Ring road roadworks-Pointless?

road_high

What's going on with the ring road. Apart from spending lots of money replacing signs that are only about 4 years old (see new part of ring road) what exactly are the council doing?
I'm no engineer but the most pressing need is/was to upgrade and properly widen the Waterford, Kells and Callan rd roundabouts to an exceptable, modern and wide standard ala the old Carlow road and Bennetsbridge road ones. Allowing freer flow of traffic. This does not appear to be happening. They seem to be putting in some kind of pointless kerbing between the Kells and Callan rd roundabouts also. Why? To make it narrower and less safe?
I'm I the only one that finds this a major disappointment? I take they are not widening the roundabaouts at this stage?

Captain Havoc

I think they're having a general sprucing up before it looks bad, prevention is better than cure kind of thing. Here's a link from coco site.

rayc

On a related note... please tell me they are not setting the speed-limit on the Danesfort road to 50kmh permenantly, that's just for the road works...right?

Angus MacGyver

It seems to me that they are heightening the signs which I think will make approaching roundabouts much safer as the current signs block your view of traffic approaching from the right causing many motorists to edge out into traffic they should be yeilding to.

Plug

The frames on which the signs are mounted have a different design, I think its a safer job. Also are they making two lane roundabouts at the Kells roadand Waterford roundabout or are they just laying pipes or a bit of both?

S28382

mfitzy wrote: »

What's going on with the ring road. Apart from spending lots of money replacing signs that are only about 4 years old (see new part of ring road) what exactly are the council doing?
I'm no engineer but the most pressing need is/was to upgrade and properly widen the Waterford, Kells and Callan rd roundabouts to an exceptable, modern and wide standard ala the old Carlow road and Bennetsbridge road ones. Allowing freer flow of traffic. This does not appear to be happening. They seem to be putting in some kind of pointless kerbing between the Kells and Callan rd roundabouts also. Why? To make it narrower and less safe?
I'm I the only one that finds this a major disappointment? I take they are not widening the roundabaouts at this stage?

They have widened the road between the Waterford rd roundabout and the callan rd roundabout so thats a good thing and supposedly they are meant to be making the roundabouts better.....whatever that means im sure they have a budget they need to spend......altho a footpath between the roundabouts from the callan road to the watershed would be a great idea.

Autosport

rayc wrote: »

On a related note... please tell me they are not setting the speed-limit on the Danesfort road to 50kmh permenantly, that's just for the road works...right?

Thats an insane speed limit, you can drive at least 80km on it, I hope its just for the road works too

On another note I was driving on that road one evening last week and there were two rows of traffic heading towards Waterford on the same side
:eek: Didnt think the road was that wide.

Sky King

Plug wrote: »

The frames on which the signs are mounted have a different design, I think its a safer job. Also are they making two lane roundabouts at the Kells roadand Waterford roundabout or are they just laying pipes or a bit of both?

I'd say the'll start by digging up a perfectly good road to replace it with a newer perfectly good road,then in April they'll dig that up to lay the pipes.

PhilipMarlowe

Then leave it completely over the summer when traffic is quiet enough and daylight is @ max and then 1st week in September when the kids are back in school there will be contra-flows and temporary traffic lights and whatever you're having yourself to take you up near Christmas. Then dig up that surface in February and put it down properly this time, maybe.
When the almost-a-ring road is "done", then it's time to build a pointless new link road...

Captain Havoc

ta daaa:

kkcoco wrote:

