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

JupiterKid

Following on from the suggestion of a poster, this thread has been set up to discuss the need for widening the M7.

The section of the M7 IMO in immediate need (really a backlog need) for widening is the section from the Maudlins Interchange at Naas to the M9 interchange - basically the original 1983 Naas Bypass and half of the 1993 Newbridge Bypass. Is this likely to proceed in the near future?

Would the central median be wide enough for widening to D3M here? I'm pretty sure it is wide enough on the Newbridge bypass section but I'm not so sure in the case of the Naas Bypass.

Also, what bridges will need to be demolished and rebuilt? Or would it be more practical to drop the hard shoulder through the existing bridges?

What about the proposal a few years back to build a new junction at on the Naas Bypass at Osberstown? Will it still go ahead?

In the longer term, does anyone see a need to widen the M7 to the N7/M8 junction?

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Middle Man

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

So 60km/h signs have gone up

I set speed limiter and did the 60 (left lane before anyone asks) ... absolutely painful.

EVERY single car under the sun flew past me and the ones behind me all overtook. Felt like I was crawling too.

No speed traps along the route in the end

Extremely difficult to do the 60. Might be easier in commuter traffic

That clearly shows what a joke this country is! :mad:

I thought there was going to be robust enforcement along that stretch...

Chris_5339762

Northbound we're in the hard shoulder + driving lane. Overtaking lane coned off. 60kmh from J10 to J8, oddly enough.

Average speed in lane 1 = 70kmh
Average speed in lane 2 = 80kmh roughly

No speed enforcement yet. Average speed cameras hopefully or we'll get panic breaking throughout.

sonyvision

Same today heading Northbound, set cruise control to 60 and every car overtook, some cars passing approx 80 others still doing near 120kph totally dangerous.

Average speed camera's will be the safest way to control.

medoc

Great that work is finally underway on this scheme. Pity they didn’t include the addition of the missing movements from the M7/M9 junction

regedit

I live in Naas and drove to Kildare village yesterday at around 16:00 (back at 17:00). Didn't see any signs for reduced speed limit. It was 120 km/h throughout. Cones weer in place from the Johnstown exit to just before Newbridge exit. Lines had been removed but nothing else done. There was no sign that someone was going to work that evening. No machines nor people activity visible. It's a pity as the week-ends are probably the best time to work there...

barneygumble99

Drove southbound this morning and it was only 60 as far as Naas South, 120 after that. Lots of small bits of debris in the inside lane (previously the hard shoulder) like small stones being thrown up from the car in front and saw another car drive a traffic cone across the road.

GhostyMcGhost

Drove in commuter traffic this morning

Zero Garda enforcement. M9 merge was a mess. Cars pulling in from main road onto merging lane to get ahead of traffic

The guards NEED to be patrolling and enforcing and stamping out bad behaviour during a difficult enough time with works actually taking place now

_Kaiser_

Drove through it northbound about an hour ago

No actual works going on, outer lane coned off and impossible to do 60 because of other traffic (which was light enough generally). I genuinely tried, but it's actually dangerous when you have cars tailgating as a result or 40 foot trucks overtaking at 80+

There are 2 cameras up before you get to exit 9 though. They look like cctv cameras.

Be well and win

m9 merge this morning was the usual Monday situation (ie garbage), nothing unusual at all about it.

I was surprised the 2 lanes went all the way up to the next exit after the round ball though.

_Kaiser_

GhostyMcGhost wrote: »

Drove in commuter traffic this morning

Zero Garda enforcement. M9 merge was a mess. Cars pulling in from main road onto merging lane to get ahead of traffic

The guards NEED to be patrolling and enforcing and stamping out bad behaviour during a difficult enough time with works actually taking place now

Far more effective imo would be to lift the limit (or at least set it at a more reasonable 80/100) when there's no actual works happening.

Otherwise what you have is what I experienced this morning.. Constant pressure to go faster from vehicles behind. I wouldn't be a nervous driver but I don't enjoy watching others trying to get into my back seat while trying to dawdle along for absolutely no reason either.

Chris_5339762

Looks like carnage tonight outbound according to google traffic. Delays back to J5, much worse than a typical Monday. Not what I was expecting as I thought the lower speed limit would regulate it.

_Kaiser_

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Looks like carnage tonight outbound according to google traffic. Delays back to J5, much worse than a typical Monday. Not what I was expecting as I thought the lower speed limit would regulate it.

Funnily enough I am just looking at Google maps and yep as well as carnage outbound, there's thick orange lines inbound from exit 10-9 too.

Lower speeds (despite all the advertising and press releases) isn't actually the cure for everything wrong on the roads.

