Walkinstown roundabout - which lane?

languagenerd

Hi all, I'm not a learner (still on N-plates) but everyone's favourite roundabout has been confusing me.

When you come to the Walkinstown Roundabout from Ballymount Rd, there are only 2 lanes on Ballymount Rd leading to 3 lanes on the roundabout itself. If I want to be in the middle lane on the roundabout (eg to take the 3rd exit, Cromwellsfort Rd in the image below), should I be in the left or right lane on Ballymount Rd?

I find that no matter which I take, the car beside me is ALWAYS trying to get into the middle lane too. There are 3 lanes on most other approaches so it's perfectly clear, but this one's a mess...

Dravokivich

Ideally, they should be in the first lane, you in the second lane.

Doesn't really matter who should be where though in the grand scheme of things. Just keep watching out as you seem to be doing and fit in where you can. They are only thinking about what they want to do, regardless of anyone else or even how they should be doing it.

2Mad2BeMad

Dravokivich wrote: »

Ideally, they should be in the first lane, you in the second lane.

Doesn't really matter who should be where though in the grand scheme of things. Just keep watching out as you seem to be doing and fit in where you can. They are only thinking about what they want to do, regardless of anyone else or even how they should be doing it.

joke of a roundabout, I live near it and have to use it daily.

While I won't pretend to know exactly how to use the roundabout because it seems everyone has their own idea of how it works.
They recently put down road markings on it to make it easier (it doesn't)

I actually see people stay in the 1st lane all the way around and they do it every day and it just baffles me altogether.

But to answer your post OP, if your entering the roundabout from ballymound,
use the 2ND lane to get into the middle and inside lane of the round about.

The 1ST lane is for 1st lane only, next time you go their look at the road markings and you will see the 2nd lane with a white broken line going straight into the middle lane.

But of course their are people who still use the 1st lane to go into the middle lane, so you can't win.

What they really need to do with that roundabout is to ad signs to it, to show exactly what lane will bring you were depending on the way you enter the roundabout.

I enter the round about from walkinstown rd way and I always get off at ballymount, so naturally I get on the inside lane.
But I am always blocked by people who get on the same time as me but use the middle lane and get off at ballymount.

Also don't forget the people who just decide to pull out infront of you altogether, certainlly doesn't help.

I feel bad for people driving trucks having to use that roundabout, its bad enough in a car

dil999

2Mad2BeMad wrote: »

joke of a roundabout, I live near it and have to use it daily.

While I won't pretend to know exactly how to use the roundabout because it seems everyone has their own idea of how it works.
They recently put down road markings on it to make it easier (it doesn't)

I actually see people stay in the 1st lane all the way around and they do it every day and it just baffles me altogether.

But to answer your post OP, if your entering the roundabout from ballymound,
use the 2ND lane to get into the middle and inside lane of the round about.

The 1ST lane is for 1st lane only, next time you go their look at the road markings and you will see the 2nd lane with a white broken line going straight into the middle lane.

But of course their are people who still use the 1st lane to go into the middle lane, so you can't win.

What they really need to do with that roundabout is to ad signs to it, to show exactly what lane will bring you were depending on the way you enter the roundabout.

I enter the round about from walkinstown rd way and I always get off at ballymount, so naturally I get on the inside lane.
But I am always blocked by people who get on the same time as me but use the middle lane and get off at ballymount.

Also don't forget the people who just decide to pull out infront of you altogether, certainlly doesn't help.

I feel bad for people driving trucks having to use that roundabout, its bad enough in a car

The Walkinstown roundabout must be the craziest traffic junction in Europe. 6 roads, 3 lanes. I would be fairly sure if you followed the rules of the road to the letter you would never be able to get off of it. If there was ever a roundabout for traffic lights, this is it.

Ken Tucky

As a local i have always used the first lane for the first two exits. IE; if exiting the Ballymount road and i want to go up Cromwellsfort then i would stay in lane 1.
Same rule applies to as example leaving Peters road and heading down Walkinstown avenue i would be in the middle lane on Peters road.

