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

riddlinrussell · 12-03-2021 12:34pm

jmkennedyie wrote: »

In the second pic note the new cycle/pedestrian track heading east to the old canal road. This is south of the railway bridge whereas the map circulated in a James Lawless newsletter indicates track on the north side. No big deal it seems.

As part of these works a new pedestrian/(cycle?) connection is currently being installed between Grand Canal Naas Branch and Millennium Road to enable a 5km pedestrian(cycle?) loop around Sallins using the bypass:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=53.2379&mlon=-6.6725#map=15/53.2379/-6.6725

(Also road-lining has reached the Clane roundabout)

When it opens you wouldn't be able to use the bypass itself to do a 5k loop off road, the section from Kerry group to the railway bridge will have no cycling provision (This being provided by the canal/osberstown road link and the ramps to millennium link road), and there is no cycling provision from the Clane road roundabout through Sallins to the Sallins road roundabout on the Naas ring road.

Hopefully that changes soon of course...

MYSTICA1 · 12-03-2021 1:54pm

BuzzFish wrote: »

Under the osberstown bridge done and lined. Looking very close now.

They are also completing works on the Kerry Group Roundabout integration (down to one lane a few days this week). All the signage posts are back in place after the rework and lighting being mounted on poles currently.

Is it just me or is the lane alignment under the railway bridge alignment a bit messy looking?

That alignment definitely looks very odd. I wouldn't be surprised if we (don't) see a few Garda bikes pulled in there with radar pointed back up the hill for anyone heading towards the motorway/Naas!

jmkennedyie · 13-03-2021 11:32am

riddlinrussell wrote: »

When it opens you wouldn't be able to use the bypass itself to do a 5k loop off road, the section from Kerry group to the railway bridge will have no cycling provision (This being provided by the canal/osberstown road link and the ramps to millennium link road), and there is no cycling provision from the Clane road roundabout through Sallins to the Sallins road roundabout on the Naas ring road.

Hopefully that changes soon of course...

Correct. It seems the 5km Sallins loop the J. Lawless newsletter refers to includes on-road south of the railway on the local/old canal road.

Once the through traffic is gone lots of potential for a re-do of Sallins

millb · 13-03-2021 4:13pm

eusap wrote: »

is there no hard shoulder on the bypass?

most (or all?) of it is 2 lanes.

Probably does not need a hard shoulder for the likes of selling strawberries, accessing fields, parking caravans, having a picnic etc.

Cycle & foot path separate & not allowed along Osberstown to M7 strech. It's a Motorway link & bypass with pedestrian and cycle routes.

millb · 13-03-2021 4:17pm

End of parallel cycle lane nr Obsterstown.

New path Canal to Millennium Rd (New School)

Tomrota · 13-03-2021 10:06pm

Why don’t they put down red or blue on cycle lanes like in other countries? In the Netherlands, you know the path is grey and the cyclists have right of way anywhere that’s red. So pedestrians have to be careful when walking on red patches.

What’s going to end up happen is people are going to walk en masse on these ‘cycle tracks’ because there is no difference between a cycle track and a footpath in this country besides a painted symbol of a bike it seems. And that will end up with cyclists using the road, adding to our shambles of a transport ‘network’.

champchamp · 14-03-2021 12:51pm

Any word on when it's opening, looks finished in the photos...

cantalach · 14-03-2021 3:02pm

Tomrota wrote: »

Why don’t they put down red or blue on cycle lanes like in other countries? In the Netherlands, you know the path is grey and the cyclists have right of way anywhere that’s red. So pedestrians have to be careful when walking on red patches.

What’s going to end up happen is people are going to walk en masse on these ‘cycle tracks’ because there is no difference between a cycle track and a footpath in this country besides a painted symbol of a bike it seems. And that will end up with cyclists using the road, adding to our shambles of a transport ‘network’.

I don’t disagree with your assessment of what will happen as regards peds using cycle tracks, but what you’ve said about the use of red top layer in NL is not quite correct. Red is only used in an urban context where there is potential for ambiguity, or where there is a confluence of footpaths and cycle paths. But segregated cycle paths in suburban or semi-rural contexts (which is what we’re talking about with the Sallins Bypass) are not usually coloured. People just take heed of the signs. I have family living there. Leaving aside what the Dutch do or don’t do, my understanding is that there has been a shift away from using coloured top layers because they wear very badly.

jmkennedyie · 14-03-2021 5:15pm

Yep in this scheme they are shared cycle/pedestrian ways.