Flexible dynamic speeds that are set subject to the actual works that are happening and the traffic conditions is what's needed, not this generic "60 km/h - job done" approach

pad199207

Traffic on the bypass itself is slow but moving. It’s the sudden slowdown before the ball that is sending a traffic jam half way back up the N7

One_Of_Shanks

Are there not going to be cameras atall? Nobody arsed with the limits today anyway. They were flying by me doing 90-100.

Felt a bit daft doing 60-65

80 would be more comfortable imo, especially when they werent even working on it

regedit

Wouldn't it make sense in that case to reduce the speed (and enforce it) from say Castlewarden to 80 km/h. If everyone is doing 100 (most do 120 on N7) and then they are abruptly slowing down to 60 km/h that is very dangerous!

Chris_5339762

I THINK theres a short section of 80kmh southbound (there is northbound anyway) but its also being ignored.

_Kaiser_

One_Of_Shanks wrote: »

Are there not going to be cameras atall? Nobody arsed with the limits today anyway. They were flying by me doing 90-100.

Felt a bit daft doing 60-65

80 would be more comfortable imo, especially when they werent even working on it

Yep, trip home tonight was the same as inbound... not a sinner working on it, limit being ignored and actually more dangerous trying to abide by it with cars flying past at 100/120+

I'll be ringing the crowd responsible for this "upgrade" in the morning for a chat.

Cazale

There is very little room for cars now coming on to the M7 from junction nine southbound.

sea12

M9 m7 merge was a disaster this morning. Worst I've seen in a long time. After that the rare stricter 2 lanes where is is coned off went pretty smoothly. A bit better than I was expecting. After that traffic was a bit lighter than I was expecting for first Monday back. There must be allot of colleges still off.

Way home this evening was very bad. It was quicker to go through kill and Johnstown.

As for doing 60. I would just keep pace with the traffic in front otherwise you will just cause frustration and an accident.

Be well and win

it actually wasn't too bad southbound tonight, slow to the round ball as people seemed unsure around the lanes. Slip road from Naas southbound seems to have been significantly reduced and that meant there was only one or 2 cars at a time able to get on which meant I got through that part much quicker then usual. it also means smart arses can't go up the hard shoulder and hopefully it might reduce the volume of cars coming off at Naas and around the round ball to come back on

saw some equipement in the middle about halfways down to Naas south so they are starting work

big fear is a breakdown or crash, that will cause chaos. However at least people wont be able to slow down to stare at a car on the hard shoulder to see what he is doing

sea12

Be well and win wrote: »

it actually wasn't too bad southbound tonight, slow to the round ball as people seemed unsure around the lanes. Slip road from Naas southbound seems to have been significantly reduced and that meant there was only one or 2 cars at a time able to get on which meant I got through that part much quicker then usual. it also means smart arses can't go up the hard shoulder and hopefully it might reduce the volume of cars coming off at Naas and around the round ball to come back on

saw some equipement in the middle about halfways down to Naas south so they are starting work

big fear is a breakdown or crash, that will cause chaos. However at least people wont be able to slow down to stare at a car on the hard shoulder to see what he is doing

Yes saw that equipment in the grass centre this evening. Too dark to see what it was. Yes short slip road is on purpose I'd imagine to prevent people going parallel to the motorway to rejoin there which causes further delays.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

_Kaiser_

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Well reading the order on the Kildare Co Co site, it seems that the idea is 60 km/h throughout regardless of (in)activity with the exception of a few hundred metres of 80 km/h on approach/exit.

Exactly what I expected.. lazy and will be an extreme pain off-peak until the actual works justify it

beertons

What was the road like this morning?

_Kaiser_

beertons wrote: »

What was the road like this morning?

Same as yesterday. Limit being ignored for the most part with those trying to obey it severely pressured. Not a sinner out actually working though.

iseegirls

Thought the traffic was moving as freely as ever around 9am. Very little braking going on, with everyone doing around 75-90.

beertons

That was deadly actually, think I was doing 70. Be different next week when they start moving machines in there, and people are looking at the work going on.

riddlinrussell

Walked past the works for crossing the railway line at the weekend, they have what looks like a box section sitting in place close to the line, its got concrete sections on top for the railway tracks to go in, I'd say when they close the line for tie in works later this year that whole box is just getting pushed into a hole they make and then they can do the railway tie in quite rapidly. Didn't manage to get any pictures as it was very dark when I got there unfortunately.

rameire

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Same as yesterday. Limit being ignored for the most part with those trying to obey it severely pressured. Not a sinner out actually working though.

they cant work on it till the full correct barriers are in place.
They have started to place these metal barriers in place today.

GhostyMcGhost

iseegirls wrote: »

Thought the traffic was moving as freely as ever around 9am. Very little braking going on, with everyone doing around 75-90.

In a 60 zone