M50 junctions 13 & 14

markpb

Being a newb to driving on the M50, I only recently realised that junctions 13 and 14 are different from the rest. It seems like a very odd layout, especially requiring traffic going s/b to Sandyford to exit at Dundrum, cross the roundabout and travel parallel to the M50 before exiting onto the normal road network.

Does anyone know why they were build like this? In particular, why were they so close together?

Chris_5339762

I would **guess** that part of the reason is to force traffic coming up the M11 from Wexford to go up the N11, rather than come along the (must faster, almost parallel) M50 and come off at J14, clogging up the roads to get back to the N11.

bbuzz

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I would **guess** that part of the reason is to force traffic coming up the M11 from Wexford to go up the N11, rather than come along the (must faster, almost parallel) M50 and come off at J14, clogging up the roads to get back to the N11.

That's a great point, seems logical. There's already enough traffic on Brewery and Leopardstown roads.

Exit 14 can be handier for Sandyford village and the industrial estate depending on which side your going to. The road network around there is completely different to what it was 10 years ago.

dogmatix

The strange layout of J13 might also be because of the steep terrain at this point and the surrounding hard granite rocks. They had to do a lot of dynamiting in the area during construction which caused some problems for locals. Personally I think that if they could not put in a proper interchange at Ballinteer they should not have put in one at all and just had proper interchanges at Firhouse and Sandyford.

BrianD

dogmatix wrote: »

The strange layout of J13 might also be because of the steep terrain at this point and the surrounding hard granite rocks. They had to do a lot of dynamiting in the area during construction which caused some problems for locals. Personally I think that if they could not put in a proper interchange at Ballinteer they should not have put in one at all and just had proper interchanges at Firhouse and Sandyford.

Yes I believe that was to accomodate certain property owners on or near the route.

Jayuu

I may be wrong about this but wasn't the reason there are two exits here because J13 was supposed to be where the M50 would connect with the Eastern Bypass as part of an complete orbital M50 loop.

The current J14 - J17 were then to be relassified as the J1 - J4 of an extended M11 (which would explain why the first junction of the M11 is labelled J5).


PS - Shouldn't this be in the Roads section of the forum?