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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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_Kaiser_

SoupyNorman wrote: »

End is in sight.

Not sure about that.. didn't someone say that the 60 km/h limit will be in place a while yet while they finish off the junction work?

If so, the difference will be marginal IMO. We'll have an extra lane that (just like on the N7 section) most drivers will ignore anyway.

bluetractor

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Not sure about that.. didn't someone say that the 60 km/h limit will be in place a while yet while they finish off the junction work?

.

That was just something in a local freesheet and based on the original report saying 60kmh for the duration of roadworks. I can't see it being 60kmh if the contractor says that the mainline will be completed by end of april

AugustusMinimus

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Not sure about that.. didn't someone say that the 60 km/h limit will be in place a while yet while they finish off the junction work?

If so, the difference will be marginal IMO. We'll have an extra lane that (just like on the N7 section) most drivers will ignore anyway.

I’d have a gantry setup with gardai monitoring. Any clear maintain poor lane usage should result in an automatic fixed fee penalty. Would get people in lane fairly fast.

I can foresee lane 1 being empty.

Sierra Oscar

Quick question regarding the planned lighting following the completion of these works. The current three lane section from the Red Cow to Junction 9 is lit the whole way through with lights. The lighting currently ends when it goes from three lanes to two. Are they planning on extending the lighting or leaving it as it is?

pad199207

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Quick question regarding the planned lighting following the completion of these works. The current three lane section from the Red Cow to Junction 9 is lit the whole way through with lights. The lighting currently ends when it goes from three lanes to two. Are they planning on extending the lighting or leaving it as it is?

I’d say so yeah. Is there actually any 6 lane road in Ireland that isn’t lit?

Sierra Oscar

pad199207 wrote: »

I’d say so yeah. Is there actually any 6 lane road in Ireland that isn’t lit?

Not that I can think of. I was assuming it was a given that the lighting would be extended but the removal of junction lighting elsewhere got me thinking about it and I thought to myself that I haven't actually seen it mentioned anywhere.

Although I'm guessing there is clear evidence for having lighting on these sections in the interests of safety.

Cazale

There won't be any substantial additional lighting installed. As you say best practice now is not to have lights at every junction unless it's specifically required.

ankles

I recall reading somewhere that as part of general energy saving all motorways will have reduced lighting, i.e. only at junctions from now on, so I wouldn't think you will see more lighting, more likely the opposite

L1011

pad199207 wrote: »

I’d say so yeah. Is there actually any 6 lane road in Ireland that isn’t lit?

East Cork Parkway (N25) at least.

bluetractor

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

Quick question regarding the planned lighting following the completion of these works. The current three lane section from the Red Cow to Junction 9 is lit the whole way through with lights. The lighting currently ends when it goes from three lanes to two. Are they planning on extending the lighting or leaving it as it is?

On that section there are about 50 entrances/exits to everything from farmyards to junctions, so lighting is probably appropriate. Lighting on motorways was excessive and finally after numerous European safety reports, new international guidelines are now being adhered to. In one of the primary reports it was stated that the going from a lighted section to darkness for those staying on a motorway caused issues for eyes to re-adjust. Possibly there will be lighting at the m7m9 junction.

It will be interesting to see lane behaviour on the new section. I think this will be the first 3 lane motorway that doesn't have junctions every 2km like the M50, so possibly drivers will behave better as there would be less need to go from lane 1 to lane 2 for merging traffic

_Kaiser_

bluetractor wrote: »

It will be interesting to see lane behaviour on the new section. I think this will be the first 3 lane motorway that doesn't have junctions every 2km like the M50, so possibly drivers will behave better as there would be less need to go from lane 1 to lane 2 for merging traffic

It'll make no difference, just as it doesn't on the N7 when it's off-peak

People will sit largely in Lane 2/3. Trucks and dawdlers will sit in Lane 1.

Mantis Toboggan

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It'll make no difference, just as it doesn't on the N7 when it's off-peak

People will sit largely in Lane 2/3. Trucks and dawdlers will sit in Lane 1.

The problem with staying in lane 1 is that you'll constantly be swerving between 1 & 2 to overtake mergers/slow vehicles. This can be dangerous and it's why a lot of vehicles stay in 2.

HonalD

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

The problem with staying in lane 1 is that you'll constantly be swerving between 1 & 2 to overtake mergers/slow vehicles. This can be dangerous and it's why a lot of vehicles stay in 2.

I think you mean “overtaking”. That’s just standard driving isn’t it?

_Kaiser_

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

The problem with staying in lane 1 is that you'll constantly be swerving between 1 & 2 to overtake mergers/slow vehicles. This can be dangerous and it's why a lot of vehicles stay in 2.

Completely agree.. it's why the "keep left" idea doesn't work on the M50 - too many junctions, slow traffic (much of it unnecessarily so) and volume. Each lane is effectively a driving lane.

On a "normal" interurban motorway you should absolutely keep left unless overtaking however.

Tom Cruises Left Nut

HonalD wrote: »

I think you mean “overtaking”. That’s just standard driving isn’t it?

It is, does my head in that people don't know how to drive

Mantis Toboggan

HonalD wrote: »

I think you mean “overtaking”. That’s just standard driving isn’t it?

Yeah but when you're overtaking every 30 seconds it can be dangerous. I can't stand middle lane drivers but I understand why they do it, it's safer.

L1011

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Yeah but when you're overtaking every 30 seconds it can be dangerous. I can't stand middle lane drivers but I understand why they do it, it's safer.

How is it safer?

Mantis Toboggan

L1011 wrote: »

How is it safer?

Because they don't have to constantly change lanes.

