Roadworks: Font & Morris Roundabouts

Goofy

Work begins on Monday the 20th. I just got a email about it.

Also on the Galway Advertiser Facebook page

Major road works at Font and Morris Roundabouts will begin on Monday February 20. The duration of these works is 12 weeks (approx.). To facilitate members of the public, there will be no lane closures between the hours of 7am and 7pm, while works are underway. Further details on this project are available at http://www.galwaycity.ie/N6/

Image from the city council:

Font and Morris are the Tuam road and Ballybrit/Ballybane roundabouts

The Headford Road roundabout should be starting soon after according to the above with all three to be complete before the VOR.

The Menlo and back of the hospital roundabouts will be later in the year.

snubbleste

It looks too ambitious.

bonzodog2

Deleted User wrote: »

Font and Morris are the Tuam road and Ballybrit/Ballybane roundabouts

Thanks, the names still don't do it for me !

snubbleste

snubbleste wrote: »

It looks too ambitious.

I would have agreed with you before I saw how they managed the Briarhill road works.

I'd say barring any unforeseen issues, they should hit the target timeline for Font & Morris

antoobrien

Deleted User wrote: »

I would have agreed with you before I saw how they managed the Briarhill road works.

I'd say barring any unforeseen issues, they should hit the target timeline for Font & Morris

Sorry to burst your bubble but it's not going to be the same contractor that did Briarhill.

Coffey has won the tender for these two (and afaik the other ones in the scheme too).

This is the same Coffey that's making a pigs ear of SQR.

Not a bit hopeful.

snubbleste

Maybe now is the time to invest in a bicycle anto

jkforde

antoobrien wrote: »

Coffey has won the tender for these two (and afaik the other ones in the scheme too).

'Won'?? I whiff a tribunal down the road! Oh well, the nightly re-enactments by Joe Taylor will be entertaining at least...

antoobrien

snubbleste wrote: »

Maybe now is the time to invest in a bicycle anto

No need, already have one. I'm just aware that the bike or bus is not always the most practical mode of transport (try carrying golf clubs on a bike).

But If i'm going anywhere near town I've to go through one of these junctions.

antoobrien

jkforde wrote: »

'Won'??

According to the e-tenders site yeah they have.

Link: http://www.etenders.gov.ie/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB308815

biko

Let's keep this on the topic - this particular roadworks and the impact it has on traffic flow.

Stench Blossoms

I hope this goes as smoothly as the Briarhill works.

Can't wait to see the Morris roundabout go.

blahblahbla

This is such a bad idea, Bohermore and Briarhill are worse than they were before. At least finish off the westside disaster before starting another round of works. When politicians make obvious bad decisions like this I have to think whos getting paid off.

Mrs OBumble

Deleted User wrote: »

Font and Morris are the Tuam road and Ballybrit/Ballybane roundabouts

Thanks - you inspired me to do a map of the roundabout names - the fFrench name is gone from Google maps already, and I expect that Lynch will go at the next update.

Can just imagine the discussions we'll have in a year or two about what name each one had back in the day!

snubbleste

Can someone confirm if most of the works are conducted at night? Council's Ciarán Hayes mentioned because these two are not located in substanial residential areas that night-time work would be carried out. Hence the no lane closures between 7am and 7pm

Irishgoatman

I'm not in Galway but I do have to visit.

Looks as though I've missed something, are they replacing all roundabouts with traffis lights?.

snubbleste

Irishgoatman wrote: »

I'm not in Galway but I do have to visit.
Looks as though I've missed something, are they replacing all roundabouts with traffis lights?.

Not all of them, mainly the ones on the N6. We will keep a few to remind us of olden times :cool:

antoobrien

snubbleste wrote: »

Can someone confirm if most of the works are conducted at night? Council's Ciarán Hayes mentioned because these two are not located in substanial residential areas that night-time work would be carried out. Hence the no lane closures between 7am and 7pm

The "no lane closures" promise does not necessarily mean that works will progress at night. Maddens ran the briarhill RAB in this fashion and did a lot of the work during daylight hours.

