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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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D Trent

Hooks Golf Handicap wrote: »

There are 4 figures/sculptures on the Tullamore to Kilbeggan/M6 bypass that are class.

Sadly there's also those miserable dilapidated Bridget crosses on the N7 around Kildare that look like scrap that fell over the hill.

Need to be maintained but obviously NRA don't see as a priority.

Prob cos the poor bastards don't exist anymore...

Sam Russell

Deedsie wrote: »

I'm amazed by how quiet this thread has been. I thought this would replace M17 once construction started? I haven't been on this road since November. Going back to Dublin next month for the first time in ages. Looking forward to seeing progress. Is there much work done?

M17 is down on the M25 taking pictures there. Maybe he could be persuaded to take a few around Newbridge.

Hooks Golf Handicap

Deedsie wrote: »

I'm amazed by how quiet this thread has been. I thought this would replace M17 once construction started? I haven't been on this road since November. Going back to Dublin next month for the first time in ages. Looking forward to seeing progress. Is there much work done?

Not much progress visible but a lot of drainage work has been done.
Piling has begun for the new bridge.
The off ramp areas have had a lot of trees felled & earth moved.

CeilingFly

Remember the top layer is the easy part - drainage work and base layer is well advance from Jct 9 - jct 10. Substantial groundworks have taken place for the new Jct 10 and they are now building the ramps - this will see 3 new roundabouts on the current Newbridge dual carriageway.

Would love to see an official update every 3 months.

riddlinrussell

Considerable works are being done on the Sallins bypass also, most of the clearing works for at least the Sallins to Grand canal section has been done, I expect to see work on the canal overbridge happening soon, it will be quite an interesting shape of road there, two single carriageway roads meeting at a roundabout, becoming dual-carriageway, going over the canal then almost immediately under the train line, then either over or under the Osberstown road (Not sure which?) then coming to the Motorway junction roundabout very shortly after.

jmkennedyie

Osberstown road will be raised over new Sallins bypass according to http://jameslawless.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Sallins-Bypass-Detailed-Version.png. ;

The Clane/Bodenstown end of Sallins bypass has base layer of hardcore for the last week or two. Will be needed for access to the northern Liffey bridge. Correction: for access to all bridges - they are building a temp bridge across the Liffey according to new update here: http://www.m7upgrade.com/project-updates

There also appear to be significant works just South of existing Naas West tie-in to M7 Southbound.

gilly0512

CeilingFly wrote: »

Remember the top layer is the easy part - drainage work and base layer is well advance from Jct 9 - jct 10. Substantial groundworks have taken place for the new Jct 10 and they are now building the ramps - this will see 3 new roundabouts on the current Newbridge dual carriageway.

Would love to see an official update every 3 months.

Good old Ireland we do love our roundabouts. We actually have no idea in this country how to make roads as free flowing as possible, there must be more roundabouts and traffic lights in this country than any other comparable country in the world.

marno21

gilly2308 wrote: »

Good old Ireland we do love our roundabouts. We actually have no idea in this country how to make roads as free flowing as possible, there must be more roundabouts and traffic lights in this country than any other comparable country in the world.

Look at all the junctions with newly created link roads all over Ireland. Where one road meeting a motorway at a 2 level T junction has to involve 2 roundabouts (M7 J27, M8 J5, Waterford bypass R710 etc)

CeilingFly

gilly2308 wrote: »

Good old Ireland we do love our roundabouts. We actually have no idea in this country how to make roads as free flowing as possible, there must be more roundabouts and traffic lights in this country than any other comparable country in the world.

Maybe check the layout - personally I think it will eliminate all the traffic issues there. Other option is traffic lights.

pad199207

CeilingFly wrote: »

Maybe check the layout - personally I think it will eliminate all the traffic issues there. Other option is traffic lights.

I presume they will be large roundabouts? Akin to the bundle of sticks ?

spacetweek

Roundabouts are cheap, safe and highly effective.

Seth Brundle

spacetweek wrote: »

Roundabouts are cheap, safe and highly effective.

Until we go and put traffic lights on them!

tom1ie

spacetweek wrote: »

Roundabouts are cheap, safe and highly effective.

Apart from when we put cycling paths around the edge of them. That’s quite dangerous.

veryangryman

spacetweek wrote: »

Roundabouts are cheap, safe and highly effective.

