NRA have this morning advertised for engineering consultancy to design medium to long term solution to the junction!
:):)
That’s a lot of traffic going on a long detour. Little Island will be chaos.
Let the carnage begin 😂
Closures tonight.
A lot of ground work going on at the tunnel end of Link M this morning.
Also spotted diggers on the tunnel to city slip yesterday, they've done a fair bit of levelling in that area when you compare the before and after
I'm guessing so, but probably no worse than the "down" slope from the temp road that was in place from the M8S to the roundabout there for a year.
That’s going to be one significant hump, to drive over for the those using the slip when it reopens. Assume they’ll have to leave most of the groundwotk to a later date?
Nah Link M isn't opening this weekend, the temporary tie-in at Link M will be BUILT, but I don't think it'll open immediately. I think it'll just be a case of build it, and have the N25W to tunnel (+ roundabout) traffic just going over a bit hump for a while.
Then when other bits are done they can just re-line it on an overnight jobby or whatever.
Zero chance of that I'm afraid. Completing Link M requires a fairly high embankment from the western end of ST04 to the N25W mainline. They have to rip up the existing slip from the N25W to the tunnel, most likely do some ground stabilisation work, and only then start building up the embankment. That is a *lot* more than 40 hours work.
Think they changed the traffic light sequence.
Huge tailbacks from the east this morning in the Midleton direction; whereas the M8 southbound, which was very bad yesterday, is fine.
I got the impression from yesterday's letter that it isn't opening after the weekend, although it didn't make sense if they're flying through creating it. But doesn't sound like the n25w to tunnel slip is opening until July, so no way will they put that traffic through Little Island for longer than the weekend. Based on that I don't think it'll open straight away
I got the impression that Link M would be opening after the weekend. Likely incorrect?
I don't think link m is opening this weekend, it's mentioned in the newsletter on the last line that it's in preparation for link openings in July. I read it that they are doing the earth works for the tie in and when they re open on Sunday, traffic from n25 will have to go up an incline and back down the old slip. Sometime in the next week or two I see them closing the old r623 exit onto the n25 slip to complete the n25 to tunnel and open link m at the same time. I don't think link m is ready right now
I think the following in green is likely going to be the new alignment for N25 West to Tunnel once Link M opens over the weekend. The old slip will have too close to facilitate Link M opening.
Today's newsletter mentions opening the new links in July.
June had been mentioned as the timeframe to open new link roads in the 5th Mays Newsletter so it looks like this timeline has slipped.
The roundabout is now restricted to 2 lanes. Causing a huge tailback up the M8.
There seems to be a focus this week on the eventual tunnel to M8 north slip this week too. The bit which will veer right after tunnel exit to go under the N25 through the east most underpass. Don’t think it’s too far off surfacing either.
They have the north side of the roundabout closed for work vehicles.
M8 south is reduced to 1 lane.
They are currently grinding up the temporary lane built over a week ago.
My thinking was they would relay that and the lane from tunnel north but I can't see the tarmac machines on site yet.
Which locations?
Big surfacing tonight about to go ahead.
That'd be brilliant, hopefully helps traffic a bit if it can remove one set of lights. Then not long to wait for them all to go
I think the new alignment will open for the most part. However, where the slip out of Little Islsnd is now will close. The new alignment will abruptly stop there temporarily with tarmac linking the old alignment being laid down.
Oh so it's not along what will be the final alignment (blue...dont think would be full final alignment but closely along that)? Trying to figure it out from newsletters, so maybe it'll only be announced in tomorrow's one what exactly will happen. Going up the new off ramp for Little Island west could be an option too alright.
When quoting the post I only see the pre-edit version. So could be all traffic down to tivoli Road roundabout then back to dunkettle (red lone below)
Edit, I'm not certain of your question. N25 to tunnel will go up the Little island west slip and then down to the tunnel, is my understanding
When the slip from n25w to tunnel is closed this weekend, is traffic doing that route going down the new slip? Or do they've to go to furthest roundabout like if heading for m8, but then just come onto existing roundabout?
I think the cameras pre-date the project so I don't know why they'd be removed, though I guess they could be moved all right.
Has it been mentioned as to what’s happening to the cameras when the project is completed - are they being left where they are, moved to new locations or will they & the app be removed?
Because the angle is very acute and the cost of a beam relative to its length is non-linear, i.e. it is cheaper to have a larger number of shorter beams than a smaller number of longer beams. In fact, that angle is so acute there that they'd probably need to step up to steel beams which is a whole 'nother kettle o' fish.
Yes the mention of Cork on the sign is ridiculous alright considering the sign is within the City boundary anyway
ST04? I don't understand it either. Presumably something to do with structural rigidity with the retaining walls at both sides not being at 45 degrees. Maybe some kind of torsional force issue with HGV's or something like that.
I also don't understand the width of ST08, the M8 north bridge. I don't understand why it was needed to be so wide. It looks like it could carry 4 lanes, but it shouldn't be necessary to have such width at just 60kmh. Still, these are just minor details and I'm sure the designers know the reasons. Maybe it's simply cheaper to construct with the excess on the sides.
Why by the way have they made the bridge for Dumbbell to N25 West movement so wide ? It only needed to be half the width, albeit turned more towards the flow of traffic.
:):)
