money, and they havn't left room for a bus lane. Magic!

So much for the Governmant wanting people to use public transport.

Now all the express buses from Blanch., Co Meath and further afield will have to continue to use the Navan Road, where the QBC is a joke and by far the worst in the Country.

These buses could have come up along the quays, into the Park, out at the top of Blackhorse Ave, onto the Halfway House roundabout and away with them on a major dual carriageway. And the same trip in reverse.

Phoenix Park

Murt10 wrote: »

I had a look at the new road myself.

They have done all that work, spent all that time and money, and they havn't left room for a bus lane. Magic!

So much for the Governmant wanting people to use public transport.

Now all the express buses from Blanch., Co Meath and further afield will have to continue to use the Navan Road, where the QBC is a joke and by far the worst in the Country.

These buses could have come up along the quays, into the Park, out at the top of Blackhorse Ave, onto the Halfway House roundabout and away with them on a major dual carriageway. And the same trip in reverse.

Buses are not allowed in the park for environmental/pollution reasons. Only the tour bus is licenced to enter. Same with other large vehicles. Bringing Dublin Bus through was never an option.

EDIT: and yep, i'd imagine 40/50 cars cause more pollution than one bus does..

athtrasna

Also there's no way the Ashtown gate could cope with buses going in and out, it's a dangerous junction as it is, nobody seems to know who has the right of way.

Any word on the section from Mountjoy Roundabout to Castleknock Gate being done, this was by far the worst section in the Park and incredibly not tackled in this tranche of repairs (or the previous ones)

d15ude

Murt10 wrote: »

I had a look at the new road myself.

They have done all that work, spent all that time and money, and they havn't left room for a bus lane. Magic!

So much for the Governmant wanting people to use public transport.

Now all the express buses from Blanch., Co Meath and further afield will have to continue to use the Navan Road, where the QBC is a joke and by far the worst in the Country.

These buses could have come up along the quays, into the Park, out at the top of Blackhorse Ave, onto the Halfway House roundabout and away with them on a major dual carriageway. And the same trip in reverse.

come on, it's a park!
a place to relax, i for one don't want buses in it.

BostonB

The OPW are extremely opposed to the park as a main commuter/bus route.

They'd close it to traffic completely if they could.

Problem is they shouldn't over developed D.15 and Meath creating all this traffic in the first place.

Gaspode

tbh I'd like to see it closed to traffic too, but then I dont have to commute that way so it's easy to have that view. It is a park, and should be kept as traffic-free as possible, but that aint going to happen until there's an alternative route for motorists.

BostonB

That would make sense alright. Couldn't agree more.

BostonB

athtrasna wrote: »

Also there's no way the Ashtown gate could cope with buses going in and out, it's a dangerous junction as it is, nobody seems to know who has the right of way....

Seems to me that a roundabout would solve that dilemma. Once its big enough, they have a habit of making them too small.

ThisRegard

The gate is too narrow, and I'd hate to see the old wall and gate demolished just to make room for buses.

BostonB

Regardless of buses or gates. That junction needs to be a roundabout.

Murt10

BostonB wrote: »

The OPW are extremely opposed to the park as a main commuter/bus route.

They'd close it to traffic completely if they could.

Problem is they shouldn't over developed D.15 and Meath creating all this traffic in the first place.

The person in charge of the OPW is Brian Hayes TD. He is a Junior Minister in the Department of Finance and the OPW itself is staffed by civil servants.

As it is Government Policy to encourage commuters to use public transport wherever possible, Mr Hayes should instruct his civil servants to stop acting the maggot and look for ways to encourage Dublin Bus to use the Park.

In fact, he could go further and ban commuter cars altogether from the Park. That would encourage more people to switch over to public transport. It would also allow the commuters on the upstairs of the bus to enjoy the Park as they travel through it.

Because car drivers are busy driving and obeying the speed limits, looking out for deer crossing the road, the cannot enjoy the delights the Park has to offer

BostonB

Murt10 wrote: »

...In fact, he could go further and ban commuter cars altogether from the Park. That would encourage more people to switch over to public transport...

I don't think it would. The park being partially closed hasn't had that effect.

ThisRegard

Murt10 wrote: »

Mr Hayes should instruct his civil servants to stop acting the maggot and look for ways to encourage Dublin Bus to use the Park.

I think you'll be surprised how many people would be opposed to the use of the park for public transport.

HeidiHeidi

Starting with me! I was up there while the roadworks were in full swing, and apart from the odd bulldozer, peace reigned - it was gorgeous. If they could even ban traffic from the park at weekends, it would be brilliant IMHO.

(I'll declare an interest - I live nearby, and don't have to commute through it or around it, so I wouldn't be affected. Controversial, probably, I know.)

BostonB

Probably noisy diesel buses wouldn't be that great for the park. A Luas or something even lighter like a tram maybe. One of those novelty trains you see at feature parks. Electric Bicycles that only work in the park, and trailer them back the the other direction as required much like Dublin Bikes.

spooky donkey

just been skiming this thread and was wondering if this work is finished now, could not see mention that it had....
Just i would like to start using the park again at weekends with the kids and that. Is it still all up the air and one way systems?

BostonB

Its done from the middle to the city end of the park. From the middle to Castleknock is still closed. So still one way in place. That said the one way never really stopped anyone from using it, even at the weekends.

athtrasna

spooky donkey wrote: »

just been skiming this thread and was wondering if this work is finished now, could not see mention that it had....
Just i would like to start using the park again at weekends with the kids and that. Is it still all up the air and one way systems?

OPW website indicates that the work is expected to continue until February.

http://www.phoenixpark.ie/newsevents...,17075,en.html

Given that we expect to be repairing Chesterfield Avenue from October to February 2012 inclusive, event organisers are asked to note that unfortunately no new applications for during that period can be accepted.

Once works are completed, in the interest of public safety, we will be delighted to consider appropriate

Shane O' Malley

I use the park all the time. The one way system is fine. You can use any part of the park you want.

And a much nicer place with the reduced traffic.

jack presley

How did they get the original estimate so wrong? 5 months instead of 3 is nearly double. It's not like we've been pounded by snow or anything

athtrasna

They said approximately 12 weeks from the start of October. Take out the floods, the snow, bank holiday weekend, Christmas...it won't be too far off 12 weeks of them actually working.

They really need to do the extremes of Chesterfield Ave too though, Castleknock Gate to Mountjoy Roundabout and Parkgate St to first roundabout...the surfaces are shockingly bad.

jack presley

athtrasna wrote: »

They said approximately 12 weeks from the start of October. Take out the floods, the snow, bank holiday weekend, Christmas...it won't be too far off 12 weeks of them actually working.

Christmas and bank holidays come every year so they should have factored them into their estimate. If they were taken by surprise by them coming up there's something wrong. As for the weather, you start a job in October you should be aware that the weather might turn bad. As it was, we had a very mild winter so far with one week of floods. That should not have added a 4-6 week delay.

Edit - just read in another thread that thee was an archaeological find so that might explain the delay