This manual has interesting content on different ways of accommodating cycling in Irish road design: https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/national_cycle_manual_1107281.pdf. Not sure if it is the latest doc.

p23 discusses shared cycle/pedestrian.

riddlinrussell · 14-03-2021 6:08pm

cantalach wrote: »

I don’t disagree with your assessment of what will happen as regards peds using cycle tracks, but what you’ve said about the use of red top layer in NL is not quite correct. Red is only used in an urban context where there is potential for ambiguity, or where there is a confluence of footpaths and cycle paths. But segregated cycle paths in suburban or semi-rural contexts (which is what we’re talking about with the Sallins Bypass) are not usually coloured. People just take heed of the signs. I have family living there. Leaving aside what the Dutch do or don’t do, my understanding is that there has been a shift away from using coloured top layers because they wear very badly.

The fundamental difference between colour layers in NL and here, is that here it's a thin layer adhered to the wearing course, in NL the coloured layer IS the wearing course. They mix it into the asphalt.

cantalach · 14-03-2021 6:13pm

riddlinrussell wrote: »

The fundamental difference between colour layers in NL and here, is that here it's a thin layer adhered to the wearing course, in NL the coloured layer IS the wearing course. They mix it into the asphalt.

Well that would certainly work better all right.

pad199207 · 16-03-2021 2:06pm

J9a to open in two weeks time

Cazale · 16-03-2021 2:08pm

pad199207 wrote:

J9a to open in two weeks time

Great news.

_Kaiser_ · 16-03-2021 2:30pm

pad199207 wrote: »

J9a to open in two weeks time

MYSTICA1 · 16-03-2021 3:41pm

However ....

Irish Motorway Info website says the following. (I have no idea how reliable or otherwise this website is!)

The long suffering new M7 junction 9A is to open at the end of March. This piece of infrastructure has been repeatedly delayed and it's fair to say at this stage that we will believe it when we see it. Recently some work had to be redone to address deficiencies. Note that the Sallins bypass will not open at that time; for now the junction will only facilitate access to north Naas.

spacetweek · 16-03-2021 11:38pm

MYSTICA1 wrote: »

However ....

Irish Motorway Info website says the following. (I have no idea how reliable or otherwise this website is!)

The long suffering new M7 junction 9A is to open at the end of March. This piece of infrastructure has been repeatedly delayed and it's fair to say at this stage that we will believe it when we see it. Recently some work had to be redone to address deficiencies. Note that the Sallins bypass will not open at that time; for now the junction will only facilitate access to north Naas.

I get my info from threads like this! And that info is in turn from press announcements. Previously it was reported here that the junction is opening shortly but the Sallins Bypass element will come some time after.

BuzzFish · 17-03-2021 7:32am

spacetweek wrote: »

I get my info from threads like this! And that info is in turn from press announcements. Previously it was reported here that the junction is opening shortly but the Sallins Bypass element will come some time after.

Junction at Kerry Group almost there now. The roundabout has been relined (with a yellow box on it, so queueing must be expected!!). All poles in place for signage. Lighting fully fitting the last couple of days. New zebra crossing added across new road just at roundabout.

Further up on the junction itself minor works completing and road sweeping in progress.

They could have it completed fully in a couple of days if they keep pace. I guess if next week is spent signing off then 2 weeks seems reasonable to.open.

WishUWereHere · 17-03-2021 7:41am

BuzzFish wrote: »

Junction at Kerry Group almost there now. The roundabout has been relined (with a yellow box on it, so queueing must be expected!!). All poles in place for signage. Lighting fully fitting the last couple of days. New zebra crossing added across new road just at roundabout.

Further up on the junction itself minor works completing and road sweeping in progress.

They could have it completed fully in a couple of days if they keep pace. I guess if next week is spent signing off then 2 weeks seems reasonable to.open.

Finally, seems to be closure. I hope they don’t forget to complete the signage on the M7. Half erected signage on a basically new project doesn’t look good.

