M50 thread

csd · 17-09-2021 9:17am

Looks like a phased implementation:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/m50-to-become-a-managed-motorway-in-major-changes-in-response-to-traffic-volumes-1.4676155

markpb · 17-09-2021 10:04am

"The system will begin this autumn with variable speed limits being displayed on overhead gantries, as guidance only, until motorists are familiar with the signs."

That seems like a recipe for disaster!

Atlantic Dawn · 17-09-2021 10:39am

€50 million seems a lot or does that include a Chinook on permanent standby to lift away any cars blocking traffic?

markpb · 17-09-2021 11:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117902901#Comment_117902901

IIRC the gantry and equipment for the original M50 barrier-free toll was over €20 million. If you have to install some gantries, equipment on all the gantries, network from each of the gantries to the back-office and some software to manage the whole thing, you'd easily run up an eye watering bill. Paying people to work on/over the motorway is expensive, road closures are expensive, etc.

I suspect the Chinook would be more cost effective and useful :D

KrisW1001 · 17-09-2021 11:41am

I don’t think people realise how much these structures cost. Even a road-sign gantry across a motorway costs about €250k: that’s for nothing except the structure and the signs on it. If you want electronic equipment mounted onto a gantry, you need maintenance access behind it, as well as the expected electrical and data connections, and that greatly increases the size and cost.

As for phasing in the VSL, how hard is it going to be? Run ads on radio/internet for three months up to and a month afterward telling people that the limits will change throughout the day and they should follow the signage. Those signs themselves will display the current speed-limit as a big number with “km/h” written under it, inside a red circle. Anyone who doesn’t grasp what that means needs to hand back their licence.

We swapped from MPH to km/h speed-limits practically overnight in January 2005, with no phase-in period - this is far less of a shift.

Aontachtoir · 17-09-2021 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903198#Comment_117903198

Your point about the miles to kilometres switch is well-made. One of the helpful matters in making the switch was that the Gardaí were clear that people would be fined for breaches of the new speed limits, and that claims of ignorance would not be accepted as an excuse. The news stories that I remember from the time focused heavily on the "be ready, no excuses" aspect, especially the Garda enforcement side.

Isn't there a very real risk in teaching M50 motorists that they can safely ignore the speed limits they see on the gantries if they are lower than 100 km/h? Surely a publicity campaign and an immediate, visible Garda enforcement of new limits would be much more effective in getting the message out that the new speed limits matter and must be obeyed? How many people need to learn what a speed limit sign on a gantry looks like?

Pete_Cavan · 17-09-2021 1:30pm

Surely this will only cause more problems when the speed limits displayed go from "guidance only" to enforced? I mean, I think it more reasonable to claim "well we were told these limits were guidance only, I wasn't aware that they are now the legal limit" than to claim "I saw the numbers with kph displayed on those big signs, I just didn't know what it meant".

This guidance only thing is only going to create more ambiguity and confusion.

Chris_5339762 · 17-09-2021 3:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903198#Comment_117903198

Oh they grasp it alright, they just willfully ignore it.

afatbollix · 17-09-2021 3:47pm

Like the UK, without a camera attached to it everyone ignores them.

crazy 88 · 17-09-2021 4:16pm

This is like bus connects. Making a big PR success fanfare out of something that should have existed already. In some other countries it's a days work.

Jayuu · 26-09-2021 10:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117903742#Comment_117903742

Maybe there will be "enforcement" in the form of warnings as opposed to fines during this period. That would seem to be the best way to do this so as to get people used to process. As a regular user of this section of the road I'll watch to see if there are any gardai patrolling when the advisory phase is ongoing.

26-09-2021 10:39am

Even hiding behind "Technical reasons" wouldn't be the worst idea. First maybe month run a pilot with letters going out to people who break the limit and call it proof-of-concept.

JohnC. · 04-10-2021 1:36pm

We’re they turned on today as planned?

rameire · 04-10-2021 1:38pm

I saw them active on Saturday southbound between Jn4 and Jn6.

White squares with 100 in them.

1 over each lane including the auxiliary lane.

Sully · 29-07-2022 7:43pm

What works are underway south bound on the M50? Work in the center island and hard shoulder around Carrickmines.

markpb · 29-07-2022 11:44pm

They’re not listed on https://www.m50concession.com/planned-road-works/ for some reason. They’re pretty good at responding on Twitter if you ask them.

blackwhite · 02-08-2022 2:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119405104#Comment_119405104

They've been ongoing for a number of months at this stage. Seems to be pipe or cable laying in the shoulders and median

Sully · 09-08-2022 10:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119419349#Comment_119419349

Looks to be a bit more as their installing concrete pillar type structures too, presumably for overhead gantry installation?

Speaking of gantry, the m50 was obstructed for a period today due to a truck's burst tyre being in the middle lane. But the new overhead digital signs only applied a reduce speed limit and not a lane closure. Do the new technology not offer this functionality?

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