M7 - Naas/Newbridge Bypass Upgrade [Junction 9a now open]

beertons

Looking it it heading to Laois this morning, , the big problem is the exits. You come off at the first Naas exit, onto a roundabout that has 5 roads off it. 200m away, another one and another then the same distance away. They need to sort them out first. The other mass exit, in the morning, everyone hits the brakes when the glare of the sun hits them. It's a nightmare.

aquascrotum

Tender for clients rep consultancy for the M7 upgrade released today...

99508 - NRO182 - Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Consultancy Services for “The N7 Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) Motorway Scheme”
Publication date: 30-09-2015
Response deadline: 09-11-2015 12:00 Irish time
Procedure: Restricted Procedure (NON OJEU)
Description: The objectives of the "N7 Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) Motorway Scheme" is to upgrade the existing dual three lane carriageway section of the N7 between Junction 1 (M50) and Junction 9 (Naas North) to a Motorway. Kildare County Council seeks the services of a competent Civil Engineering Consultant experienced in Major Civil Engineering Works to act as Client's representative. Tenderers are requested to provide engineering consultancy services to Kildare County Council in connection with the “The N7 Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) Motorway Scheme”. The Consultant will undertake the role of Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) for all contracts associated with the commission up to the publication of the Preliminary Appraisal Report. The specific scheme objectives are; • Upgrade the N7 from Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) to a motorway. • Closure of existing median openings. • Removal of all direct private accesses • Upgrade of all compact grade separated junctions.
Buyer: Kildare County Council

gilly0512

BoatMad wrote: »

As it is in almost any large city you care to mention

Possibly, but most other large capital cities have much superior public transport systems to us. Incidentally what is going on with the M7/N7 this week, it's actually nearly as bad as it was prior to Newlands Cross opening, with traffic backing up nearly ever morning this week from Brown's Barn onwards, not to mention the constant crawl from the M9 junction to Naas North. I know the fog has been quite bad the last two mornings, but if this continues I dread to think what it will be like if god forbid we get a bad winter.

rameire

This tender is not for the M7 widening,

it seems to be to Draw up plans for the N7 to change from a national route to a motorway.

aquascrotum wrote: »

Tender for clients rep consultancy for the M7 upgrade released today...

99508 - NRO182 - Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Consultancy Services for “The N7 Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) Motorway Scheme”
Publication date: 30-09-2015
Response deadline: 09-11-2015 12:00 Irish time
Procedure: Restricted Procedure (NON OJEU)
Description: The objectives of the "N7 Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) Motorway Scheme" is to upgrade the existing dual three lane carriageway section of the N7 between Junction 1 (M50) and Junction 9 (Naas North) to a Motorway. Kildare County Council seeks the services of a competent Civil Engineering Consultant experienced in Major Civil Engineering Works to act as Client's representative. Tenderers are requested to provide engineering consultancy services to Kildare County Council in connection with the “The N7 Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) Motorway Scheme”. The Consultant will undertake the role of Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) for all contracts associated with the commission up to the publication of the Preliminary Appraisal Report. The specific scheme objectives are; • Upgrade the N7 from Junction 1 (M50) to Junction 9 (Naas North) to a motorway. • Closure of existing median openings. • Removal of all direct private accesses • Upgrade of all compact grade separated junctions.
Buyer: Kildare County Council

That brief includes Newlands Cross, what could need doing to that, it's just been rebuilt

AugustusMinimus

rameire wrote: »

This tender is not for the M7 widening,

it seems to be to Draw up plans for the N7 to change from a national route to a motorway.

Good. Presume a lot of local access will have to be closed to upgrade to motorway. Will be nice to be able to do 120kph on it (hopefully)

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

That brief includes Newlands Cross, what could need doing to that, it's just been rebuilt

I imagine nothing - but local accesses between it and the M50 still exist (sliproads for Joels, etc).

This is clearly a final admission of the obvious abandonment of the original plan for a parallel M7 - the land allocation has been mostly built on at this stage anyway.

medoc

Not sure this is the best possible use of money at this stage (assuming it ever goes ahead). An alternative route from the R110 to at least junction 2 would be difficult and expensive to construct. From there out to Nass J9 is easier but it's a pity it wasn't done at the same time as the N7 3 lane upgrade. The M7 plans from Nass to the M50 surely were not realistic even then if they were upgrading the existing N7.

Chris_5339762

That one came out of the blue, wonder if it is required under TEN-T?

Will be interesting to see what they do.

AugustusMinimus

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

That one came out of the blue, wonder if it is required under TEN-T?

Will be interesting to see what they do.

Presume left in, left out junctions are fine as long as the slips are long enough. Some new Local access roads may be required.

Chris_5339762

The big problem with redesignating the N7 is that there is no realistic alternative route (as the old Naas Road was upgraded online).