Darc19 · 17-03-2021 8:43am

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Finally, seems to be closure. I hope they don’t forget to complete the signage on the M7. Half erected signage on a basically new project doesn’t look good.

You don't "forget" things like this.

That was left half erected on purpose as the junction was not open.

That's quite normal until a couple of days before opening. Sometimes it might be a few days after depending on what other signs are in place

Some people would find it a reason to complain about if they completed the signage beforehand

champchamp · 17-03-2021 11:55am

So March 31st is it, or is the Sallins bypass still not confirmed as opening then?

MYSTICA1 · 17-03-2021 1:47pm

champchamp wrote: »

So March 31st is it, or is the Sallins bypass still not confirmed as opening then?

I don’t think anything has been officially confirmed? Personally, I don’t see any reason why the bypass can’t also open once the junction opens.
In fact, the reason they gave for not opening the junction since its initial completion, was that they needed to open both at the same time, claiming traffic might back up onto the motorway if the bypass wasn’t open to relieve it.

Kevtherev1 · 17-03-2021 1:49pm

champchamp wrote: »

So March 31st is it, or is the Sallins bypass still not confirmed as opening then?

There was some article or update a while back, cant remember where that said Sallins Bypass would now open May 2021. But i am open to correction. With junction 9A end of march, which has been confirmed recently.

jmkennedyie · 17-03-2021 2:40pm

(the James Lawless newsletter delivered about 10 days ago said "KCC have set a completion date of Q2 2021")

spacetweek · 18-03-2021 3:19pm

Kevtherev1 wrote: »

There was some article or update a while back, cant remember where that said Sallins Bypass would now open May 2021. But i am open to correction. With junction 9A end of march, which has been confirmed recently.

These are the dates I heard.

Don't see why traffic would back up from the junction without Sallins part. Traffic going to/from Naas north could use it for now.

GhostyMcGhost · 18-03-2021 6:33pm

spacetweek wrote: »

These are the dates I heard.

Don't see why traffic would back up from the junction without Sallins part. Traffic going to/from Naas north could use it for now.

Pre-covid maybe that could have been an issue.... traffic (in theory) should be down overall (I know in some areas it’s not)

millb · 18-03-2021 8:04pm

MYSTICA1 wrote: »

I don’t think anything has been officially confirmed? Personally, I don’t see any reason why the bypass can’t also open once the junction opens.
In fact, the reason they gave for not opening the junction since its initial completion, was that they needed to open both at the same time, claiming traffic might back up onto the motorway if the bypass wasn’t open to relieve it.

It looks like it may open in 2 stages? Only surmising here but the single carriageway section "actual by-pass of Sallins" looks like it has specialist work to be done on the 2 Liffey Bridge sections. There are 4 openings (300mm slits where the flexi joint would be?) like across the section below.

Also note the hard shoulder on this section, the signage and there are a couple of field / SW pond access pads with bitumen type finishes.

No lines on the bridge either. Could be some rework here??

Golden Horde · 19-03-2021 5:08pm

I haven't seen it anywhere that any part of the bypass is due to open before the end of the month. The only place it's been mentioned is further up this thread with a quote from Irish motorway info.

No mention of it on any of the other usual politicians who would love to be the first with that info - James Lawless, Bill Clear etc.

I'd find it strange that they refused to open junction 9a all along as it was all to open in one go, and then go ahead and change that at the last minute.

A final push could see this open soon if the will was there.

WishUWereHere · 19-03-2021 9:55pm

Golden Horde wrote: »

I haven't seen it anywhere that any part of the bypass is due to open before the end of the month. The only place it's been mentioned is further up this thread with a quote from Irish motorway info.

No mention of it on any of the other usual politicians who would love to be the first with that info - James Lawless, Bill Clear etc.

I'd find it strange that they refused to open junction 9a all along as it was all to open in one go, and then go ahead and change that at the last minute.

A final push could see this open soon if the will was there.

The fact they decided to open after the prolonged refusal also puzzled me.

BuzzFish · 19-03-2021 11:46pm

WishUWereHere wrote: »

The fact they decided to open after the prolonged refusal also puzzled me.