………………………………and more to come in 2012 including:-

Resurfacing of Callan Road and Ring Road between Callan Road roundabout and Waterford Road roundabout. The work will include new footpaths/cycle track between these two roundabouts on the city side.
Construction of new footpath and cycle track on the Ring Road between the Watershed and the Waterford Road roundabout. On completion, there will be a continuous footpath and cycle track over 7km long between the Callan Road roundabout and the roundabout on the Castlecomer Road.
Provision of bus stop shelters and seating at key locations in the City including the provision of high level kerbing.
Resurfacing of the N10 Waterford Road from Springhill to Danesfort Cross.
Public realm improvements to High Street and Patrick Street as a priority.
Advance the planning and design of the Pedestrian Bridge at Bateman Quay/Carnegie Library as the final component of the ‘Quay Link’ pedestrian/cycle way connecting the City Centre to the Railway Station.
Footpath improvements at Ormonde Road . Wolfe Tone Street , Kells Road , Vicar St. Greensbridge St and Bateman Quay .
Car Park Improvements at Fairgreen , Dean St and Market Yard including the provision of bicycle parking.
Advancement of ‘Park and Stride’ concept whereby cars are parked on the periphery and the occupants stride or cycle onwards .
Promotion of Walking Bus for primary school parents .

Plug

Captain Havoc wrote: »

ta daaa:

That is good news, pity it will take 10 years to complete.
Have they an official date put down on when they will start the inner city relief road?

Captain Havoc

Plug wrote: »

Captain Havoc wrote: »

ta daaa:

Have they an official date put down on when they will start the inner city relief road?

1998? Seriously though, I saw something about having a meeting about finalising the plans before the end of year, which is still very vague.

femur61

Hate to be seen spending money on something useful.

hi5

"Advance the planning and design of the Pedestrian Bridge at Bateman Quay/Carnegie Library as the final component of the ‘Quay Link’ pedestrian/cycle way connecting the City Centre to the Railway Station"


This is the first I've heard of the "Quay link",will it run parallel to John St,is there a map?

rayc

Not entirely related but didn't want to start a new thread for it, does anyone know whats being built across from foulkstown church? Looks to be a decent size development.

road_high

Sky King wrote: »

I'd say the'll start by digging up a perfectly good road to replace it with a newer perfectly good road,then in April they'll dig that up to lay the pipes.

It's KK county council...so, yes...give it 6 months max

road_high

Fair enough guys, I take your point re the new surfaces and new signage being safer and easier read (but some of them are only up a couple of years or less since the motorway opened). The ring road is scarely open 4 years. Would the new signs not have been envisaged then? Couldn't imagine a private company being so shortsighted and throw around cash so easily .

Also are the roundabouts being widened with filter lanes at all? Don't appear to be at the mo. To me, the project is pretty pointless without those additions. The ones they have done in recent years are a joy to use and means you can easily overtake slowcoaches/people who haven't a breeze as to how to use them properly.

Captain Havoc

AMG has put up a few facebook posts this morning relating to road plans.

1. Resurfacing of the whole of Hebron road from MacDonagh to the ring road. Plan is to include a pedestrian crossing from O'Loughlins GAA club to the new Aldi.

2. Before the end of the summer, Newpark drive is to be widened and resurfaced with a dangerous bit of footpath removed.General footpath improvement to be done also.

3. College road, remove a number of build-outs retaining the cycle way inbound. Remove the parking opposite Kierans and have an on road cycle lane with flow. Traffic calming: islands. Pedestrian crossing and enhance drop-off points.

4. Supervalu Loughboy, move the current entrance and put a new roundabout there. A separate entrance for St. Fiacre's. A bit of messing with the paths and cycle tracks. A bit of shrubbery (I always like a bit of shrubbery, looks well).

Plug

Captain Havoc wrote: »

AMG has put up a few facebook posts this morning relating to road plans.

1. Resurfacing of the whole of Hebron road from MacDonagh to the ring road. Plan is to include a pedestrian crossing from O'Loughlins GAA club to the new Aldi.

2. Before the end of the summer, Newpark drive is to be widened and resurfaced with a dangerous bit of footpath removed.General footpath improvement to be done also.

3. College road, remove a number of build-outs retaining the cycle way inbound. Remove the parking opposite Kierans and have an on road cycle lane with flow. Traffic calming: islands. Pedestrian crossing and enhance drop-off points.

4. Supervalu Loughboy, move the current entrance and put a new roundabout there. A separate entrance for St. Fiacre's. A bit of messing with the paths and cycle tracks. A bit of shrubbery (I always like a bit of shrubbery, looks well).

1, 3, 4 are good especially the College road one. Don't know what exactly they mean by the Newpark one as Im not to aware of that area too much.

