Roadworks @ graveyard in balbriggan

poxman

I had this message drafted last week but didnt post it as I thought the situation would improve. The carry on of those contractors working on the road improvements are an absolute disgrace. Their incompetence in managing the traffic lights and flow of traffic is mind boggling. The tailbacks and delays caused has to be irritating everybody and how the gardai/ town council or chamber have not told the builders to cop themselves on is unbelievable. To have tailbacks on a Saturday night is ridiculous. As usual nobody is willing to sort out what is obvious .

The Hill Billy

Have you contacted Fingal Co Co?

Jimdagym

I have not contacted the council, as I am sure the thousands of people affected by it haven't either, but fully agree op. it's absolutely shamefully the way the traffic is being managed. God only knows what it will be left like for christmas when the builders take their holiday.
I live near the Garda station, and have 2 kids in the gaelscoil, so 3 times a day I need to negotiate this train wreck. The extra traffic this is forcing through the town makes that as bad. I am nearly at the stage of driving to julianstown to get on the motorway to come off at walshestown, just for the school run!

sgarvan

I contacted the council to ask for the temp traffic lights to be removed due to the the traffic issues.

I was told that the lights would be staying in place until the new traffic system is installed. The finishing date for that was Friday 14th. And then the new surface was to be laid early next week.

The new traffic signals are not installed yet so the dates, as usual with contractors, are all over the place.

It is a junction that I cannot avoid if travelling to the M1 and it takes me well over 10mins to get through it on a daily basis. The sooner it finishes the better

poxman

I suppose I left myself open to the "did you ring fingal co co" comment. But I shouldn't have to. If I get a skip and want to put it on the footpath I have to get a licence off council. If I do anything that effects traffic , I have to notify the gardai. If you don't do either you will have a council jobs worth or a garda all over you yet these builders can cause havoc for weeks . Could the builders have not even set the lights to the old sequence. The cop shop is only 300 mts away. Surely they know what is going on ? The town council should be involved but they are nowhere to be seen. Someone should tell them there will be a photographer up there. That will soon get them out !

PlainP

I agree it's a woeful state of affairs, the traffic seems to run better without the lights there, and they definitely should have the lights on the old system. I feel sorry for pedestrians as they don't seem to get a green light for crossing the road. All in all a bad system was set up.

I wonder how they're going to cope with putting the lights at market green, another area I drive to regularly. I'm not looking forward to it but I know they are badly needed at this junction. I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of tailback caused due to these lights especially at the Market House end.They may have to allow for a right turn at the court house.. We shall see

sgarvan

I have contacted the Senior Executive Engineer in the road department of Fingal Co Co again about this junction/area. IMO it is getting worse. The road surface is really bad. Pedestrians find it difficult to cross anywhere at it. And the traffic build up is just ridiculous at this stage.

For something that was supposed to be finished last Friday, no progress seems to be made.

sgarvan

I have been in constant contact with our site representative with regard to the instillation of the permanent traffic lights which unfortunately are not proceeding as scheduled. The specialist subcontractor has encountered some technical problems and every effort is being made to overcome them. As stated in your e-mail this has delayed the light instillation which we had hoped would be completed earlier this week. Every effort is being made to get the lights up and working by Christmas however at this stage we are running out of time. Contingence plans are being drawn up to provide a more robust set of temporary lights for the junction if the problem with the permanent light instillation can not be overcome.

I have been informed by our contractor that all the footpath works with the exception of the footpath adjacent to the grave yard will be completed and open to the public by Christmas. The pedestrian crossing points at the Harry Reynolds Road junction will also be completed.

The above is from Fingal Co Co

wobblemouth

'Instillation'?!!

Was he typing in a Cork accent?!!

Hard to believe they can't manage a reasonable flow of traffic through that junction. Whahtever about peak times, it took me over 15 mins to get through last night at 7pm coming from Millfield.

rpurfield

them lights are an utter disgrace i was stuck at them for near ten minutes early saturday morning last and i was the second car in the queue.and more importantly they caused me to miss the 13.20 train later on saturday and thus got no pre match pints for the leinster game :mad:

Jimdagym

Thanks for that sgarvan.
I'd love to know what technical problems are causing these experts such delays.
Who did you contact btw? I feel a strongly worded email coming on.:mad:

sgarvan

Jimdagym wrote: »

Thanks for that sgarvan.
I'd love to know what technical problems are causing these experts such delays.
Who did you contact btw? I feel a strongly worded email coming on.:mad:

I just emailed the roads department. Email address is on the website

sgarvan

Apologies, was posting on the phone last night.

