NRA have this morning advertised for engineering consultancy to design medium to long term solution to the junction!
:):)
Avoid if you can.
Yet another over-height HGV stuck in the tunnel. I don't know what's in the air recently but this has been happening a bit more. Still no sign of Link U. I reckon they'll wait until after rush hour at this stage.
Not open as of 3:18pm. You can see from the traffic cam: https://www.dunkettletraffic.ie/live/?id=19
Yeah I was being optimistic considering I was leaving shortly after the email came through. They were putting in the last fence panel at about 1pm, so was a digger of some sort in the way.
It’s now open. The first improvement to the junction since the mainline flyover in the late 90s. (Traffic light addition doesn’t count)
Great to see a section open, what's next in terms of opening to the public?
Just drove link U. Have to say the acceleration lane to enter the M8 mainline is very short. I think HGVs will struggle to get up to 100 km/h going uphill over that short distance. Is that the final layout of the link U merge?!
Yes, but I think we'll find that whole area gets the 60kmh treatment. IRRC Link U is 60kmh throughout.
Yeah all the Red Cow is 50/60kmh, this will be the same I'd imagine
Sure, link U itself will probably be 60 all right but the mainline it enters will be 100. They’ve already erected a new speed limit sign where link U enters the mainline. The digits are currently greyed out because of the temporary construction limit, but judging by the width of the greyed out area, it seems to say 100. If I pass on the bike path tomorrow I’ll stop and try to make it out properly.
Yes, the Red Cow slips are 50/60 but the M50 you’re entering is 100 and the merge lanes are very long to allow traffic to accelerate up to 100 from the slower slips. The discrepancy between the slip speed and the mainline speed is why I’m saying the merge lane needs to be longer (esp when it is uphill).
Nothing official but almost certain to be the N8 east to Glounthaune slip. It’s a branch off Link U which opened today.
I suspect this will be revisited. The slip is very short given everything and there is plenty of space for it to be much longer.
Is there a map available with all of the names of the roads and structures? I get the weekly emails but the maps they have on those are always tiny. I can't see any on the website either.
I right-click on the email images and open them in a new tab.
DroneHawk has uploaded a new video showing off link U after its opening
Very little to be done to open the slip to Glounthaune.
Something needs to be done with the over height censor. Thanks 5 false alarms in 4 weeks I think.
I'm so glad I was through before this mornings messing about.
You're probably all on the mailout but from 4 days ago...
The Little Island West interchange will be open to construction traffic in May.
Overall the works remain on track for completion by the due date of February 2024.
The Tunnel Management Contractor is carrying out the appropriate investigative works with the electronic over height vehicle detection system and any issues arising will be addressed over the coming days
Can they stop lorries breaking down on the little hill up to the M8 as well while they're at it? Caused mayhem this evening (which I fortunately missed, again!!!)
Not all alarms are false, though. Someone today thought this was sensible
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=353976023433002&set=a.301703945326877&type=3
The logistics of putting this together are mesmirising.
If the N40 was designated M40 could this have occured at all?
Not trying to steer the thread off the subject but I thought at this point in time that the redesignation would be complete by now.
Important detail in the newsletter from today:
At Structure St01, works are progressing on the bridge deck – see photograph below. We expect that this structure will be opened to construction traffic over the coming days.
I honestly don't think it's possible to redesignate the N40. As you say, one for a different thread. But an interesting subject.
Yes, because a moron who thought it would be good to try a replicate a Simpsons-level stacking of trucks would certainly not bother with the fact that the contraption isn't allowed on a motorway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kccONko4xYE
ST01 is the new active transport route to Little Island from City and Glanmire. I'm genuinely curious to see how that top deck will look. The original plan had a footpath cyclepath thing on the Eastern side, with "sprints" across the motorway on/off ramps. Considering the recent rework around Bury's Bridge, I wonder if this has been updated.
It's also the main route from M8 to the City too isn't it. It's an important bridge
The more I look at it, the more I think that the Link U M8 merge is temporary. I think the main carriageway will be moved more to east eventually which will facilitate a longer slip.
Yes it was my big concern for the whole design: I felt that a stoppage on that bridge or the preceding roundabout can bring the whole interchange and motorway to a standstill. And I felt that putting the active transport route on it was optimistic (I'm being generous!). If a motorist collides with a vulnerable road user here, I believe that traffic is going to back up very quickly. It might be OK, with multiple Eastbound lanes available, but I think the M8 traffic is one movement too many. We'll see in time!
:):)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wb.vanillicon.com/v2/b78264a0e13e5e3a27935691920a2390.svg)
