The study of British and Irish roads - their construction, numbering, history, mapping, past and future official roads proposals and general roads musings.
There is a separate forum for Street Furniture (traffic lights, street lights, road signs etc).
Registered users get access to other forums including discussions about other forms of transport, driving, fantasy roads and wishlists, and roads quizzes.
I see Arup has been appointed to oversee the design of this scheme on Tuesday which would see the N11 at the Glen of the Downs widened and redesignated a motorway.
This is going to be tricky and will surely require some interesting solutions as it's through a valley which is a forested nature reserve.
Personally I think tunnels could form part of a solution here on both or one carriageway.
If the existing carriageway is to be used it's going to require major work even though it's D2.
Anyone familiar with this route knows that simply building a new carriageway to the east of west isn't really an option given it's mountainous or hilly terrain.
odlum wrote: ↑Thu Nov 08, 2018 00:09
Personally I think tunnels could form part of a solution here on both or one carriageway.
I agree - I wonder how much money is going to be available; I think a new alignment using lots of tunnels to take strategic traffic away from shorter distance commuter traffic would be a good (but expensive) idea...
The N11 is only just narrow enough to pass through the Glen of the Downs neatly as it is, so any widening of the route would probably have to make use of tunnels. Would the scheme be expected at this stage to be complete by around 2025?
This is going to be tricky and will surely require some interesting solutions as it's through a valley which is a forested nature reserve.
Personally I think tunnels could form part of a solution here on both or one carriageway.
If you understand the nature of the Nature Reserve, especially as it is along the margins of the current N11 (part is the abandoned old road) the the notion that we'd spend tens (hundreds?) of millions tunneling simply to avoid widening the existing road indicates that our common sense or sense of proportion has ceased to exist.
The opposition to the current road was a farce but it still resulted in a sub-standard road with a dangerous entrance to a recreation area. The "eco-warrior" encampment did more damage to the woodland than a slightly wider road would every have done!
July 2019: publication of feasible options (these will be interesting)
Q2 2020: selection of preferred option + public display
Q4 2020: submission to An Bord Pleanala
Construction would be 2021 then.
Meanwhile there is also political pressure to get this done quickly as well.
During rush hour the tailbacks must be even worse than that - half six isn't usually a very busy time on the roads at all as I've noticed whenever I've left the house at that time. Eight o'clock must be one of the worst times for congestion along the N11 or maybe slightly later.
Euan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 08:22
During rush hour the tailbacks must be even worse than that - half six isn't usually a very busy time on the roads at all as I've noticed whenever I've left the house at that time. Eight o'clock must be one of the worst times for congestion along the N11 or maybe slightly later.
If you assume those people want to be in Dublin by 9, they need to be further along than that.
By 08:30 the traffic is making the truly awful slog up Stillorgan Road, held back by a couple of busy crossroads (and right-turners blocking the road) and ultimately the lane drop at Donnybrook.
I know the 6am Wicklow queue we'll because it clashes with the overnight ferry arrival at Rosslare. Especially unpleasant after a deserted M11.
Euan wrote: ↑Sun Feb 10, 2019 08:22
During rush hour the tailbacks must be even worse than that - half six isn't usually a very busy time on the roads at all as I've noticed whenever I've left the house at that time. Eight o'clock must be one of the worst times for congestion along the N11 or maybe slightly later.
If you assume those people want to be in Dublin by 9, they need to be further along than that.
By 08:30 the traffic is making the truly awful slog up Stillorgan Road, held back by a couple of busy crossroads (and right-turners blocking the road) and ultimately the lane drop at Donnybrook.
I know the 6am Wicklow queue we'll because it clashes with the overnight ferry arrival at Rosslare. Especially unpleasant after a deserted M11.
Yeah, I've switched to the Stena Europe on that crossing as it gets in a couple of hours earlier than the Isle of Inishmor (one of my favourite nonensical names given that the translation is therefore the Isle of big island), meaning you can get past Dublin if heading north before rush hour really gets going....
2nd public consultation will happen 12th November.
Options also to be published on website. Excited about this scheme. Don't let me down
At the public consultation event, drawings of the developed options and known constraints will be on display. All information at the event will subsequently be published on the project website (www.m11n11.ie).
Especially unpleasant after a deserted M11.