This is the email address I sent to (roads@fingalcoco.ie) and the reply came from Thomas O'Connor.

The more mails that is sent to/received by the council the better. Something might actually get done. It seems that he tells it as it is in fairness.

tatli_lokma

I've taken to heading out and home via the backroads at hagan's cross and then down Flemington lane.

It's ridiculous that it is taking so long. Plus, the way they have organised it, means that anyone not familiar with the junction is at a loss to figure out where they are supposed to go. When the lights do change to green, there is not enough time for the amount of traffic that has built up to get through the junction. Its a total pain.

Anyway, I too have sent off an email to fingal at the address sgarvan provided.

sirpsycho

Alongside roads@fingalcoco.ie, it would be no harm to copy in the HSA (wcu@hsa.ie).

sgarvan

Someone changed the lights on the Naul Road coming form Millfield to flashing amber over last weekend and the traffic flowed perfectly. Pity it was changed back to red/green.

I heard over the Christmas break that the sub-contractors had walked off the site due to issues with payments. If this is true the junction/road will take an age to complete. Hopefully it is only Balbriggan rumors.

tatli_lokma

Can I also just ask, can everyone be ready to move once the lights change! The amount of people dilly-dallying through the junctions when they must know how long it takes to wait for the next change is unreal. Get the lead out people! Be ready when the lights turn green and then move like the wind! lol

sgarvan

Look at this drawing of the junction at the graveyard, it doesnt look like the left turn from the Naul Road to the Harry Reynolds Road will be a free flow turn. This is just stupid in my opinion as this is where the traffic builds up mostly.

aniascor

sgarvan wrote: »

Someone changed the lights on the Naul Road coming form Millfield to flashing amber over last weekend and the traffic flowed perfectly. Pity it was changed back to red/green.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I thought that change was really dangerous. I was making a right turn (had the green light) when I was nearly run of the road by a guy who sped up to go straight through the junction when he saw the flashing amber instead of yielding to traffic already in possession of the junction. At the time I thought he was actually running a red light. It was an hour or two later when I passed back that way that I realised it was a flashing amber.

Standard Toaster

Partner rang Balbriggan Garda station there, lights not in sync it seems, there's going to be a crash sooner rather then later.
Garda said she'd ring the council. Better then giving out online, ring Guards or Council.

Beasty

Little Ted wrote: »

Be ready when the lights turn green and then move like the wind! lol

Or if you wish to obey the Rules of the Road, and look out anyone, such as a pedestrian, who may not have cleared the bit of road you are heading for, proceed with caution. If you get held up a bit, so what - it's better than getting yourself caught up in an accident

tatli_lokma

Beasty wrote: »

Or if you wish to obey the Rules of the Road, and look out anyone, such as a pedestrian, who may not have cleared the bit of road you are heading for, proceed with caution. If you get held up a bit, so what - it's better than getting yourself caught up in an accident

well obviously you would take into account the position of other road users! I didn't think it was necessary to post script my comment with a warning not to run people over or crash into another car - that kinda goes without saying. If it doesn't you shouldn't be on the road in the first place. My comment was more referring to the people who know full well that the light takes ages to change and that the tailbacks are dire, and yet when the lights do change they take their sweet driving miss daisy time and toddle around the corner. Or the ones who are so busy doing their make-up/on their phone/chatting to notice the light has changed. Am I the only one that watches the sequence of the lights and when the previous light turns amber, prepare myself to proceed when my light goes green?

Beasty

Rules of the Road say "Proceed with Caution" when the lights turn green (and certainly not "move like the wind") - the point I'm making is you should not treat any lights "differently" which was implied in your post.

If drivers are "dilly-dallying" at these lights, they will probably do the same at others, and no amount of pleading on this forum is likely to change their approach.

tatli_lokma

its just an expression and bit of humour. Lighten up!

and whether they dilly dally at these lights or others, it still annoys me - just more so at these lights because there is such a long wait between changes. I was sitting there for about 15-20 mins at Tesco yesterday waiting to turn. And in 20 mins the lights only changed twice - I got through on the second change.

sgarvan

Definitely someone messing around with the temp lights.

