Website for M50 upgrade project - M50.ie

Uuuh Patsy · 13-10-2006 11:31am

Chris_533976 wrote:

I dunno why Im doing this as I dont live in Dublin but here we go anyway

I hope the people on the M50 website uploaded the correct picture, or I'll get too much flak to post here anymore

Heres the design off the Dublin Co. Council website. Ripped from a huge PDF document.

Heres the one I found hidden on the M50 website

I have no idea which of these will be built. Hopefully the second, its much better.

Hope this clears up any confusion.

So they've starting some ground works on the bank of the main carriageway under the redcow. So I take it the contractor knows what the final design is. Any idea when the public will be informed?

Davidth88 · 13-10-2006 11:42am

I am not a roads engineer , but the second one looks like there is only one lane for thru traffic going south on the N7 ??

Is that enough , or is that wierd floaty lane sitting to the south of the junction that appears to end in mid air going straight on too ?

PhilipFromBosco · 13-10-2006 4:00pm

Davidth88 wrote:

I am not a roads engineer , but the second one looks like there is only one lane for thru traffic going south on the N7 ??

Is that enough , or is that wierd floaty lane sitting to the south of the junction that appears to end in mid air going straight on too ?

There's actually 2 lanes. The confusion may be that the top picture is looking northeast and the bottom picture is looking southwest. The pictures show somewhat different designs. Not sure if the second picture elimates the at grade Luas crossing as that part can't be seen on the picture.
So it looks that both versions will have "high capacity" (2 lanes) going from south bound M50 to southwest bound N7 and the converse is also true. These are currently the biggest bottlenecks at the interchange espcially the M50 to N7 manoveur

steve-o · 13-10-2006 4:16pm

I see only one outbound N7 lane in the second picture. The leftmost bridge (probably the existing Luas bridge) seems to be a u-turn lane that loops back to N7 inbound (or R-whatever it is).

cuppa · 13-10-2006 4:27pm

nordydan · 13-10-2006 4:30pm

cuppa wrote:

My house is just 100 miles further up the road...

Victor · 14-10-2006 2:39am

PhilipFromBosco wrote:

Not sure if the second picture elimates the at grade Luas crossing as that part can't be seen on the picture.

In that, the Luas is completely re-routed.

murphaph · 14-10-2006 10:53am

Accordng to one of the gys on SABRE, it is indeed the fully freeflowing option that is being built. No proof, links or oherwise, but I imagine the Luas rerouting stuff may happen first.

spacetweek · 14-10-2006 3:50pm

murphaph wrote:

Accordng to one of the gys on SABRE, it is indeed the fully freeflowing option that is being built. No proof, links or oherwise, but I imagine the Luas rerouting stuff may happen first.

I haven't gone down to the N7 junction building site since they started but there's an easy way for us to tell - if they seem to be building new bridges in the centre of the junction where there's currently nothing, then the first design is the one being built. If not, then it's the second one.

Uuuh Patsy · 18-10-2006 4:56pm

Too early at this stage to tell but my hunch by the amount of material being removed that its the second one. i.e the n7 outbound to m50 northbound on ramp

Uuuh Patsy · 20-10-2006 12:36pm

Although overlaying these two images shows that the existing Luas bridge as being done away with, which doesnt make sense so this proposal is probably pie in the sky

Andrew Duffy · 20-10-2006 12:45pm

It looks like the Luas bridge might be reused to allow traffic to double back from R110 (Naas Road) Westbound to R110 Eastbound. The rendering does make it look like a new bridge in nearly the same location, though.

spacetweek · 20-10-2006 3:42pm

Uuuh Patsy wrote:

Although overlaying these two images shows that the existing Luas bridge as being done away with, which doesnt make sense so this proposal is probably pie in the sky

Yea, but the new one is just a mock up and mightn't be exact. I'd say the Luas bridge is the U-turn lane and the existing lanes are unchanged except for tying in at the ends.

mysterious · 14-11-2006 10:42pm

I just spotted something... Yet another error!:p look at the N4 above (this pic is from the same website) now go to the N4 pic on www.M50.ie This alteration error has got to be of recent. Why though?

And oh... N7 is still an air of mystery... I mean they'd want to sort out their plans as it seems to me, they haven't made up their minds on the proposed interchanges:rolleyes:

Victor · 15-11-2006 3:18am

mysterious wrote:

I just spotted something... Yet another error!:p look at the N4 above (this pic is from the same website) now go to the N4 pic on www.M50.ie This alteration error has got to be of recent. Why though?

You mean the way they changed the paint on the (West to South) sliproad. Not much of a change.

Idbatterim · 15-11-2006 12:54pm

The luas like the traffice on the roundabout cant free flow at the moment, it would be great if the luas can just continue on uninterrupted across intersection. Seamus Brennan had the idea when he wanted a raised bridge built over the intersection so luas didnt have to stop.

D'Peoples Voice · 15-11-2006 2:38pm

check out the new bus lane on that new Red Cow roundabout.

I knew they were converting the leftmost lane of the R110 (Naas Road) from Nangor road/Longmile Road junction to the Red cow interchange into a bus lane when this bridge was construcred, but this bridge shows that good forward planning has seen that the bus lane south of the bridge (N7) will merge into the bus lane north of the brdige (R110) in a seemless fashion.
For a while there I thought buses would have to merge with traffic as they approach the bridge.