These may not be technically correct but have served me well for the past 25 years. Im on the roundabout( cross ) everyday.

Hope this helps!

exaisle

I seem to remember people living on the roundabout island back in the day....or maybe that was the Red Cow roundabout...and look what they did to that... ;-)

languagenerd

Thanks everyone for the replies. When you consider 6 exits and 3 lanes it kind of makes sense - outer lane for the first 2, middle lane for 3 and 4, and inside lane for 5 or 6. But that doesn't work at all on the approach roads that only have two lanes. I was sticking to the right, but then almost every time, the person in the left lane was trying to be in the middle lane too. I was wondering if there was a technically correct one, but it seems not! The exit is at almost exactly 12 o'clock from Ballymount too, so if the roundabout only had 2 lanes, you could probably take either.

Ken Tucky wrote: »

As a local i have always used the first lane for the first two exits. IE; if exiting the Ballymount road and i want to go up Cromwellsfort then i would stay in lane 1.
Same rule applies to as example leaving Peters road and heading down Walkinstown avenue i would be in the middle lane on Peters road.

Thanks for the reply, but Cromwellsfort Rd is the third exit from Ballymount Rd - you've Walkinstown Ave and Walkinstown Rd in the middle. That's why I'm a bit confused - I want to be in the middle lane of the roundabout, but Ballymount Rd only has two. That said, half the time you can't use the outer lane on the roundabout anyway because the drivers waiting to enter have edged halfway or even the whole way across it - but that's an issue for another day!

Dravokivich

exaisle wrote: »

I seem to remember people living on the roundabout island back in the day....or maybe that was the Red Cow roundabout...and look what they did to that... ;-)

You're right regarding Walkinstown round about.

Before the M50, there was no round about. When the M50 was built, it was always hallow :P

languagenerd wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies. When you consider 6 exits and 3 lanes it kind of makes sense - outer lane for the first 2, middle lane for 3 and 4, and inside lane for 5 or 6. But that doesn't work at all on the approach roads that only have two lanes. I was sticking to the right, but then almost every time, the person in the left lane was trying to be in the middle lane too. I was wondering if there was a technically correct one, but it seems not! The exit is at almost exactly 12 o'clock from Ballymount too, so if the roundabout only had 2 lanes, you could probably take either.

One of the guys who've exprience as an instructer may be able to clarify, but I thought the premise of the "clockface" for round abouts was based on the first 2 exits. So a 3rd exit at 12 O'clock would require you to be in the 2nd lane.

Ken Tucky

languagenerd wrote: »

Thanks everyone for the replies. When you consider 6 exits and 3 lanes it kind of makes sense - outer lane for the first 2, middle lane for 3 and 4, and inside lane for 5 or 6. But that doesn't work at all on the approach roads that only have two lanes. I was sticking to the right, but then almost every time, the person in the left lane was trying to be in the middle lane too. I was wondering if there was a technically correct one, but it seems not! The exit is at almost exactly 12 o'clock from Ballymount too, so if the roundabout only had 2 lanes, you could probably take either.



Thanks for the reply, but Cromwellsfort Rd is the third exit from Ballymount Rd - you've Walkinstown Ave and Walkinstown Rd in the middle. That's why I'm a bit confused - I want to be in the middle lane of the roundabout, but Ballymount Rd only has two. That said, half the time you can't use the outer lane on the roundabout anyway because the drivers waiting to enter have edged halfway or even the whole way across it - but that's an issue for another day!

Yes you are correct, it is the third exit. I should have said that the Ballymount exit is the exception to my rule-which is probably not correct but seems to work!!

bpb101

op. You should be in the second lane(to go into the second or third lane, of this roundabout). It may be hard to see, but it is now(recent months) marked by joining the lines on the road.
something like this is now on the road. Have a look next time.
But i agree with you people are mad on it

Although a mad roundabout , it leads everywhere in south dublin. Putting taffic lights on it would be a disaster . Its physically too small for it