Captain Havoc

It's erm, this section of path you can see them redesigning back in July 2009.

up for anything

Captain Havoc wrote: »

3. College road, remove a number of build-outs retaining the cycle way inbound. Remove the parking opposite Kierans and have an on road cycle lane with flow. Traffic calming: islands. Pedestrian crossing and enhance drop-off points.

Are they referring to removing the things this thread was discussing? Sure, they only just put them there.

Captain Havoc

up for anything wrote: »

Are they referring to removing the things this thread was discussing? Sure, they only just put them there.

Sounds that way.

up for anything

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Sounds that way.

Fuck them and their household charge so!! Tossers wasting public money right, left and centre. :rolleyes:

Mackman

Captain Havoc wrote: »

AMG has put up a few facebook posts this morning relating to road plans.

3. College road, remove a number of build-outs retaining the cycle way inbound. Remove the parking opposite Kierans and have an on road cycle lane with flow. Traffic calming: islands. Pedestrian crossing and enhance drop-off points.

Fecking rediculous :mad:

Captain Havoc wrote: »

4. Supervalu Loughboy, move the current entrance and put a new roundabout there. A separate entrance for St. Fiacre's. A bit of messing with the paths and cycle tracks. A bit of shrubbery (I always like a bit of shrubbery, looks well).

Thank god something is being done about that place. Disaster trying to get in and out of it.

Dymo

4. Supervalu Loughboy, move the current entrance and put a new roundabout there.

On that Bortharnatourish road in the last couple of years has seen Lidl, Aldi and the Watershed and it also services The Presentation, Gael school, Canices church and Supervalue, it's about time they did something there.

hi5

They could stop cars parking outside the church aswell;).

Autosport

Kells Road roundabout is starting to look well now, i'm not a fan of the high kerbs though

foxcoverteddy

What is a walking bus? Presume bus shelters in where? Looks cool, what about completing the ring road? Foxy

PhilipMarlowe

Walking "bus" is kids walking to school in an accompanied group as far as I know.

foxcoverteddy

I have got to the stage that I am thinking of asking someone to walk in front of the car with a red flag as the speed limits are ridiculous.
Cycling on the ring road must be a nightmare as is the Callan Road, i wouldn't cycle to Castleinch.
I suppose the city cycle lanes are an incentive to get cyclists to risk everything just getting there
Love the coco.

Cabaal

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

I have got to the stage that I am thinking of asking someone to walk in front of the car with a red flag as the speed limits are ridiculous.
Cycling on the ring road must be a nightmare as is the Callan Road, i wouldn't cycle to Castleinch.
I suppose the city cycle lanes are an incentive to get cyclists to risk everything just getting there
Love the coco.

Cycling in a city isn't as dangerous as it seems, used to cycle to work in Waterford for over 7 years and that has all the fun of the Quays.

Once you know your proper road positioning and get yourself into the lane properly so they can't try overtake you if your taking the 3rd exit then its not all that bad

As much as why I see why they are putting in cycle lanes I just don't like them myself as I'd rather not end up cycling into a person walking their dog

hi5

I haven't cycled in a long time,but when I did I was always told to use the same rules of the road as vehicles,How do you do that if some of your journey is on the footpath?
I have noticed some cycle lanes have yield signs at junctions and entrances but padestrians and vehicles would have right of way.
Is there now a special rule book for cyclists?

road_high

So no time soon then.....

http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/council-seeks-advice-on-14-2m-ring-road-link-1-3636486

pegasus1

Footpath improvements on ormonde road halted due to archaeological find...

fabbydabby

But concreting over it will preserve it for future generations!

foxcoverteddy

Just a quick point, how much is Tesco going to pay? The ring road not the footpath?
Rumour has it they are going to do some work on the Callan by pass, do you need a cycle lane, if so, get your word in quickly, with the amount of walker's it will be a sharing facility.
Looking at the road junction markings they are perhaps a little dodgy.
Naturally we ave coucillor's on hand to sort such things out, em eve asfor a park and walk around the abbey?
Good luck cycling foxy

Captain Havoc

Hard shoulders are for pedestrians and cyclists so I think that would be a phenominal waste of money

pegasus1

fabbydabby wrote: »

But concreting over it will preserve it for future generations!