A big thumbs up to the planners!

murphaph · 15-11-2006 2:42pm

Idbatterim wrote:

The luas like the traffice on the roundabout cant free flow at the moment, it would be great if the luas can just continue on uninterrupted across intersection. Seamus Brennan had the idea when he wanted a raised bridge built over the intersection so luas didnt have to stop.

Yeah he did, and remember how the pathetic media lambasted him for using the term 'stilts'? He was correct of course-it was and is insane to run light rail at grade through such an imporant and busy national junction!

Victor · 16-11-2006 2:49pm

murphaph wrote:

Yeah he did, and remember how the pathetic media lambasted him for using the term 'stilts'? He was correct of course-it was and is insane to run light rail at grade through such an imporant and busy national junction!

But he meant put the track on columns, not the trams on stilts.

Uuuh Patsy · 20-12-2006 11:28am

Uuuh Patsy wrote:

Too early at this stage to tell but my hunch by the amount of material being removed that its the second one. i.e the n7 outbound to m50 northbound on ramp

I see no signs of any ground works for pillars in the middle of the median around the center of the mad cow roundabout. This points even more so towards the second option. Can't understand why they are keeping it a secret. Maybe they will do the upgrade under cover and have a big surprise opening day; .... for Berties benefit

Winters · 25-01-2007 4:03pm

The modifications of the alignment of Luas Line A were given the go ahead today so that confirms that the new layout is going to be built.

spacetweek · 26-01-2007 4:06pm

Winters wrote:

The modifications of the alignment of Luas Line A were given the go ahead today so that confirms that the new layout is going to be built.

Great news. This might even knock a couple of minutes off the journey time.

Chris_533976 · 26-01-2007 5:15pm

Winters wrote:

The modifications of the alignment of Luas Line A were given the go ahead today so that confirms that the new layout is going to be built.

Good

Common sense prevails for a change

Winters · 26-01-2007 6:19pm

http://www.m50.ie/images/N7-LFF-xlarge.jpg

Winters · 28-01-2007 7:37pm

Just a thought but what if someone, travelling on the m50, misses their junction? With the free flow junctions there isnt the capability of turning around and returning the way you came is there?

Victor · 28-01-2007 8:38pm

Generally no, but you can always continue to the next junction, turn off, turn and come back.

While some 180 degree manoeuvers will be lost, quite a few junctions will retain the option.

Winters · 29-01-2007 4:13pm

I understand that but of the junctions to be upgraded to free flow on the M50, namely N4 (Jct 7) and N7 (Jct 9) junctions they are adjacent to eachother. Missing one would mean a long journey to the next available circular junction. The signage is going to have to be very clear and well placed.

From what I have seen the N3 (Jct 6) will retain the circular aspect enabling 180 degree movements.

Andrew Duffy · 30-01-2007 10:58am

You can leave the M50 at both and turn around at a junction on the N4 or N7 respectively. Apart from cloverleafs, which are very low capacity, free flowing junctions don't usually allow 180 turns.

MICKEYG · 30-01-2007 11:17am

Winters wrote:

I understand that but of the junctions to be upgraded to free flow on the M50, namely N4 (Jct 7) and N7 (Jct 9) junctions they are adjacent to eachother. Missing one would mean a long journey to the next available circular junction. The signage is going to have to be very clear and well placed.

From what I have seen the N3 (Jct 6) will retain the circular aspect enabling 180 degree movements.

Junctions are not designed in most cases to allow 180's. If a person makes a mistake then they have to go out of their way to rectify it. Better that than inconveniencing thousands of other motorists. The exception of course is the legendary M1 Airport junction which added lights specifically to allow southbound motorists on the M1 perform a u-turn to head north. Well done NRA, nice to see you learned the lessons from the M50 disaster.

Winters · 30-01-2007 11:27am

I'm sure the percentage of 180 degree manoeuvres must be very low in comparison to all others. Thanks for your comments.

spockety · 30-01-2007 12:18pm

Winters wrote:

http://www.m50.ie/images/N7-LFF-xlarge.jpg

It's obvious from that how people coming from turnpike road head south on the M50, head west on the N7, and even head east on the n7 (big loop).. but how do they head North on the M50? It almost looks from that picture based on the road markings, that they're supposed to cut straight across 2 lanes of west or south bound N7 traffic..?? Will this be signal controlled? *groan*

*EDIT* ahh, actually is it going under a bridge to get across that traffic..?

murphaph · 30-01-2007 1:38pm

spockety wrote:

It's obvious from that how people coming from turnpike road head south on the M50, head west on the N7, and even head east on the n7 (big loop).. but how do they head North on the M50? It almost looks from that picture based on the road markings, that they're supposed to cut straight across 2 lanes of west or south bound N7 traffic..?? Will this be signal controlled? *groan*

*EDIT* ahh, actually is it going under a bridge to get across that traffic..?

Signal controlled but remember that there are lots of signal controlled unctions on the R110 outbound so one more before the open road (N7/M50) will make little difference to all but those living/working between the Longmile Road junction and the M50.

Website for M50 upgrade project - M50.ie

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