Bear in mind that the connection from Millennium park to the junction has now been redone, widened and a new signalled pedestrian crossing is being put in place. Maybe these changes were immediately realised after initial completion but the delay since has been due the wrangling over costs and getting added funding for these changes.

Completely made up by me but plausible.

Golden Horde · 19-03-2021 11:55pm

BuzzFish wrote: »

Bear in mind that the connection from Millennium park to the junction has now been redone, widened and a new signalled pedestrian crossing is being put in place. Maybe these changes were immediately realised after initial completion but the delay since has been due the wrangling over costs and getting added funding for these changes.

Completely made up by me but plausible.

True and I had thought of that myself that the delay was because of the errors on the build of junction 9a and saying it was all to open in one go was a smokescreen to buy time to fix the errors.....but we've not seen any notice of any part of it opening other than this thread.....so I don't know.

millb · 20-03-2021 12:52pm

Golden Horde wrote: »

True and I had thought of that myself that the delay was because of the errors on the build of junction 9a and saying it was all to open in one go was a smokescreen to buy time to fix the errors.....but we've not seen any notice of any part of it opening other than this thread.....so I don't know.

At the start of March I was chatting to a worker (maybe an engineer or a PM) and he said something like 2 or 3 weeks after St Patricks day. Of course that was like saying "manyana" to me and I didn't fully register what he said except that it was near Easter and also close to when we may have an easing of the C-19 restrictions. I also got the idea that the exact timing would be dictated by RTE / political availability ;-) ...............

millb · 21-03-2021 8:36pm

MYSTICA1 · 22-03-2021 10:10am

Thanks for the pics millb. Can anyone explain the impact, if any, of what the pics show? I assume it is the expansion joint for the bridge, but is this a major rework or simply a planned task that may only take a few days?

toe_knee · 22-03-2021 11:09am

Just got an email from James Lawless office, audit on Wednesday with an update to follow.

"Below is the latest information we have on this road.

A Road Safety Audit is scheduled for the Sallins Bypass for the 24th March. The outcome of that audit will determine when the road will open. Once we have firm date will let the Members know. We are working on a resolution for the tie in area at Millbrook and Lidl- the pavement and footpaths here are substandard and will deteriorate further when the traffic volume increases. We will provide a full update to Members once we have agreed an approach to getting this work done."

riddlinrussell · 22-03-2021 11:42am

toe_knee wrote: »

Just got an email from James Lawless office, audit on Wednesday with an update to follow.

"Below is the latest information we have on this road.

A Road Safety Audit is scheduled for the Sallins Bypass for the 24th March. The outcome of that audit will determine when the road will open. Once we have firm date will let the Members know. We are working on a resolution for the tie in area at Millbrook and Lidl- the pavement and footpaths here are substandard and will deteriorate further when the traffic volume increases. We will provide a full update to Members once we have agreed an approach to getting this work done."

I have heard similar over the tie-in, basically a dispute with the contractor on how much of the road past LIDL they need to remediate. The cycle path works went all the way to the junction so I don't see why the road surface wouldn't be the same... That stretch is like the surface of the moon with the construction trucks driving over it.

I'd like to see the pavement on the housing side remediated as well as its a state (There is a dropped kerb that ends higher than most normal kerbs and the cycleway surface is dire on that side) but probably too much to hope.

Here is the kerb, honestly this whole junction is a study in prioritising cars over people, ridiculously wide approach and these trainwreck kerbs on both sides, should be a continuous footway with a ramp.

millb · 22-03-2021 11:48am

MYSTICA1 wrote: »

Thanks for the pics millb. Can anyone explain the impact, if any, of what the pics show? I assume it is the expansion joint for the bridge, but is this a major rework or simply a planned task that may only take a few days?

Looks like its nearly sorted, just the final expansion joint on 3 of them and some extra dressing as per the photos on the final opening.

Will be done in a day or 2 by 2 or 3 lads if they have the material.

millb · 22-03-2021 12:00pm

toe_knee wrote: »

Just got an email from James Lawless office, audit on Wednesday with an update to follow.

"Below is the latest information we have on this road.