It was when they had to close access to the various roads for paving (e.g. Monivea rd outbound) that lane closures took place at night.

Then again coffey of the SQR disaster is running these, so they'll probably do whatever they feel like.

snubbleste

Council infuriates motorists

Galway city council is advising motorists to leave more time for their journeys and to refrain from slowing down to look at the roadworks.
Motorists are angry that the sign advertising the works indicated there would be no lane closures between 7am and 7pm and yet one lane of the usual three was closed at peak time this morning.
City council senior executive engineer Jim Molloy claims an illegally parked van caused some of the morning's problems.

factual lies

went through both roundabouts today at 2.15pm exactly. There was one person working on the tuam road roundabout and 3 people on the ballybane roundabout. If this is going to be the trend for the roadworks, I'd imagine them being finished around 2014 !!!

Stench Blossoms

God getting through the Morris roundabout yesterday at about 5.30 was an absolute nightmare. There was a lane closed.

Not impressed.

Acidflash

factual lies wrote: »

went through both roundabouts today at 2.15pm exactly. There was one person working on the tuam road roundabout and 3 people on the ballybane roundabout. If this is going to be the trend for the roadworks, I'd imagine them being finished around 2014 !!!

As someone else already pointed out it's the same clowns that are doing SQR so I wouldn't expect anything else.

Traffic on the Tuam road was backed up to two mile ditch this morning,lots of people turning around and going through Parkmore.

bobbytables

I didn't know the SQR developers were running this project until now. What bothers me about SQR is how much of a chicane-like driving experience it incurs in the finished sections!. Apart from that teenage girl loosing her life already (RIP) & numerous other minor traffic accidents, I am seriously concerned for the implementations ahead.

I pass through SQR most days & feel that you have to treat it like a car park as opposed to a major city road in terms of hazards.

gordongekko

What was the traffic like at these roundabouts the last couple if days?

slick89

The roundabout by Monaghans had all lanes open this morning so got from Claregalway to town in about 20 minutes

Zzippy

Left work just before 6 yesterday and traffic was about the lightest I've ever seen at that time, no delays at all.

Mrs OBumble

Getting out of Ballybrit estate took 15 minutes at 5:30pm yesterday, and 20 mins the day before. Normally takes 2 mins, tops. But once we were past the RAB, normal time.

I couldn't see any lane closures from the bus, except maybe the left turn into the DC, which is usually empty anyway 'cos everyone doing that uses the slip road.

what_traffic

Email sent yesterday evening @ 17h19 from Galway City Council's Transportation Unit to employers in the vicinity of the Roadworks
To minimise the Traffic Disruption over the duration of the works to convert the
Font & Morris Roundabouts to Signalised Junctions, it has been necessary to remove
the existing islands at the roundabouts.
The removal of these islands will enable the contractor to maintain the traffic flows
at both Roundabouts at pre-works levels.

While the removal of these islands has resulted in the temporary removal of filter lanes
on the approaches to the roundabouts, this will not result in the closure of any traffic lanes
for the duration of the works.

Galway City Council regrets any inconvenience these works have caused and we are
working closely with our project partners in the National Roads Authority, AECOM, RPS
and Coffey Construction (I) Ltd to ensure that disruption to commuters, business and
residents is kept to a minimum.

dloob

Ignoring the no lane closures promise again, Coffey have now closed the inside lane on the ballybrit roundabout.

Can a contractor be barred from tendering for contracts due to past gross incompetence?

antoobrien

dloob wrote: »

Ignoring the no lane closures promise again, Coffey have now closed the inside lane on the ballybrit roundabout.

That's ballybane/mervue but most definitely not ballybrit.

what_traffic

dloob wrote: »

Ignoring the no lane closures promise again, Coffey have now closed the inside lane on the ballybrit roundabout.

