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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

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

It's even wider on the M1 3 lane section.

About the only thing Irish road planners did right 40 years a go was make extra wide medians.

They don't do that anymore because who needs forward planning?

That is not correct. It is still done where it is merited, the M6 between the ramps at Rathmorrissey and the proposed split for the N6 Galway City Outer Bypass has a grass median to facilitate a future widening to 3 lanes in either direction.

The other motorways built since then, many of which are dual carriageways with motorway redesignations post planning have narrow medians because they will have sufficient capacity to deal with demand for 30+ years at least. The M7 at Nenagh is carrying 1/5th the volume of traffic that the M7 is carrying at Naas which is being widened. Building these motorways with grass medians to facilitate widening would be an obscene waste of money and would have the penalty of having to scrap other schemes due to the increased landtake costs.

If we are at a stage where the M7 at Nenagh is carrying 50k+ vehicles, then the M7 at Naas will be beyond overwhelmed with traffic. It's never going to be an issue.

WishUWereHere

jmkennedyie wrote: »

I also thought the Pic 4 merge from two centreline barriers to one and back out to two a bit curious. Contraflow capability? (I thought that is discouraged now) Maybe some centreline drainage infrastructure located there? Or maybe just facility for construction access. Guess we will find out more if/when they fill in the gap.

I use the N/M 7 every Monday to Friday so try and avoid it as much as I can on weekends.

Looking at picture #4 again, I never realised just how busy this stretch of motorway is on weekends. Those 3 lanes cannot come soon enough. Certainly I would think that going south, the 3 lanes can only be of benefit to users. Now going north, I think we'll have to wait and see.

spacetweek

jmkennedyie wrote: »

I also thought the Pic 4 merge from two centreline barriers to one and back out to two a bit curious. Contraflow capability? (I thought that is discouraged now) Maybe some centreline drainage infrastructure located there? Or maybe just facility for construction access. Guess we will find out more if/when they fill in the gap.

They have to be wider when there's the support column for an overbridge nearby. The photo was taken from one. They are narrow everywhere else.

KOR101

2) Look ahead & see the Dublin Coach in the outside lane. Yes, he has a right to be there, but I wonder just what speed he/she is doing. I have given up on counting the number of coaches that pass me every evening...not only DC I might add, The blue coaches and BE also...all guilty of speeding.

I noticed that to the extent that I wondered whether those guys communicated with each other about speed vans.

cargo

Any further updates on timelines, lane moves etc?

It's starting to look in order on the mainline.

Mantis Toboggan

cargo wrote: »

Any further updates on timelines, lane moves etc?

It's starting to look in order on the mainline.

I'd expect out to Junction 10 to be completed in the next few weeks and open by Easter.

WishUWereHere

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

I'd expect out to Junction 10 to be completed in the next few weeks and open by Easter.

Really cannot see that happening - why? Because of the works going on around Kerry Group. Perhaps the road itself yes, but am certain that those works around KG will mean the 60KPH zone staying around there.

tom1ie

tom1ie wrote: »

Does anyone know what the idea is with cutting into and demolishing parts of the new concrete center also median barrier is?
Are they re tensioning the steel wire that runs through the centeral barrier?
Are they quality testing the concrete in certain places, and maybe sending the demolished concrete off for load testing?
Are they correcting mistakes with the pour?
Thanks.

Anyone find out about this?

regedit

Taken on 17 Feb 2019

Taken on 23 Feb 2019

WishUWereHere

regedit wrote: »

Taken on 17 Feb 2019

Taken on 23 Feb 2019

Assuming the 2 photos are of the same spot on the M7...not a lot happened in 6 days. Some pipes gone, but also I see that driving habits are still awful in Ireland...RH side inside lane practically empty, and some arsehole buried up some other's backside on the outside lane. Will we ever learn?

regedit

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Assuming the 2 photos are of the same spot on the M7...not a lot happened in 6 days. Some pipes gone, but also I see that driving habits are still awful in Ireland...RH side inside lane practically empty, and some arsehole buried up some other's backside on the outside lane. Will we ever learn?

It's from the exact same spot. Pictures were taken from the Sallins bridge looking in the direction of Newbridge (West). I'll try to take one every week and will post it if there's any update.

tom1ie

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Assuming the 2 photos are of the same spot on the M7...not a lot happened in 6 days. Some pipes gone, but also I see that driving habits are still awful in Ireland...RH side inside lane practically empty, and some arsehole buried up some other's backside on the outside lane. Will we ever learn?

Indeed. When will we ever learn to drive in the left hand lane, as the other lane is only an overtaking lane.

KOR101

tom1ie wrote: »

Indeed. When will we ever learn to drive in the left hand lane, as the other lane is only an overtaking lane.

Yes, it's like the mods on here asking that people keep on topic.

_Kaiser_

regedit wrote: »

It's from the exact same spot. Pictures were taken from the Sallins bridge looking in the direction of Newbridge (West). I'll try to take one every week and will post it if there's any update.

I pass through this stretch daily and while there's been some more changes in the last day (the lanes are now split inbound from exit 9 to the end of the roadworks), I really can't see this being ready on time - even allowing for the date slippage that has it now at the end of April.

