Irl: Road Widening schemes

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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by AndyB »

Overnight lane closures for verge cutting cost even more than Sunday morning lane closures, and are unlikely to have an associated TTRO to enforce a speed limit.

Anything that lies outside Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm is a great matter for TM contractors to stick the arm in, even before the ones carrying out the actual work charge for labour.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Johnathan404 »

Nothing wrong with a Wednesday afternoon lane closure in any country which has a bit of redundancy in its road network.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by bothar »

In this case the central reserve in more in the way of shrubs than grass and would not need to be cut more than a few times each year.

Some of the nicest planting is in Singapore, but some of this is being lost to widening also.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by NedNew »

I don't think you need to go to Singapore for an example, the Chapelizod bypass in Dublin is very pleasant for an urban road.

Chapelizod Bypass
https://goo.gl/maps/LCSVR7h9hyj
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Euan
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Euan »

AndyB wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 12:37 Overnight lane closures for verge cutting cost even more than Sunday morning lane closures, and are unlikely to have an associated TTRO to enforce a speed limit.
That does sound a bit risky in the dark for workers to be cutting grass verges only around a metre or so away from cars travelling at 70mph (or 120km/h if we are sticking with Irish motorways), and that is without considering the temptation some drivers will have to go even faster if they have a clear and straight road all to themselves at night.
NedNew wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 19:56 I don't think you need to go to Singapore for an example, the Chapelizod bypass in Dublin is very pleasant for an urban road.

Chapelizod Bypass
https://goo.gl/maps/LCSVR7h9hyj
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bothar
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by bothar »

NedNew wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 19:56 I don't think you need to go to Singapore for an example, the Chapelizod bypass in Dublin is very pleasant for an urban road.

Chapelizod Bypass
https://goo.gl/maps/LCSVR7h9hyj
Good one Ned, it is years since I was on that section and it has likely matured since then.
Euan wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 21:25 That does sound a bit risky in the dark for workers to be cutting grass verges only around a metre or so away from cars travelling at 70mph (or 120km/h if we are sticking with Irish motorways), and that is without considering the temptation some drivers will have to go even faster if they have a clear and straight road all to themselves at night.
On the M1 they operate a rolling roadblock, with a tipper truck behind the grass cutting machine, so protecting the workers with the heavier vehicle. Of course, someone could somehow swerve in front of it.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by odlum »

Design team to be appointed for M4 J5 - J7 widening in May and to take scheme through planning.

An upgrade to at least one junction at Maynooth is also highly likely.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by odlum »

NedNew wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 19:56 I don't think you need to go to Singapore for an example, the Chapelizod bypass in Dublin is very pleasant for an urban road.

Chapelizod Bypass
https://goo.gl/maps/LCSVR7h9hyj
just seen your linky

wow, I have not been on that road in over a decade. They really let it grow. I think that looks great!

I saw the big ball on the M7 at Naas is lit up green for St Patrick's Day...

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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Johnathan404 »

The M7 was diverted via new ramps this weekend to allow the bridge to be demolished. Apparently it required machinery to be booked in and carried over from England.

I was in Naas so did a quick trip along the bypass to see what the traffic management was like. It was flowing freely, but a lot of people may have been cutting through Naas having heard rumours the bypass was closed. The road appeared to be running with two full-width lanes, with work to be done on the third.

Usual apologies for camera quality, and for the weather.

west.jpg
east.jpg
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by odlum »

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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by nirs »

Those are superb photos - thanks for sharing. When was that bridge originally built?
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by bothar »

nirs wrote: Thu Apr 04, 2019 21:00 Those are superb photos - thanks for sharing. When was that bridge originally built?
Naas bypass was 1983.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Berk »

I am mystified as to why the junction was located essentially in the middle of nowhere.

Surely it would’ve been better located next to the R407?? Or would the congestion have been too great??
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Euan »

Berk wrote: Thu Apr 04, 2019 22:56 I am mystified as to why the junction was located essentially in the middle of nowhere.

Surely it would’ve been better located next to the R407?? Or would the congestion have been too great??
The junction is located to link to the planned route of the Sallins bypass which will pass to the west of the town and connect across the M7 to the Millenium Link Road outside Naas. I reckon it would probably carry the R407 number once it is complete.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by odlum »

Apparently the extra lanes are to be finished on this stretch by the end of next month.

Be surprised if that happens. Still seems a lot to do according to my eyes.


Are they providing freeflow slip roads around that dumbbell in the pictures? I think I see extra slips there.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Owain »

bothar wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 15:07 In this case the central reserve in more in the way of shrubs than grass and would not need to be cut more than a few times each year.

Some of the nicest planting is in Singapore, but some of this is being lost to widening also.
Euan wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 21:25
NedNew wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2019 19:56 I don't think you need to go to Singapore for an example, the Chapelizod bypass in Dublin is very pleasant for an urban road.

Chapelizod Bypass
https://goo.gl/maps/LCSVR7h9hyj
Exotic!
I used to the love the central reservation of the SS131 in Sardinia, several stretches of which were planted with what (I'm told) are bougainvillea. For much of the year these would be covered in vibrant flowers of various colours, which provided quite a contrast to the browns and yellows of the surrounding landscape. Some of these have disappeared where the central reservation has been upgraded from ancient armco to modern concrete blocks, which is a bit of a shame.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by c2R »

Owain wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2019 12:26
I used to the love the central reservation of the SS131 in Sardinia, several stretches of which were planted with what (I'm told) are bougainvillea. For much of the year these would be covered in vibrant flowers of various colours, which provided quite a contrast to the browns and yellows of the surrounding landscape. Some of these have disappeared where the central reservation has been upgraded from ancient armco to modern concrete blocks, which is a bit of a shame.
that's quite literally all over the south of Spain in the central reservation. I love it as it helps to stop the lights from the oncoming vehicles at night, as well as looking beautiful in the daytime. I'm assuming it doesn't need a lot of water, but equally can survive large downpourings and being sodden during the winter.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Enceladus »

Great pics Odlum! :)

The contractors made very rapid progress with constructing those slip roads at the new junction to divert motorway traffic during the bridge demolition process.

I stand to be corrected, but I believe that this is the very first motorway bridge demoltion in the Republic of Ireland. I don't recall any bridge demolitions during the major M50 upgrade project.

As further motorway widening projects come on stream, there surely will be another.

I can't see the widened carriageways becoming operational until June at the earliest.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Cian »

Enceladus wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 19:55
I stand to be corrected, but I believe that this is the very first motorway bridge demoltion in the Republic of Ireland. I don't recall any bridge demolitions during the major M50 upgrade project.
And here's the correction - it isn't. At least one earlier one occurred.

A similar private access overbridge was removed during the construction of M4 J6 Celbridge West/Leixlip West, as it was in the way of the new sliproads. Can see it on the 1995 and 2000 aerial imagery on GeoHive (which can't be linked to as far as I can tell). 2000 imagery shows the initial groundworks for the interchange in fact.
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Re: Irl: Road Widening schemes

Post by Johnathan404 »

Another "closure" of the M7 this weekend. Much less fuss this time but then we know it's not causing an issue.
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