Can a contractor be barred from tendering for contracts due to past gross incompetence?

Good luck arguing that point with the GTU in City Hall.

wes31

All i can say is its coffey what were ye expecting.

Sponge Bob

I would forgive them closing a lane for an hour or two around mid morning as long as it fully opened for the rush hour.

antoobrien

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I would forgive them closing a lane for an hour or two around mid morning as long as it fully opened for the rush hour.

I wouldn't like to see it closed any time 7am-7pm on a friday, the traffic routine is vastly different from other the days with factories & offices getting out earlier etc.

biko

Drove past at 9 and again at 11, all lanes open.

Mrs OBumble

what_traffic wrote: »

Email sent yesterday evening @ 17h19 from Galway City Council's Transportation Unit to employers in the vicinity of the Roadworks
...
remove the existing islands at the roundabouts.
The removal of these islands will enable the contractor to maintain the traffic flows.

IMHO they've done good:

On the south side of the Morris RAB, not only have they build an alternative set of (temporary) ramps to the footpath for pedestrians, they've also make it safer by moving the crossing point further down the road, which gives a better view of cars coming off the RAB.

dloob

Looks like it was only temporary they have moved the cones back and it's two lanes again now.

snubbleste

Why are they chopping down the trees along this route? The place looks very bare without that foliage.
Is the road being widened?

antoobrien

snubbleste wrote: »

Why are they chopping down the trees along this route? The place looks very bare without that foliage.
Is the road being widened?

The footprint of the new junction on both will be slightly wide than the current RABs

liam12989

Does anyone know what the number 3 bus.( Ballybrit) will do now with no roundabout there?

McTigs

snubbleste wrote: »

Why are they chopping down the trees along this route? The place looks very bare without that foliage.
Is the road being widened?

Michael Crowe insisted.

sentient_6

liam12989 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the number 3 bus.( Ballybrit) will do now with no roundabout there?

That route is certainly taking a hammering! I'm struggling to think of an answer........they way things are set up there is no (legal) way to cross over straight across the road the continue along the monivea.

what_traffic

liam12989 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the number 3 bus.( Ballybrit) will do now with no roundabout there?

There will be a bus stop and a turning facility provided to the North of the junction.
See:
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/180711_02.pdf

Can also get a good idea of the footprint of the junction compared with the roundabout as this is also marked in this document as well.

antoobrien

liam12989 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the number 3 bus.( Ballybrit) will do now with no roundabout there?

what_traffic wrote: »

There will be a bus stop and a turning facility provided to the North of the junction.
See:
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/180711_02.pdf

Can also get a good idea of the footprint of the junction compared with the roundabout as this is also marked in this document as well.

Isn't there some kind of "bus gate" on the Monivea Rd to allow the #3/403 buses (and just the buses) across the road here. All other traffic trying to get from Mervue to the Monivea Rd will have to use this turning facility.

Afaik the #5/405 will be the one using the turning facility - but that's being discussed on the bus routes thread.

what_traffic

antoobrien wrote: »

Isn't there some kind of "bus gate" on the Monivea Rd to allow the #3/403 buses (and just the buses) across the road here. All other traffic trying to get from Mervue to the Monivea Rd will have to use this turning facility.

Afaik the #5/405 will be the one using the turning facility - but that's being discussed on the bus routes thread.

Your right re BUS Gate - its not traffic light controlled though so not sure about the transponders theory or perhaps they are future proofing? I say the #3/403 bus may use the turning facility until then? Even though once the junction is traffic light controlled - should make it easier for a bus driver to cross both yellow boxes. Anyhow based on changes made to the recent Briarhill junction from the original plans not 100% sure will the Morris be done exactly to these plans anyhow as shown in the link http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/180711_02.pdf

Will believe it when I see it.

antoobrien

what_traffic wrote: »

Your right re BUS Gate - its not traffic light controlled though so not sure about the transponders theory or perhaps they are future proofing? I say the #3/403 bus may use the turning facility until then? Even though once the junction is traffic light controlled - should make it easier for a bus driver to cross both yellow boxes. Anyhow based on changes made to the recent Briarhill junction from the original plans not 100% sure will the Morris be done exactly to these plans anyhow as shown in the link http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/180711_02.pdf

Thanks, I haven't heard any details about the proposed bus gate other than there's supposed to be one.