A Road Safety Audit is scheduled for the Sallins Bypass for the 24th March. The outcome of that audit will determine when the road will open. Once we have firm date will let the Members know. We are working on a resolution for the tie in area at Millbrook and Lidl- the pavement and footpaths here are substandard and will deteriorate further when the traffic volume increases. We will provide a full update to Members once we have agreed an approach to getting this work done."

I wonder what the speed limits will be set at on the bypass? it could be 80 on the dual-carriageway with no adjacent path and possibly reduced to 60 on the single cariageway section. down to 50 nr Millbrook / Lidl?

MYSTICA1 · 22-03-2021 12:51pm

millb wrote: »

I wonder what the speed limits will be set at on the bypass? it could be 80 on the dual-carriageway with no adjacent path and possibly reduced to 60 on the single cariageway section. down to 50 nr Millbrook / Lidl?

I was thinking it might be 100km/h on DC, 80km/h on SC and 60km/h on link road.. but you are probably correct. However, 80km/h after coming off 120km/h motorway and onto the DC will feel quite slow. Safety first though!

WishUWereHere · 23-03-2021 8:47am

Just driven up on the M7NB. It appears the incomplete signage on the Mway has been completed. J9a must be opening soon.

BuzzFish · 23-03-2021 5:27pm

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Just driven up on the M7NB. It appears the incomplete signage on the Mway has been completed. J9a must be opening soon.

Saw this too today, all signage in place on the M7 and also the signage at Kerry Group roundabout has been cleaned (was blocked out). They were installing the lights at the pedestrian crossing this morning. All overhead lighting now mounted on the junction too. Very little left to do.

Golden Horde · 24-03-2021 7:40pm

Per Bill Clear , local councillor facebook page

"Sallins Bypass
At the moment they are doing a safety audit. Once completed they will have some issues to resolve like signs and small repairs.
This will take about a week from now. I expect it then to open late next week.
A long time coming."

So, maybe before Easter after all.

BuzzFish · 25-03-2021 8:26am

Golden Horde wrote: »

Per Bill Clear , local councillor facebook page

"Sallins Bypass
At the moment they are doing a safety audit. Once completed they will have some issues to resolve like signs and small repairs.
This will take about a week from now. I expect it then to open late next week.
A long time coming."

So, maybe before Easter after all.

Said several times already on this thread, pretty much all of Bill Clears updates have been inaccurate to date. He'll have to be right at some stage but he's not a bit reliable.

Golden Horde · 25-03-2021 9:11am

The street lighting on the link road into Sallins has been switched on, from the junction at Lidl up to the roundabout on the bypass.

Road surface has only been done as far as entrance Millbank and hasn't been marked out with lines yet....will they resurface the remaining stretch at all.

Seems strange to build paths and lighting on the full link road and then not do the full road surface.

spacetweek · 27-03-2021 12:01am

BuzzFish wrote: »

He'll have to be right at some stage but he's not a bit reliable.

As often as a stopped clock?

MYSTICA1 · 27-03-2021 2:10am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcrLff1u41I
Looks ready any day now!
Siac Colas site also updated but simply says “opening soon”

pad199207 · 27-03-2021 8:33am

MYSTICA1 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcrLff1u41I
Looks ready any day now!
Siac Colas site also updated but simply says “opening soon”

Looks fantastic!

BuzzFish · 27-03-2021 8:44am

pad199207 wrote: »

Looks fantastic!

This looks odd (very minor I know)

Shouldn't it be either one lane, or two with a line between?

champchamp · 27-03-2021 8:52am

BuzzFish wrote: »

This looks odd (very minor I know)

Shouldn't it be either one lane, or two with a line between?

Shush, if they see this and decide to change these markings it'll be delayed for another 6 months.

pad199207 · 27-03-2021 9:17am

BuzzFish wrote: »

This looks odd (very minor I know)

Shouldn't it be either one lane, or two with a line between?

That would take about a year to fix that

Golden Horde · 27-03-2021 11:17am

Annoying to see that the tie in on the link road into Sallins stops just before the entrance to Millbank. The road surface from there to traffic lights is terrible, especially as the trucks used it for access for the build.

It looks like it never got a proper top layer since it was built, as the metal drains sit about an inch above the road. Leaving it for the council no doubt.

Rest looks great.

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

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