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A1 - Newry Bypass Dual Carriageway (NOW OPEN)

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13

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    #62
    Mayo Exile
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭Mayo Exile


    From the Belfast Telegraph, 7 May:
    Both lanes of the newly completed Belfast-Newry carriageway have had to be dug up after they began to subside, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

    Fresh work to excavate and rebuild the lanes at a section north of Sheepbridge is expected to add around six weeks to the expected completion date for the A1 roads scheme, the Department for Regional Development has revealed.

    The culprit is a stretch of boggy land where large amounts of peat had been removed — but some soft material remained, causing a stretch of the A1 road to “settle”.

    DRD insisted the added work will not cost the public purse any additional funds.

    A Roads Service spokesman said: “Monitoring of the new carriageway immediately north of Sheepbridge has identified a localised area of settlement.

    “The location is one where very soft ground conditions existed and substantial volumes of peat were removed.

    “Subsequent investigations indicate that small volumes of soft material still exist below the new carriageway and is the source of the problem.

    “In order to remedy the situation the Construction Company commenced the necessary excavations on Monday April 19 2010 and the work is likely to take up to six weeks to complete.

    “There is no additional cost to the public purse associated with these remedial works.

    “The construction contractor and Roads Service appreciate the patience of the motoring public during the works and would ask that particular care and attention be exercised during this specific period.

    “Roads Service can confirm that the A1 Beech Hill to Cloghogue dualling scheme remains several months ahead of schedule and is expected to be made available to traffic during summer 2010.”

    The scheme is designed to dual the final sections of the A1 that were not already dual carriageway.

    Link: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/new-belfastnewry-dual-carriageway-dug-up-as-subsidence-delays-opening-14796612.html

    Update also (6 May) at Wesley Johnstons site: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a1beechhillcloghogue.html

    One of the pictures is an alleged sinkhole near Beech Hill. Related to the Belfast Telegraph story?

    Also being discussed over on SABRE. According to one post the contractor "chased" away people taking pictures quoting "health & safety" concerns.

    Link: http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22273&sid=3346792f9d186caf21e9440a58b173ee&start=260


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    #63
    -Corkie-
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,025 ✭✭✭✭-Corkie-


    Poor civil servants in dublin wont be happy about that......


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    #64
    D'Peoples Voice
    Registered Users Posts: 1,698 ✭✭✭D'Peoples Voice


    once its ready for their next shopping trip(sorry strike),
    they won't mind....


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    #65
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    Poor civil servants in dublin wont be happy about that.....
    once its ready for their next shopping trip(sorry strike),
    they won't mind....

    You lads would never get into the Civil Service, if you think that the affected section obstructs access to Newry shops, you'd probably never find your way to the interview.


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    #66
    -Corkie-
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,025 ✭✭✭✭-Corkie-


    ardmacha wrote: »
    You lads would never get into the Civil Service, if you think that the affected section obstructs access to Newry shops, you'd probably never find your way to the interview.


    Why do you think someone with 35 people working for them would want a job in the civil service looking at dossers and bluffers all day;).


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    #67
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    If you didn't want to deal with dossers and bluffers you wouldn't be on Boards.ie.


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    #68
    Mayo Exile
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭Mayo Exile


    From Wesley Johnston's site:
    7 June 2010: According to a meeting of the Roads Service Board back in April, it is expected that the road will be open during "July or August" this year.

    To mark the opening it has been decided to hold a Fun Run on the unopened stretch of the A1 on 27th June. The 10km run will go from Camlough Road to Beech Hill and back again and will be in aid of the Southern Area Hospice Services.

    It has now been confirmed that the northern part of the existing A1 Newry Bypass, from Camlough Road to Belfast Road, will be renumbered as A27 when the works are completed.

    Link: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a1beechhillcloghogue.html


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    #69
    Chris_5339762
    Registered Users Posts: 5,849 ✭✭✭Chris_5339762


    Its got to be said. This is a reasonably simple scheme but yet its taken a ridiculous length of time (almost three years) to build it. Whatever you say about road building here, how its politically done and how they cant seem to join them properly, they sure have worked out how to build them far faster than the North.


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    #70
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    The online ugrade of the section from the Cloghogue roundabout to the A25 did not make this any easier, especially as they had to blast away a cliff, not something than can be done as traffic flows by.

    The roads in the South are generally offline, which eases construction and provides an effective diversion route if the new road has to be closed temporarily owing to an accident or the like.
    But the NRA had got a good system going in recent years, which will now wither away.


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    #71
    Typewriter
    Registered Users Posts: 577 ✭✭✭Typewriter


    Is this going to be made motorway at all? A1(M) perhaps?

    It seems silly not to have continuous motorway between the two capitals. Especially in terms of attracting foreign investment to the island of Ireland.




    (and of course it looks way better on a map.;))


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    #72
    Jayuu
    Registered Users Posts: 740 ✭✭✭Jayuu


    green_jesus wrote: »
    Is this going to be made motorway at all? A1(M) perhaps?

    It seems silly not to have continuous motorway between the two capitals. Especially in terms of attracting foreign investment to the island of Ireland.

    (and of course it looks way better on a map.;))

    It would take a large investment to upgrade the section from beyond Newry to the Northern Ireland M1 to motorway standard.

    While the road is currently 2+2 and work has been done on closing off some of the crossover points to grade separated junctions there are still quite a lot of them on the road. There are also countless private houses and public roads which have unregulated access to the road as well. Whatever about improving the road access I don't see how you could restrict private entrances. It's very similar to the situation we have on the N7 between Newland's X and Naas. You'd really have to start from scratch and build a new road and there is no way this could be cost justified.