On the other hand, regardless of how the bus gate is operated there are two right turns off the ballybane road (to Mervue and to the Monivea Rd). I can see that being a bit of a mess.

bobbytables

Quick Questions
What is the morning commute / traffic like around these junctions currently?
How early would you advise departing Knocknacarra to get to Parkmore before 8:45am?

My guess: if I were to leave by 7:45am (1hr trip) and head over the bridge, through these junctions, it's do-able. If I left anytime after that, I would expect to fail!.

Is it still risky & should I depart a bit earlier? or should I just go through Salthill -> City Centre -> Lough Atalia -> Old Dublin Rd past Merlin Park? (which avoid both roundabouts, but is longer and has it's own share of bottlenecks).

Yes yes I have thought of walking / cycling / parachuting / etc etc, but the car is essential while I'm over there. So for the sake of estimation, please assume car is the mode of transport.

sentient_6

bobbytables wrote: »

Quick Questions
What is the morning commute / traffic like around these junctions currently?
How early would you advise departing Knocknacarra to get to Parkmore before 8:45am?

My guess: if I were to leave by 7:45am (1hr trip) and head over the bridge, through these junctions, it's do-able. If I left anytime after that, I would expect to fail!.

Is it still risky & should I depart a bit earlier? or should I just go through Salthill -> City Centre -> Lough Atalia -> Old Dublin Rd past Merlin Park? (which avoid both roundabouts, but is longer and has it's own share of bottlenecks).

Yes yes I have thought of walking / cycling / parachuting / etc etc, but the car is essential while I'm over there. So for the sake of estimation, please assume car is the mode of transport.

If your worried about traffic at the roundabouts i suggest a third option to consider: get to the menlo park roundabout & head out the headford road. A few miles out there is a right turn that will take out to the tuam road just beyond monagahan's/galway plate/north point. Take left & head out the tuam road & again after a couple of miles there's a right that will take you to parkmore from the opposite side.

Like this:

http://maps.google.ie/maps?saddr=Carragh+Hill&daddr=53.300168,-9.0353433+to:53.3036083,-9.0202262+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=53.287487,-9.024754&spn=0.067216,0.181789&sll=53.300928,-9.002266&sspn=0.067194,0.181789&geocode=FbS3LAMduBR1_w%3BFchLLQMdsSF2_ylhq3qkpZZbSDHQrSr9pscAEw%3BFThZLQMdvlx2_ynpkoqtrJZbSDFhtbj8pscAEw%3BFepNLQMdGdt2_w&mra=dpe&mrsp=2&sz=13&via=1,2&t=m&z=13

I'm disregarding the seamus quirke roadworks btw.

WallyGUFC

I think people are avoiding these roundabouts like the plague. My drive in on the Tuam Road has been quicker than usual, particularly around 8-9am.

Same thing happened with the last one

dloob

what_traffic wrote: »

Your right re BUS Gate - its not traffic light controlled though so not sure about the transponders theory or perhaps they are future proofing? I say the #3/403 bus may use the turning facility until then? Even though once the junction is traffic light controlled - should make it easier for a bus driver to cross both yellow boxes. Anyhow based on changes made to the recent Briarhill junction from the original plans not 100% sure will the Morris be done exactly to these plans anyhow as shown in the link http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/180711_02.pdf

Will believe it when I see it.

I heard there was a change to the plan to add a right turn onto ballybane road from the monivea road based on complaints from residents.
I guess this will replace or share space with the bus gate.