On Saturday the Chapel Street side of the junction had flashing amber lights and yesterday and this morning, the Millfield side of the junction had flashing amber.

I see there is permanent lights in place on the polls but are covered with orange covers. I believe there is workman there this morning so here's hoping that it gets sorted soon.

sgarvan

Temporary lights are gone and the permanent lights are in action.

Hopefully they are sensored as before

tatli_lokma

sgarvan wrote: »

Temporary lights are gone and the permanent lights are in action.

Hopefully they are sensored as before

Yeah, thankfully things seem to be moving at a more realistic pace now. Don't need to go up flemington lane and out at hagans cross anymore, which on these icy mornings I am very pleased about!

kaisersoze

Hi, does anyone know if there is a second part to these works to open the road from roundabout @ tesco to st. georges? I thought the council had CPO'd the gardens of the houses along that stretch to reallign that section of road?

Thanks.

F1 fanatic

Hi

Below is the proposed link road which i believe is gone to tender

http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Planning/PlanningItemsOnDisplay/PlanningItemsPreviouslyonDisplay/Previouslyondisplay2010-2017/Other/Part8-ProposedCastleMillLinkRoad/Map.pdf

and below is an article from yesterdays paper

http://www.fingal-independent.ie/local-notes/council-lays-out-plans-for-castlemill-link-road-3366644.html

Hope this is of interest

kaisersoze

Thanks F1.

tatli_lokma

sgarvan wrote: »

Temporary lights are gone and the permanent lights are in action.

Hopefully they are sensored as before

The lights don't seem to be sensored anymore, and also the right arrow is no longer there, meaning anyone unfamiliar with the junction gets delayed thinking that they are crossing traffic, when in fact they are free to turn while the opposite light is red.

I hope this is just a temporary thing and they reinstate the sensors. Very irritating at 6.30am and you are waiting for what feels like an age when there is no other traffic at any of the other junctions (I know its only a few mins but at 6.30am it feels like forever!)

maxfresh

Little Ted wrote: »

The lights don't seem to be sensored anymore, and also the right arrow is no longer there, meaning anyone unfamiliar with the junction gets delayed thinking that they are crossing traffic, when in fact they are free to turn while the opposite light is red.

I hope this is just a temporary thing and they reinstate the sensors. Very irritating at 6.30am and you are waiting for what feels like an age when there is no other traffic at any of the other junctions (I know its only a few mins but at 6.30am it feels like forever!)

the loops (sensors) will not be installed till the road surface is finished as they have to be cut into the tarmac, the lights will be on a fixed time plan till then

tatli_lokma

maxfresh wrote: »

the loops (sensors) will not be installed till the road surface is finished as they have to be cut into the tarmac, the lights will be on a fixed time plan till then

I hope your right. Still missing a right turn arrow though

kaisersoze

It was missing everything last night! Traffic lights, very poor visibilty as street lights are not working and huge drains poorly sign posted. Its a bit of a death trap at the moment. Is SIAC the main contractor?

kaisersoze

I spoke to Fingal Co Co Road department earlier and it appears someone cut/disconnected the power to the traffic lights yesterday, hence the problems.

He also told me they are waiting on the temperatures to raise a little before they can apply the final course of material to finish it off.

rccaulfield

What has been gained with all this work, everything is exactly the same except theres a bicycle sign on the pedestrian lights now and the road is wider for the trucks going to Tesco. The path is now one long death trap cos if anything mounts the path it hits the wall and scoops u anyone walking on the path all the way down? I thought there would be filter lights on all sides with 2 lanes but there is no filter lights on the traffic light system currently up so even if 2 lanes are ainted on somehow what difference will it make?

kaisersoze

According to Fingal CoCo, the current situation with the lights and signalling is not the way it will end up. They are only in an intermediate state until they are fully commissioned

They have to review the traffic and also there are smart sensors further back from the lights at Harry Reynolds Road to stop the traffic from building back to roundabout (apparently) :-)

In fairness to Fingal, I went to them before and suggested a change in sequence to the lighting that would counteract drivers breaking red lights and they were open to it and eventually made the change.

