New motorway signs up already...

mackerski · 21-08-2009 03:50PM

KevR wrote: »

I suppose there are pros and cons to all the stud placing options though.

For sure - you certainly can't place the studs on the opposite side of the line - doing so would invite night-time drivers to hit the yellow line, and since this is textured, that's not the kind of surprise a driver needs.

Placing them right on the line interrupts the continuity of the line, and may even make it slightly harder to paint the line.

I guess I'm not really fussed - +/- 10cm on the kind of overtaking manoeuvres you describe aren't usually a big deal on lanes of the width you get on motorways.

Wild Bill · 21-08-2009 09:33PM

mackerski wrote: »

I think it's a good idea - at night it helps keep cars from encroaching on the painted line. During the day, if you're close enough to the line to hit the studs then you should probably be leaving a wider margin anyway.

I was thinking that might be something to do with the slightly narrower shoulder on the newer motorways (with the smaller land-take and no-grass median). Or are the narrower shoulders just an optical illusion?

Tech3 · 21-08-2009 10:05PM

Wild Bill wrote: »

I was thinking that might be something to do with the slightly narrower shoulder on the newer motorways (with the smaller land-take and no-grass median). Or are the narrower shoulders just an optical illusion?

The new motorways tend to have narrower hard shoulders it seems

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 01:16AM

Update: This today on the 5k section of the N11 (Ashford/Rathnew bypass); the yellow lines now complete, they were working on the signs. (I forgot to turn off the 10 mpixels so still cropping) - There was a whole squad of trucks out erecting poles for the new signs; no blue sign yet; took some pics of the work but, alas, they won't upload.

Amtmann · 22-08-2009 01:23AM

Lovely pictures Wild Bill. Shame about the hideous landscaping and verge maintenance however. Really takes the polish off a fine road.

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 01:31AM

Yup - I reckon they are letting the landscape do the landscaping!

Mind you, I think this section of DC from Glen of the Downs to where it ends past Rathnew is a beautifully designed road in a magnificent countryside. The spec is way better than more recent efforts like the Gorey bypass or sections of the M8.

BluntGuy · 22-08-2009 01:40AM

My God... I thought Cashel-Mitchelstown was bad.

I don't want to drag this off-topic with a rant on landscaping, but isn't it just bloody awful.

My eyes are burning from the site of it; a lovely piece of roadway, completely ruined by atrocious landscaping that seems to have been modelled after scorched, arid sections of African savannah.

Utterly revolting.

Thanks for the picture though.

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 01:56AM

BluntGuy wrote: »

My God... I thought Cashel-Mitchelstown was bad.

Yes - Cashel-Mitchelstown and the entire Gorey bypass....terrible visual design. Though Gorey wins hands down in the visually challenged race! Was pleasantly surprised to see that the M9 Carlow bypass and M6 Athlone-Ballinasloe were much better - I feared we were in a downward spiral.

Mitchlestown (M8) BP is better too.

But if ever there was a setting for a beautiful road, it must be Cahir - Kilbeheny between the Galtees and the Knock-me-downs. They really made a pig's mickey of that opportunity to produce a meisterwerk!

NFD100 · 22-08-2009 07:12AM

Wicklow Co Co roads department are the pits!

Chris_533976 · 22-08-2009 08:53AM

You should all see the N25 from Cork to Carrigtwohill. The weeds are now about 5 foot high and completely obscure the central wire barrier. No mower would touch it, its strimmer time.

Lumiere · 22-08-2009 02:37PM

I hope at some point, the NRA considers properly integrating the new motorway network into the existing national road network. The massive investment on behalf of the state should be properly advertised and signed on all major routes. For example, for tourists at Rosslare the N25 should read N25 (M11) from the start, likewise with the N80 (M9) all the way between Enniscorthy and Carlow and so on. In South Wales the UK M4 is signed in brackets as soon as you get off the ferry, over 80 miles from the start of the M4 at Swansea. On the M50 mainline and recently improved N7 and N4 dual carriageways should read N7 (M7, M8, M9) and N4 (M4, N5, M6). I know the M7 now has M8 and M9 signed correctly but the M4 Leixlip/Maynooth and PPP section needs to be updated. The M4 merges directly with the M6 and the old N6 route officially no longer exists untill the Athlone bypass. The M50 is signed eastbound on the N4 Lucan bypass in this manner so I don’t understand why the M4 and M6 are not signed westbound.

Carawaystick · 22-08-2009 02:40PM

lads, in a few years, every spring will have lovely yellow maybush all along the M11. It takes a while to set seed and cover the ground, but in this instance I think it's definitely the right way to proceed.
The Arklow bypass now has a full hedge in the median, hawthorn, maybush, brambles and mountain and normal ash.

When you turn northbound onto the M11 at Arklow south (J21 or the Kish), I thought I saw the M11 signs halfway up the poles, but looking closer, they are going to put a speed limit sign at the Motorway confirmation sign. These are about 4m from the roundabout at the start of the slip.