Cobble lock is to go down ....not concrete:)

Some cyclists don't even use the hard shoulder..they'd be out in the middle of the road..

Captain Havoc

pegasus1 wrote: »

Cobble lock is to go down ....not concrete:)

Some cyclists don't even use the hard shoulder..they'd be out in the middle of the road..

Blow your horn at them.

barneygumble99

as if the ring road traffic isnt bad enough at the best of times during the roadworks(originally meant to be completed by the end of april and now its been extended til the end of june,they must have good estimators) , the council have to come along and block off one lane at the roundabouts to plant flowers etc do they really need to start at half seven in the morning when people are trying to get to work??

hi5

Does anyone know if they are building a footpath from the Callan Rd to Waterford rd section, they seem to be finished but there is still no path.
Not only that but the hard shoulder disappears at the Kells rd roundabout to make way for two lanes.

barneygumble99

think the footpath is only going from waterford road roundabout to the bohernatounish (loughboy) one.

PhilipMarlowe

How long before they dig up part of that footpath/cycle lane to install a roundabout at the Retail Park (Woodies etc.) entrance or will they build that into the design? Are they going to construct a roundabout there now (doesn't say so in the earlier quote)? Place your bets...

rustopher

and on the same subject but different place, whats with the new posts lining the college road? maybe this was questioned somewhere else but the cycle and walking lane is shared on the footpath and its very dangerous if u have to back out of your house in a car. If a bike speeds past and collides with a driver.

Its a pathetic idea!!!!! who ever thought of it, someone will be killed!!!!:mad:

pegasus1

rustopher wrote: »

and on the same subject but different place, whats with the new posts lining the college road? maybe this was questioned somewhere else but the cycle and walking lane is shared on the footpath and its very dangerous if u have to back out of your house in a car. If a bike speeds past and collides with a driver.

Its a pathetic idea!!!!! who ever thought of it, someone will be killed!!!!:mad:

Afaik there are plans to put the cycle lane on the other side of the road..on the road...thereby cutting parking down by half!

cocoshovel

barneygumble99 wrote: »

think the footpath is only going from waterford road roundabout to the bohernatounish (loughboy) one.

Was well needed imo.

femur61

People should email Phil Hogns office or email FG. All the emails are on the net on the FG website.



I think big Phil has allowed the County council approve these works to use the budgets so the balance sheets look like the council has been very busy in order to justify the jobs of all.

IMO nothing short of disgusting why, if they kept their budgets to a minimum then we wouldn't have all these extra charges to our wages. Now they want to reduce SW because they need to reduce public spending - if they didn't use the money on pointless road works then they would have a lot more money.

Here is Leo Varadkar email he seems to be only making any sense a at the moment and is minister for transport. minister@dttas.ie

S28382

femur61 wrote: »

People should email Phil Hogns office or email FG. All the emails are on the net on the FG website.



I think big Phil has allowed the County council approve these works to use the budgets so the balance sheets look like the council has been very busy in order to justify the jobs of all.

IMO nothing short of disgusting why, if they kept their budgets to a minimum then we wouldn't have all these extra charges to our wages. Now they want to reduce SW because they need to reduce public spending - if they didn't use the money on pointless road works then they would have a lot more money.




Here is Leo Varadkar email he seems to be only making any sense a at the moment and is minister for transport. minister@dttas.ie

Do they not have to use up the budgets or else they get cut even more the following year,

i reckon some of the callan road roundabout is going to be next to be tore up as the new tarmac is not finished there so it will still be ongoing by xmas with the slow speed they are doing it at.

Sky King

They dug up and resurfaced the hebron road recently for some unknown reason.

It looked alright to me.

Captain Havoc

Really like the new surface on the ring road, it used to be like riding on Belgian cobbles.

Sky King

Just on a more positive note for a change in the thread, I think all the flowers that have been put in around the town and on the roundabouts are delightful - they really brighten up the place.

Only noticed them this morning maybe they are in a while though.