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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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marno21

New roundabout location on Clane Road, Sallins:

Drainage works on Sallins bypass:

Work to begin shortly on Sallins bypass bridge over the River Liffey:

View of mainline from existing bridge at Osberstown, including construction of centre pier for new junction overbridge:

Piling works for new J9A overbridge:

marno21

Drainage works ongoing along the mainline:

Long shot of new J9A Osberstown:

New bridge at J9A to be constructed before demolition of existing accommodation crossing:

Sallins bypass under construction: (new temporary Liffey bridge to be built soon to provide works access)

barneygumble99

marno21 wrote: »

Good weather is really helping (not just here but on jobs nationwide!)

The demolition of that bridge is surely only around the corner.

Will they not put in the new bridge first as the old bridge would be very handy for access to both sides of it whilst it’s being built? Providing the bridges aren’t overlapping at all, looking like they don’t from where the pads are being constructed.

marno21

pad199207 wrote: »

It’s really beginning to make excellent progress now.

Good weather is really helping (not just here but on jobs nationwide!)

The demolition of that bridge is surely only around the corner.

pad199207

BuzzFish wrote: »

Took a few pics from KerryGroup late last week....

It’s really beginning to make excellent progress now.

BuzzFish

Took a few pics from KerryGroup late last week....
attachment.php?attachmentid=452621

Sam Russell

How is the M7 widening going? Are they putting roundabouts all over the place? I know at Kingswood and Rathcoole, they like roundabouts, even though the traffic levels hardly warrants it..

Chris_5339762

Just remember the 100kmh to 60kmh disaster before the M11 gap was filled. Motorway traffic going south, dualler ends going to S2 down a hill with a junction just there at the Beehive.

Massive accident rate.

Putting a roundabout (or more sensibly, a built junction) at the end of the motorway is common sense.

[Deleted User]

Freeflow junctions need at least one bridge, roundabouts need no bridges, major cost saving right there.

marno21

Sam Russell wrote: »

Well, slowing from 120 kph to 100 kph does not require a roundabout. There is no roundabout at the end on the M4 coming into Dublin, when the slow down is to 80 kph, so not a universal idea.

It's usually more for slowing down traffic before it comes onto a single carriageway or town/village etc. The N4 in Lucan doesn't have right turns or at grade junctions etc

Sam Russell

Geogregor wrote: »

One of the reasons for such solutions might be to slow traffic down from the motorway speeds at the end of the motorway. From safety perspective it is wise idea, even if it adds to work when motorway is eventually extended.

Well, slowing from 120 kph to 100 kph does not require a roundabout. There is no roundabout at the end on the M4 coming into Dublin, when the slow down is to 80 kph, so not a universal idea.

pad199207

JupiterKid wrote: »

I have a background in transportation and land use planning so I do know something about roads and transport issues.

I’ll care for you not to patronise me and condescend to me. I am entitled to my opinion. And my opinion is that too many roundabouts were built at junctions where they did not work well in this country.

Attack the post and not the poster.

Trust me your better off not to answer him. Yes you are correct, too many roundabouts have been built in this country.
For example The new Sallins Bypass junction should have the larger roundabout junction ie Kilcock M4. Not the Mickey Mouse arse job with a small roundabout either side of the junction that they currently have planned.

Geogregor

Sam Russell wrote: »

At the end of every new stretch of motorway is a roundabout. Just look at the M17 as it traansitions into the Tuam bypass - a roundabout. Why was that not built as a free-flow junction?

First job when extending a motorway to add a few extra miles to it - is to remove the roundabout at the end of the existing motorway.

We should think free-flow.

One of the reasons for such solutions might be to slow traffic down from the motorway speeds at the end of the motorway. From safety perspective it is wise idea, even if it adds to work when motorway is eventually extended.

Sam Russell

At the end of every new stretch of motorway is a roundabout. Just look at the M17 as it traansitions into the Tuam bypass - a roundabout. Why was that not built as a free-flow junction?

First job when extending a motorway to add a few extra miles to it - is to remove the roundabout at the end of the existing motorway.

We should think free-flow.

JupiterKid

CeilingFly wrote: »

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

I have a background in transportation and land use planning so I do know something about roads and transport issues.

I’ll care for you not to patronise me and condescend to me. I am entitled to my opinion. And my opinion is that too many roundabouts were built at junctions where they did not work well in this country.

Attack the post and not the poster.

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

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

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.

NedNew2

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

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.

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.

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.

jmkennedyie

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

spacetweek

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

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.

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.

gilly0512

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

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?

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.

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".