The bit between J4 and J6 is the biggest issue and may require a parallel road to be constructed. Would be interesting. Any other nearby roads are pretty awful... I should know, I've tried ratrunning on a lot of them to avoid the jams and have decided sitting in traffic on the Naas Road is the best option!

Deedsie

Where the hell did this come from? I had accepted the N7 dual carriageway would never be upgraded. Is this a possibility?

Any sign of a tender for M7 widening?0

rameire

Maybe they could put a motorway on stilts from after Citywest, but I dont see how they could have a motorway on the N7.
maybe they should put the money and effort into widening and straightening the n81 and a link road across to the m9 at the Athy junction.

The N7 won't be motorway, the slip roads are far too short and people won't use the shoulder to accelerate and merge properly at speed they will shoot into traffic at 50 kph while the slip road ends for fear of driving in the shoulder, would drive you mad driving.

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

The N7 won't be motorway, the slip roads are far too short and people won't use the shoulder to accelerate and merge properly at speed they will shoot into traffic at 50 kph while the slip road ends for fear of driving in the shoulder, would drive you mad driving.

The tender is for figuring out what is required to upgrade it. They're not going to redesignate it without work.

L1011

L1011 wrote: »

The tender is for figuring out what is required to upgrade it. They're not going to redesignate it without work.

What's really required are 4-6 lanes each way and maybe they won;t need to upgrade for 50 + years !

hognef

[Deleted User] wrote: »

What's really required are 4-6 lanes each way and maybe they won;t need to upgrade for 50 + years !

No point at the moment. What's needed in terms of roads is a wider, free-flow, road from Newlands Cross to the city centre. As it is today, everything breaks down because of junctions, traffic lights, bends, pedestrian crossings, etc.

Carawaystick

hognef wrote: »

No point at the moment. What's needed in terms of roads is a wider, free-flow, road from Newlands Cross to the city centre. As it is today, everything breaks down because of junctions, traffic lights, bends, pedestrian crossings, etc.

If only there was some high capacity transport link to whisk you from Newlands X to the city centre...

hognef

Carawaystick wrote: »

If only there was some high capacity transport link to whisk you from Newlands X to the city centre...

Whisk? I don't think covering a distance of 10-12 km in 35-40 minutes (@ 15-20 kph) qualifies as 'whisk', when a proper road could get you there in 10.

Do you honestly think the LUAS would cope with an N7 feeding it at twice today's capacity?

hognef

hognef wrote: »

Whisk? I don't think covering a distance of 10-12 km in 35-40 minutes (@ 15-20 kph) qualifies as 'whisk', when a proper road could get you there in 10.

Do you honestly think the LUAS would cope with an N7 feeding it at twice today's capacity?

Luas, a rapid transit system crippled by being made to take the "scenic" route.

L1011

Carawaystick wrote: »

If only there was some high capacity transport link to whisk you from Newlands X to the city centre...

Yes, if only - as all there are are at-capacity buses and trams which are not fast.

marno21

2 M7 tenders out today for archaelogical consultancies:

https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=93378&B=&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictenders
https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=93382&B=&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictenders

Deedsie

marno21 wrote: »

2 M7 tenders out today for archaelogical consultancies:

https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=93378&B=&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictenders
https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=93382&B=&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictenders

Would this not have already been done for the two lane M7 when it was built?

marno21

Presume it's for the land for a) Osberstown junction, b) Sallins bypass and c) the reconfiguration of the Jn 10 Naas South junction which is being moved further south on the M7 (where the DC R445 passes over)

Subpopulus

Deedsie wrote: »

Would this not have already been done for the two lane M7 when it was built?

That was 30 years ago. The regulatory requirements for archeological and environmental assesments has moved on massively since. I'd be surprised if they did anything beyond a desk study in the early 80s.

Deedsie

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irela...ices-1.2371818


"Funding is provided for the widening of the M7 motorway between Naas and the M7/M9 junction near Kilcullen, Co Kildare, on which preliminary work is expected to begin early next year, with the main construction contract getting underway about April 2017."

What's the " Athy Southern Distributor Road" ?

rameire

Deleted User wrote: »

What's the " Athy Southern Distributor Road" ?

its a new road, that is to come off the new roundabout on the Dublin road n78, it will go around the graveyard, along the old railway line crossing the Carlow Road, then across the river and out to the Kilkenny road side of Athy.

its been in the planning for 30 odd years.

gilly0512

Deedsie wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/irela...ices-1.2371818


"Funding is provided for the widening of the M7 motorway between Naas and the M7/M9 junction near Kilcullen, Co Kildare, on which preliminary work is expected to begin early next year, with the main construction contract getting underway about April 2017."

Why in god's name will construction on this not start until April 2017, in a proper country they would be finished construction by April 2017 not just commencing!!

Utdfan20titles

In a proper country, the road would be wide enough after it was built in the first place with no need for construction.