    In fairness the road works well. Once Newry is complete and with the completion of the A12 (Westlink) in Belfast there are very few delays on this road. Bar a couple of 60 mph sections which everybody seems to ignore the speed limit is 70mph which isn't that far below the motorway limit in the Republic. I've driven it numerous times over the past year and bar the road work sections I've never had any major delays on it.

    There are some improvements that would be helpful though. It would be great if they removed the Hillsborough roundabout in favour of a GSJ and also improved the access point to the M1 motorway from Springfield (Junctions 7 and 8). Finally they could do with resurfacing the road over a period of time.


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    #73
    Steviemak
    Closed Accounts Posts: 430 ✭✭Steviemak


    Chris_5339762 wrote: »
    Its got to be said. This is a reasonably simple scheme but yet its taken a ridiculous length of time (almost three years) to build it. Whatever you say about road building here, how its politically done and how they cant seem to join them properly, they sure have worked out how to build them far faster than the North.

    Indeed. The northern section of this by-pass which is off line has been effectively done for several months now. Some of the roads down here have been in a far worse state 2 weeks before they are officially opened.


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    #74
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    An unexpected orifice has delayed things somewhat towards the Northern End.

    file.php?id=1805&t=1


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    #75
    Stark
    Registered Users Posts: 20,891 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    Jayuu wrote: »
    There are some improvements that would be helpful though. It would be great if they removed the Hillsborough roundabout in favour of a GSJ and also improved the access point to the M1 motorway from Springfield (Junctions 7 and 8).

    It looks like it's in the pipeline but 8 years away from estimated completion: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/m1a1link.html . In general, road building in NI seems to be in a sorry date, with most approved schemes not due to start until the middle of the decade.


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    #76
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    Road building in all parts of Ireland will be in sorry state in the next few years.


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    #77
    sdanseo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,233 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    ardmacha wrote: »
    Road building in all parts of Ireland will be in sorry state in the next few years.

    Feel like backing that up or are you just spouting unfounded personal opinion?


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    #78
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    Feel like backing that up or are you just spouting unfounded personal opinion?

    It is a reasonable personal opinion based on the fact that governments in deficit have to reduce expenditure and so road projects may be delayed. Does anyone here believe otherwise?


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    #79
    sdanseo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,233 ✭✭✭sdanseo


    ardmacha wrote: »
    It is a reasonable personal opinion based on the fact that governments in deficit have to reduce expenditure and so road projects may be delayed. Does anyone here believe otherwise?

    You just backed it up, I'm happy.

    I disagree though to a point - yeah there'll be less new schemes but with the MIUs out of the way hopefully councils will get more cash to inject into R-roads.

    I don't think it's fair to say road building will be in a sorry state - even if nothing new is started in 2011 - unlikely - we've still come on leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, last 5 especially.


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    #80
    swoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,410 ✭✭✭swoofer


    Is that by pass open yet?

    gb--


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    #81
    nordydan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,104 ✭✭✭nordydan


    GBCULLEN wrote: »
    Is that by pass open yet?

    gb--

    Negative


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    #82
    swoofer
    Registered Users Posts: 5,410 ✭✭✭swoofer


    Thanks for reply. I am going to Larne 1 Sept and working out time to get there. Is the by pass likely to be open then? And are the delays still bad?

    gb--


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    #83
    nordydan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,104 ✭✭✭nordydan


    GBCULLEN wrote: »
    Thanks for reply. I am going to Larne 1 Sept and working out time to get there. Is the by pass likely to be open then? And are the delays still bad?

    gb--

    It should be open


    There'll be no significant delays between Dublin and YorkStreet (at the wrong time of the day). Likewise with the M2/A8m junction.

    There is also teh chance of slow traffic for the last 10-12 miles of your journey.


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    #84
    Steviemak
    Closed Accounts Posts: 430 ✭✭Steviemak


    nordydan wrote: »
    Negative

    They have been so slow in opening this. I have passed it a few times in the last number of weeks and everything is done. The cones reducing it to one lane at the start and end of the works are total over kill, as far as I can see as all lanes are marked and complete.


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    #85
    RossN
    Closed Accounts Posts: 30 ✭RossN


    I use this road every week.
    They got rid of a lot of cones between Sat night and this morning.
    Heading south, it's 2 lanes once you get up onto the new bit, so nothing new opened, except lanes!
    It looks like some things are happening! I get the impression they are very close to opening it.
    I have read about subsidence on part of the road though, so hopefully this won't be a delaying issue.


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    #86
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    I passed up this way at the weekend and they were doing finishing type jobs and as the previous posters said the cones have been removed southbound on the section that is being used. Hard to know what is happening with the section that is not open.


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    #87
    Heroditas
    Registered Users Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭Heroditas


    Apparently it's being officially opened tomorrow:

    http://www.newstalk.ie/uncategorized/speech-by-the-taoiseach-mr-brian-cowen-t-d-on-ireland%E2%80%99s-infrastructure-investment-priorities/


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    #88
    Stark
    Registered Users Posts: 20,891 ✭✭✭✭Stark


    Thursday according to Wesley Johnston's site: http://wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a1beechhillcloghogue.html . I'd trust him over Cowen. Close enough though.


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    #89
    Heroditas
    Registered Users Posts: 9,441 ✭✭✭Heroditas


    So long as it's open for next week, happy days!


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    #90
    Carawaystick
    Registered Users Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭Carawaystick


    I'm gonna guess no one had this route to be open for race week predicted...!


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    #91
    Mayo Exile
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,634 ✭✭✭Mayo Exile


    Saying over on the SABRE forum now that it will open at midnight 30th July (Thursday night/Friday morning?). Relevant post is at bottom of page 14.


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