NFD100 · 22-08-2009 03:36PM

Knowing Wicklow Co Co the signs will end up half way down the poles...

icdg · 22-08-2009 06:39PM

The N7 section of the Limerick SRR hasn't had much change - still no relining of the hard shoulder. However the signs at the N24 junction northbound have now been replaced and this is now J29, which is the highest junction number I have seen in the Republic.

Also to note, the "Next Exit" sign doesn't seem to be appearing on either this section or the M20 section - they've used two full map ADS approaching each junction instead. Has it been abandoned already or is it just due to the short distance between junctions, I wonder?

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 09:11PM

NFD100 wrote: »

Wicklow Co Co roads department are the pits!

I think your being much to kind to them!

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 09:18PM

Carawaystick wrote: »

When you turn northbound onto the M11 at Arklow south (J21 or the Kish), I thought I saw the M11 signs halfway up the poles, but looking closer, they are going to put a speed limit sign at the Motorway confirmation sign. These are about 4m from the roundabout at the start of the slip.

Yeah, but how many cars can can accelerate to 120kph halfway down a slip road? I predict that all these furze bushes on the Arklow bypass will ignite and cause chaos with smoke as soon as we get a dry summer! They used to have that at the Belfield flyover but had to remove them and replace with real trees 'cos every 5 years they were set alight! (by drunken undergrads no doubt). :cool:

BluntGuy · 22-08-2009 09:21PM

Wild Bill wrote: »

...took some pics of the work but, alas, they won't upload.

If flickr, imageshack or photobucket don't work then PM me, and send me the images via e-mail or a file-hosting site, and I can upload them for you after re-sizing them or whatever.

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 09:28PM

icdg wrote: »

Also to note, the "Next Exit" sign doesn't seem to be appearing on either this section or the M20 section - they've used two full map ADS approaching each junction instead. Has it been abandoned already or is it just due to the short distance between junctions, I wonder?

Probably crowded junctions. On the M50 they only have the 2km advance signs where there is a decent gap between junctions. Anyone know why the Athlone bypass wasn't re-designated? Junctions too close? Urban motorway with no street lights or studs? (Now guys I know all the reasons ye will give why it is a disgrace to roadcraft; but I'm really asking does anyone know the "official" reason for it?).

And what are they going to put on all those new poles they have erected for the new signs?!! :rolleyes:

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 09:42PM

I'm testing photobucket here with a photo of some cat's eyes:

?action=view&current=IMG_0550.jpg

Something missing.........

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 09:58PM

BINGO!

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 10:18PM

OK - apologies for hogging the board here but I'm showing the full shot of the N11 Ashford-Rathnew bypass; 8km of which is being redesignated motorway.
This is looking north from the bridge at junction 17.

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 10:44PM

And the full j22 pic.....

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 11:14PM

This was yesterday (Friday). The new version should be a terminal motorway sign - blue background with patching same as here for the R772 and N11 also the same but patched on a blue sign. I'll photograph the results!

And of course the Ash tree branches should be cut back by the 28th!!

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 11:25PM

And here we say goodbye to the old signs; treasure this..soon to be a collector's item. (What do they do with the old signs?)

Wild Bill · 22-08-2009 11:38PM

On the R772 - the 'Dublin' direction should be changed so that it reads M11 on a blue patch. Will it? Tune in...same time next week.....

nordydan · 24-08-2009 12:14AM

Shots of the new Eastbound section taken yesterday, link here. Line painting not quite finished yet.

D'Peoples Voice · 24-08-2009 12:20PM

NFD100 wrote: »

Wicklow Co Co roads department are the pits!

In South Dublin county council area, it is the Parks Department that look after the landscaping around the roads,
and the Roads Department that look after ONLY the road/signposts etc, at least it is in relation to the N7 between the Red cow Interchange and Blackchurch(SDCC/kildare border).

Tech3 · 24-08-2009 01:27PM

M7 J29 (gives you an idea how far were going with the motorway network!)

M20 split at J3

Tech3 · 24-08-2009 01:33PM

The M20 ahead sign is up but slightly covered in black plastic heading northbound from the M7/M20 roundabout. The road surface is being redone as the tie in with N7 phase 2 is ramping up.

Anyone with updates on how the M18 is faring. I wonder is the continuous yellow line done?

Zoney · 24-08-2009 01:48PM

Will they swap the green bollard for a blue one at the split in the second photo above?

A lot of bustle at M20 J1/M7 J30, looks like they are preparing to move traffic onto new M7 mainline/slip from M7 west to M20 south. Also I wonder if M20 north isn't just going to be joined up to M7 east via the new loop even before phase 2 opens - with access to Childers Road cut off early so they can build on top of where the roundabout is at present and finish the junction. All M20 north traffic after J2 (Dooradoyle) would then have to go up M7 east to Ballysimon (N24) junction to get access to Limerick city.

I predict a lot of shouting if this happens.

New motorway signs up already...

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