For drivers. Pedestrians crossing busy roundabouts (where traffic is busy but flowing) can get fkd all too often when trying to cross near them.

lucernarian

veryangryman wrote: »

For drivers. Pedestrians crossing busy roundabouts (where traffic is busy but flowing) can get fkd all too often when trying to cross near them.

Yep, if anyone dreamed of crossing the road at most of the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre roundabouts, they will know all about this.

marno21

spacetweek wrote: »

Roundabouts are cheap, safe and highly effective.

Roundabouts have their place. In Ireland it seems to be on the agenda that you can put a roundabout anywhere because it's cheap and it'll be safe and highly effective.

We've spent over 1bn in this country removing roundabouts that should never have been put there in the first place. Roundabouts are also extremely limited in effectiveness when you bring in anything besides private motor traffic. You can't prioritise a bus through a roundabout and they are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians.

There are many roundabouts nationwide that were put there in the interest of "cost reduction", but with the other side of the coin that they were also good at "value reduction".

spacetweek

veryangryman wrote: »

For drivers. Pedestrians crossing busy roundabouts (where traffic is busy but flowing) can get fkd all too often when trying to cross near them.

Agreed - they're not suitable for the location we're talking about.

Sam Russell

I was on the M7 on Sunday morning about 2 am travelling towards Dublin and noticed the road works at Naas were going on, and there was a tail back for traffic going south.

The tail back looked about 2km long and quite stationary. No idea why, does anyone know?

gilly0512

A tailback at 2am, good god there really is no hope for this country.

Kevwoody

gilly2308 wrote:

A tailback at 2am, good god there really is no hope for this country.

Surely it must have been a collision? With the lanes reduced it wouldnt take much to block things up.

Sam Russell

Kevwoody wrote: »

Surely it must have been a collision? With the lanes reduced it wouldnt take much to block things up.

Yes, I suspect it could be that, or the workers needed to move something very large and needed to block the road for some time. I just wondered if anyone on here was caught up in it and knew what happened.

spacetweek

Yea I reckon a temporary complete closure. Middle of the night best time for that.

jmkennedyie

Last weekend works: removal of gantries etc. http://www.kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/PressReleasesAdverts/M7NaasNewbridgeBy-PassUpgradeScheme.html

Sam Russell

jmkennedyie wrote: »

Last weekend works: removal of gantries etc. http://www.kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/PressReleasesAdverts/M7NaasNewbridgeBy-PassUpgradeScheme.html

That sounds about right. Maybe they dropped it.

sea12

Sam Russell wrote: »

That sounds about right. Maybe they dropped it.

Allot of machinery on the main line these days especially around the new junction at the Kerry HQ. Hopefully we start to see some real progress now.

barneygumble99

Most of the work seems to be building up the slip roads to the new interchange at Kerry group and obviously putting in the new bridge will take a long time. Seems to be only drainage work on the m7 widening so far but I can’t imagine they will have much earthworks to do anyway as road levels will probably stay the same.

NedNew2

Earthworks have also begun on the Sallins bypass which is visible from the train line.

CeilingFly

sea12 wrote: »

Allot of machinery on the main line these days especially around the new junction at the Kerry HQ. Hopefully we start to see some real progress now.

80% of the work is "unseen". Proper drainage and proper subcore is as important as the top layer.

Also, no use having 3 lanes without both the new junction and the relocation of Jct 10. Both of which are well on their way.

JupiterKid

This country, in an attempt (as we so often do) to ape Britain, went absolutely roundabout mad in the 1980s and 1990s. I suspect much of this roundabout frenzy was an attempt to do junctions on the cheap - just look at the state of the old 1980s Swords bypass!!

And now we’re spending a fortune to remove so many of them. We just don’t seem to do proper, forward thinking integrated transportation and land-use planning in this country.

We do thinks arseways and then spend a shedload trying to fix the problems.

CeilingFly

JupiterKid wrote: »

This country, in an attempt (as we so often do) to ape Britain, went absolutely roundabout mad in the 1980s and 1990s. I suspect much of this roundabout frenzy was an attempt to do junctions on the cheap - just look at the state of the old 1980s Swords bypass!!

And now we’re spending a fortune to remove so many of them. We just don’t seem to do proper, forward thinking integrated transportation and land-use planning in this country. We do thinks arseways and then spend a shedload trying to fix the problems.

What's your expertise in roads engineering? I'll guess little or none.

As for aping Britain, there are tons of roundabouts all round Europe and they are particularly prevalent in France - and WAY more than the UK