More likely they'll open part of the mainline and call it a success. Ridiculous given the time that's been wasted over the lifetime of this project. The entire thing should have been finished long ago.

I'm still not convinced it'll make much difference anyway considering the traffic is often backed up to exit 7 inbound nowadays, and the nonsense that goes on at the Naas/Carlow exits (on either side) will be just one lane removed from where it is now.

Be well and win

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Really cannot see that happening - why? Because of the works going on around Kerry Group. Perhaps the road itself yes, but am certain that those works around KG will mean the 60KPH zone staying around there.

My understanding is that the 3 lanes will open in April but the 60kmh limit will remain in place until 2020 across most if not all of the road until all of the work is finally finished.

riddlinrussell

Be well and win wrote: »

My understanding is that the 3 lanes will open in April but the 60kmh limit will remain in place until 2020 across most if not all of the road until all of the work is finally finished.

The full works are still (AFAIK) due to be completed this October (full sallins bypass and all junctions).

While that date may be optimistic, I would expect them to prioritise the junctions and mainline motorway and leave the remaining section of the bypass to last for finishing, so I imagine they will aim to keep close to that timescale for at least the updated junctions and main road.

NedNew2

https://youtu.be/GM1064O_nkM

Propaganda video

_Kaiser_

NedNew2 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/GM1064O_nkM

Propaganda video

Dear god, the amount of marketing waffle in that video for what should be a pretty straightforward project for such an exciting team of international experts :rolleyes:

They'd have been better off getting it done than flying drones around the place for "epic" slow-mo shots and going on about their team.

pad199207

NedNew2 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/GM1064O_nkM

Propaganda video

A ridiculous video. Did they even make one for the upgrade of the M50?

[Deleted User]

pad199207 wrote: »

A ridiculous video. Did they even make one for the upgrade of the M50?

Company promotion videos are becoming increasingly popular.

Chris_5339762

The speed vans are going to clean up if all three lanes are open yet capped at 60kmh.

By all means keep it to 60 around the junctions and Sallins bypass works, but up it elsewhere once the lanes are done.

pad199207

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

The speed vans are going to clean up if all three lanes are open yet capped at 60kmh.

By all means keep it to 60 around the junctions and Sallins bypass works, but up it elsewhere once the lanes are done.

No that would be a disaster. The speed limit whatever it will be needs to be the same the whole way through the works. Multiple changes in speed limits would cause unnecessary stop and starts in the flow of traffic.

Carawaystick

The M50 has lads working in the shoulder and a hundred limit applies,

Geogregor

Deleted User wrote: »

Company promotion videos are becoming increasingly popular.

Precisely. This one is quite cringeworthy at times but have some nice aerial shots. Nothing too wrong about it, I have seen many similar.

Davy

Carawaystick wrote: »

The M50 has lads working in the shoulder and a hundred limit applies,

Its probably seen as static planned maintenance versus a construction project.
No lane changes, no narrow lanes, hard shoulder separation and then a safety barrier. No comparison to a larger project that has multiple construction vehicles moving around the site.

Pale Red

pad199207 wrote: »

No that would be a disaster. The speed limit whatever it will be needs to be the same the whole way through the works. Multiple changes in speed limits would cause unnecessary stop and starts in the flow of traffic.

Could have 120 limit going between j10 and j11and between j9a and j9 as those parts would have no construction.

Kevwoody

I find it strange that there is not one single thanks for the Siac/Colas video.

Yet over on the M17/18 thread, anytime a drone video was uploaded everyone applauded it.

The difference is, this is mainly an online build. Therefore, Paddy Armchair Engineer who is on his way to his nice comfy office, has no idea of the struggles and constraints of a massive project like this. All he can see is machinery not working, grass being replaced with tarmac (how hard can it be??).

The poster above referencing the M50! It's not minor maintenance going on here, lanes are narrower, there's lanes diverging and splitting etc. Try to imagine working at the side of the road, day in day out, with people who have no respect for your safety flying past.

Point is, if this was an offline build, no one would bat an eyelid if it went over by a few months, but because all the armchair experts don't see grass in the morning, and tarmac in the evening, it's a disgrace?!

//rant over.

[Deleted User]

Kevwoody wrote: »

I find it strange that there is not one single thanks for the Siac/Colas video.

Yet over on the M17/18 thread, anytime a drone video was uploaded everyone applauded it.

Main difference is that this is primarily a company promotional video as opposed to the M17 drone shots that concentrated entirely on the actual progress of the works. Nice video, but in reality, no one gives two hoots about the staff behind the project. Motorists here just want to see the physical progress and the end result can't come quick enough.

Kevwoody

Deleted User wrote:

Main difference is that this is primarily a company promotional video as opposed to the M17 drone shots that concentrated entirely on the actual progress of the works. Nice video, but in reality, no one gives two hoots about the staff behind the project. Motorists here just want to see the physical progress and the end result can't come quick enough.

Yes, and it's on schedule and budget, and people are still complaining!

WishUWereHere

Kevwoody wrote: »

Yes, and it's on schedule and budget, and people are still complaining!

And Your source for making the above statement is...............??? Where is Your proof to justify Your statement that it's 'on schedule'?