Irl: Road Widening schemes

[Euan]

Hopefully lane discipline will be enforced as our side of the Irish Sea has nothing but problems with middle lane morons.

At least they do not cause as much trouble as those who hog the outside lane.

[odlum]

M7 widening, 23rd feb

https://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104 ... g~original

pic regedit, boards.ie

[bothar]

At least they do not cause as much trouble as those who hog the outside lane.

Disgraceful tailgating in the pic posted by Odlum above, but everyone in the overtaking lane with plenty of space on the inside.

[M50Jct15]

Disgraceful tailgating in the pic posted by Odlum above, but everyone in the overtaking lane with plenty of space on the inside.

Yep...there is always one p*ick

[Big L]

Disgraceful tailgating in the pic posted by Odlum above, but everyone in the overtaking lane with plenty of space on the inside.

Yep...there is always one p*ick

You're both 100% sure that one car isn't towing the other I see.

[Berk]

Disgraceful tailgating in the pic posted by Odlum above, but everyone in the overtaking lane with plenty of space on the inside.

Yep...there is always one p*ick

You're both 100% sure that one car isn't towing the other I see.

Quite. The spacing between the vehicles seems unusual.

Unlike the persistent ‘12 cars in lane 2, 1 HGV + 1 tipper/another sole car in lane 1, all doing 50mph’ scenario you see every day.

Nearly all the cars squeezing in lane 2 tailgate one or more of the others. Despite there being ample room for at least half of them in lane 1.

[bothar]

Disgraceful tailgating in the pic posted by Odlum above, but everyone in the overtaking lane with plenty of space on the inside.

Yep...there is always one p*ick

You're both 100% sure that one car isn't towing the other I see.

I don't expect to see a car towing another one in the overtaking lane.

[odlum]

That looks a wide enough median after widening. Similar to the M1 6 lane section.

When these roads were first built they had extra wide medians.

They need two barriers instead of one in the center. On the M1 in the center gap they put in lovely planting.

[c2R]

There could be foreshortening owing to the lens and focal length in addition to probably a really low roadworks speed limit so id say its somewhat difficult to away whether or not there's tailgating. The lane discipline is poor, though, id agree...

[odlum]

It's very low. It's 60 km/h through these roadworks for some reason infuriating drivers.

The idea of overtaking does seem a moot point.

[bothar]

Corporate propaganda re M7 upgrade

[odlum]

Cows actually use these bridges



https://twitter.com/glennquigley/status ... 7354886144

[A42_Sparks]

Thanks for posting that odlum. Some years ago I saw cows crossing this bridge on the Northern Irish M2 and reported it on here but I'm not sure if anyone actually believed me.

[odlum]

Thanks. I have never actually seen them used myself - I always thought they were kind of novelty "concessions" for farmers but i'm glad to know they are actually used

[Euan]

Thanks for posting that odlum. Some years ago I saw cows crossing this bridge on the Northern Irish M2 and reported it on here but I'm not sure if anyone actually believed me.

It looks like they could still get across but only in single file, although I reckon it must have been a bit tricky for the farmers to get the cows across the bridge neatly without walking too closely in front or behind one another.

[odlum]

To return to matters at hand...

Since they have the similar space in the median on the M7 and are using the same double barrier i'd like to see them do the same as on the M1 with nice median planting. Looks great when the flowers finally come out.

Or they could just leave it hollow

[c2R]

I'm a big fan of median and verge planting - it creates all sorts of habitats, particularly for insect and small animal life which is of great benefit to the wider ecosystem. In a former life I worked with a local authority environment team which studied all of that sort of thing which was fascinating stuff and shows that new road corridors and bypasses, built sympathetically and with the environment in mind can actually increase ecological diversity - much better than large prarie type agricultural land, farmed intesively with no hedges or verges and an artificially induced monoculture through use of weedkillers and crop modification.

(Not that I'm saying all farms are like that, before anyone points out to me the good that many farmers do to look after the land)

[Bryn666]

The DMRB actively advises against planting in central reservations because of maintenance of it meaning a lane closure would be needed. Grass central reserves will ultimately all go on trunk roads it seems.

Building visually pleasing roads comes below making sure a few Mr Toads don't have to do 50 through some roadworks once in a while whilst the grass is cut.

[Berk]

The DMRB actively advises against planting in central reservations because of maintenance of it meaning a lane closure would be needed. Grass central reserves will ultimately all go on trunk roads it seems.

Building visually pleasing roads comes below making sure a few Mr Toads don't have to do 50 through some roadworks once in a while whilst the grass is cut.

Isn’t that what overnight closures are for?? Rather than widening stretches of the A1??

[Euan]

I do like seeing a bit of plant life next to roads or carriageways, especially if you have just come out of a large town or city and are fed up with the colour grey being everywhere.

I would imagine that if a lane closure is required for whenever central reservation grass needs trimmed then it would be far more feasible to plant in the middle of a D3M motorway than a D2M motorway as at least you would still have two lanes open through the works.

As suggested above, overnight works could work as well and would minimise the amount of disruption caused. Additionally, very little if any work would need to be carried out for about five months of the year while it is too cold for grass to grow.