I would imagine when the whole road is widened from St Georges NS all the way down to the graveyard; it would be a lot better.

rccaulfield wrote: »

What has been gained with all this work, everything is exactly the same except theres a bicycle sign on the pedestrian lights now and the road is wider for the trucks going to Tesco. The path is now one long death trap cos if anything mounts the path it hits the wall and scoops u anyone walking on the path all the way down? I thought there would be filter lights on all sides with 2 lanes but there is no filter lights on the traffic light system currently up so even if 2 lanes are ainted on somehow what difference will it make?

Morpheus

kaisersoze wrote: »

I would imagine when the whole road is widened from St Georges NS all the way down to the graveyard; it would be a lot better.

feck all room to widen it, unless they move a few "residents" either in Prospect... or the graveyard!

rccaulfield

kaisersoze wrote: »

According to Fingal CoCo, the current situation with the lights and signalling is not the way it will end up. They are only in an intermediate state until they are fully commissioned

They have to review the traffic and also there are smart sensors further back from the lights at Harry Reynolds Road to stop the traffic from building back to roundabout (apparently) :-)

In fairness to Fingal, I went to them before and suggested a change in sequence to the lighting that would counteract drivers breaking red lights and they were open to it and eventually made the change.

I would imagine when the whole road is widened from St Georges NS all the way down to the graveyard; it would be a lot better.

Yea suppose we'll wait and see ta!

sgarvan

My email today

Can you please give me an update on this road works? And also give a push to the contractors.

It is now the 14th February and the road surface and junction layout is a disgrace.

It has been going on far too long at this stage and something needs to be resolved and complete soon.

FCC reply

The cold weather of the past few weeks have cause us serious problems as the final wearing course material chosen for this scheme needs to be laid when the prevailing air and the surface on which it is to be laid, i.e. ground temperature is above 8 degrees. Unfortunately these conditions have not been met and as a consequence the laying of the final wearing course was postponed on a number of occasions both on this site and on other site experiencing the same weather conditions. There has also been a knock on delay due to our specialist sub contractor being committed to complete other project which also experienced delays. I have been informed that the sub contractor has scheduled the work on the Naul Road to start tomorrow and running through next week when all the surfacing work s will be completed.

ozmo

sgarvan wrote: »

i.e. ground temperature is above 8 degrees

They seriously made plans... that required ground temperature to be above 8 degrees.... In December and January

kaisersoze

Thanks for that update.

The street lighting is a disgrace too.

I walk from town up to Westbrook every night and there has been so many near misses, I'm suprised nobody has been run over.

As last posted said, waiting on 8 degrees? I think the project manager needs to revisit his/her planning skills. I would imagine there are very few days in any December through to January where the temperature is greater than 8 c.

sgarvan wrote: »

My email today


FCC reply

sgarvan

FCC email today

Our specialist sub contractor is scheduled to commence laying the final road surface layer today Friday 15th and this will continue now that the prevailing air and road temperatures have risen until the work is complete by this day next week.

F1 fanatic

It would be nice if they got the street lighting working. How long does it take to wire a few lamps?

sgarvan

Good to see tarmacadam laying machines arriving here this morning

tatli_lokma

indeed - my tracking isn't enjoying the bumps and lumps on the road!

LittleLady25

I really hope the roadworks are finished soon, I am really close by and it is just tormenting, especially when they work saturdays.......:(

sgarvan

Good to see that the road markings have been painted.

It will take some getting used to when coming from the church side of Harry Reynolds road towards the Moylaragh side. The lane on the church side face the right turn lane on the Moylaragh side. Also the lane on the Moylaragh side is quite skinny.

What I can't understand is not putting a free flow left turn from the Naul Road onto the Harry Reynolds road. It is the busiest section of the road.

tatli_lokma

sgarvan wrote: »

What I can't understand is not putting a free flow left turn from the Naul Road onto the Harry Reynolds road. It is the busiest section of the road.

was thinking that myself this morning. Or they could even allow a left turn arrow from Naul Rd onto Harry Reynolds road at the same time as traffic has the green light from Harry Reynolds rd going straight and turning right.

Jimdagym

sgarvan wrote: »

What I can't understand is not putting a free flow left turn from the Naul Road onto the Harry Reynolds road. It is the busiest section of the road.

I do agree, but it will calm down by a huge amount if/when the link from George's ns to dunnes opens. That will take a huge number of cars out of that junction.

tatli_lokma

Jimdagym wrote: »

I do agree, but it will calm down by a huge amount if/when the link from George's ns to dunnes opens. That will take a huge number of cars out of that junction.

I thought that had been axed?