When I'm driving I'm constantly overtaking into lane 2 and back roughly every 30 seconds, GF thinks I've a death wish. When she's driving its into the middle lane and turn up the music, drives on and doesn't change until leaving the motorway or have to overtake into the 3rd lane.

HonalD

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Yeah but when you're overtaking every 30 seconds it can be dangerous. I can't stand middle lane drivers but I understand why they do it, it's safer.

Not sure that “overtaking every 30 seconds” happens in reality and not on a sufficiently regular basis that staying in the middle lane is justified.

It isn’t safer as far as I’m aware but as you seem sure it is, please explain how it is.

_Kaiser_

L1011 wrote: »

How is it safer?

You're not switching lanes every 30 seconds and causing other drivers behind or beside you to react more than if you just stayed put.

Myself I usually stay in lane 3 on the M50 during busy periods but that's because I'm usually going at least half the length of it and always at the maximum appropriate speed for the conditions/speed of other traffic.

Let others deal with the lane weaving, last minute dives for the exit and the slow moving trucks and dawdlers.

Mantis Toboggan

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Yeah but when you're overtaking every 30 seconds it can be dangerous. I can't stand middle lane drivers but I understand why they do it, it's safer.

Drive the length of the M50 in Lane 1 at 100km and let us know how many times you have to move into the next lane.

L1011

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Because they don't have to constantly change lanes.

When I'm driving I'm constantly overtaking into lane 2 and back roughly every 30 seconds, GF thinks I've a death wish. When she's driving its into the middle lane and turn up the music, drives on and doesn't change until leaving the motorway or have to overtake into the 3rd lane.

You are assuming that changing lanes is inherently unsafe. It isn't

Sam Russell

Mod: Can we leave the driving instruction in the left lane, and keep on topic - The M7 Naas upgrade.

Thankyou.

regedit

I drove from Naas to Kildare today at around 10:50. I intentionally went from the Globe exit so I could see what was done in the past few weeks.
Loads of machinery there but very little work being done. On my way back, at around 13:30, from the start of the works until Naas south, 24 pieces of machinery and, probably, 3 operators on them. Some asphalt going down sporadically in a section, but from an uneducated point of view, it seems mission impossible to get the work complete on the main thoroughfare in just over 1 month. So much left to be done-it's scary. Not sure if they plan to do weekend work or start late evening shifts but in fairness, weather was phenomenal last year and hasn't been to bad this year either, so, if there's anyone to blame, it's themselves. Again, as someone who knows nothing on road building, I hope I am wrong...

pad199207

Wondering what the new gantry directional signage for the new millennium interchange will be.

Naas West
And
Sallins

Or

Millennium Park
And
Sallins

Or

Naas West
Clane or Kilcock
Maynooth?

Tomrota

pad199207 wrote: »

Wondering what the new gantry directional signage for the new millennium interchange will be.

Naas West
And
Sallins

Or

Millennium Park
And
Sallins

Or

Naas West
Clane or Kilcock
Maynooth?

I imagined it would be:

Monread
Sallins

But I’m probably totally wrong.

bluetractor

regedit wrote: »

Some asphalt going down sporadically in a section, but from an uneducated point of view, it seems mission impossible to get the work complete on the main thoroughfare in just over 1 month. So much left to be done-it's scary. Not sure if they plan to do weekend work or start late evening shifts but in fairness, weather was phenomenal last year and hasn't been to bad this year either, so, if there's anyone to blame, it's themselves. Again, as someone who knows nothing on road building, I hope I am wrong...

I'd be the same. I would have an uneducated eye when it comes to road construction. But I'm opposite to you in that I can't see any reason why it cannot be completed within 5 weeks.

With exception of a small southbound section after jct 10, the asphalt is fully laid except for a skim and top layer relay on the older lanes. Considering they did Monasterevin to Portlaoise top layer skim and re-lay in about 7 days across both carriageways, it's not a big ask for it to be done on the current scheme.

Utility Pipe laying continues, but just on the jct9-jct10 section and it in the soft verge, so no asphalt or base works needed.

The Median wall is almost completed on the northbound section from M9 onwards. and they have started the south-bound median wall from jct10. As this is a pour and shape style wall, it won't take long to complete.

But the biggest reason I would say that it will open as scheduled in late april is that the project manager said so just a few weeks ago in February and this is not some small independent contractor, its a joint venture between two giants of the trade and whilst its a decent size project, its not in the big league.

Would they risk their reputation by stating it will open in april and then not open it then? I doubt it.

btw - plenty of asphalt laying machines lie idle during the day as they do the asphalt laying at night.

WishUWereHere

bluetractor wrote: »

That was just something in a local freesheet and based on the original report saying 60kmh for the duration of roadworks. I can't see it being 60kmh if the contractor says that the mainline will be completed by end of april

The mainline may be completed, but what about the bridge around KG? That will ensure speed limits for a while.

regedit

regedit wrote: »

regedit wrote: »

Taken on 17 Feb 2019

Taken on 23 Feb 2019

Taken on 02 Mar 2019

Taken on 17 March 2019

WishUWereHere

regedit wrote: »

regedit wrote: »

Taken on 17 March 2019

Thanks for posting again Regedit. As I have said above, I'm no expert, but there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between Your 1st and last photo. The Dublin bound carriageway especially seems to be almost in the same condition right through all the photos, bar a few concrete pipes gone.

It was originally to be open end of this month, now some are saying end of April. This is a bank holiday weekend, and according to the March 17th photo, nobody working on the site, so I would think that means they also won't be working over the Easter weekend? Perhaps project only finished by June bank holiday?