N18 - Limerick Tunnel & South Ring Road Phase II

Chris_5339762

Stop calling it the Shunnel, its absolutely painful

bacon&cabbage

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Stop calling it the Shunnel, its absolutely painful

I like it !
A unique boardsie expression, like "Bog of Doom" or "Mire of Gloom"

serfboard

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

I like it !
A unique boardsie expression

+1

Chris_5339762

Both roundabouts at the Dock Road now in use.

A warning though - where one layer of tar ends and the next begins, there is a huge bump (literally speedbump size). SLOW RIGHT DOWN.

SAME FOR THE CLONMACKEN ROUNDABOUT

Tech3

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

A warning though - where one layer of tar ends and the next begins, there is a huge bump (literally speedbump size). SLOW RIGHT DOWN.

Yeah it's terrible, if you think those bits are bad try coming out towards the M20 from childers road and Rossbrien. Just before the ramps for the M7 and M20 there is a massive difference in the layer of tarmac and yep the suspension is going to get it!

Deedsie

Is there any chance of the rosbrien side of this project opening before the tunnel section? Allowing access from
dock road along the South ring?

black47

Deedsie wrote: »

Is there any chance of the rosbrien side of this project opening before the tunnel section? Allowing access from
dock road along the South ring?

Checked this out previously with Direct route and they confirmed that they would not be partially opening the scheme as the traffic management on the dock road would be too difficult. It's all or nothing for June. Whether they hit that date or not will be interesting. Anyone heard anything recently about the training of emergency services for tunnel? This would have a key bearing for the opening date.

KevR

Question for people who know Limerick better than me:

How much time do you reckon will be saved for Galway-Cork bus journeys at peak times once the Tunnel and SRR are open? The buses stop in Limerick so they will still be going through the city; obviously a lot more time would be saved by using the tunnel and avoiding the city. But the tunnel should take a significant amount of traffic out of Limerick during peak times so you would imagine that bus journeys would speed up a bit at least.

CerebralCortex

KevR wrote: »

Question for people who know Limerick better than me:

How much time do you reckon will be saved for Galway-Cork bus journeys at peak times once the Tunnel and SRR are open? The buses stop in Limerick so they will still be going through the city; obviously a lot more time would be saved by using the tunnel and avoiding the city. But the tunnel should take a significant amount of traffic out of Limerick during peak times so you would imagine that bus journeys would speed up a bit at least.

I work in Shannon and used to live in Dooradoyle in the evenings for a return journey to Dooradoyle, the journey could have taken anywhere between 30 to 40 minutes easily because you had to go straight through the city center.

veryangryman

KevR wrote: »

Question for people who know Limerick better than me:

How much time do you reckon will be saved for Galway-Cork bus journeys at peak times once the Tunnel and SRR are open? The buses stop in Limerick so they will still be going through the city; obviously a lot more time would be saved by using the tunnel and avoiding the city. But the tunnel should take a significant amount of traffic out of Limerick during peak times so you would imagine that bus journeys would speed up a bit at least.

I still imagine the city will be heavily congested at peak times. Its a big student place so lots of buses etc going through. So i dont imagine a time saving of >2 mins at best

limklad

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Both roundabouts at the Dock Road now in use.

A warning though - where one layer of tar ends and the next begins, there is a huge bump (literally speedbump size). SLOW RIGHT DOWN.

SAME FOR THE CLONMACKEN ROUNDABOUT

The Cement Factory Roundabout on the Dock road is worst than a speed bump. A Speed bump has smooth surface easy to drive over it, the Road layer here is a Step change, like getting onto a footpath. You have to drive very slow on this roundabout to get onto the new Tar layer.

limklad

veryangryman wrote: »

I still imagine the city will be heavily congested at peak times. Its a big student place so lots of buses etc going through. So i dont imagine a time saving of >2 mins at best

It is a lot quieter now than during the boom times. All report from those at work who travel the Dock and Condell road claims it is easier now than during the boom times. The New set of Traffic lights on the dock road is the major delay obstacle. Roundabouts would have been much easier to deal with traffic especially on the Turn off towards South Circular road. Roundabouts are more environmentally Friendly. Any major car accident on any road within the city causes mayhem. as it takes upto to 10 hours plus to clear if someone is killed.

lukejr

veryangryman wrote: »

I still imagine the city will be heavily congested at peak times. Its a big student place so lots of buses etc going through. So i dont imagine a time saving of >2 mins at best

Not sure what your are basing this on. Castletroy to Ennis road takes up to 30mins each way at peak time, that's going against UL traffic. Depending on where you going it should knock 10 mins off peak journey times.

But more importantly if you want to bypass Limerick it'll save you up to 30mins at peak times.

charlemont

Zoney wrote: »

Saw some on the M20 recently mind you! :eek:

im noticing a big increase around Munster in sulkies especially around Clonmel, Galbally, Tipp town and on the M8 between ji3 and 14,

zilog_jones

limklad wrote: »

It is a lot quieter now than during the boom times. All report from those at work who travel the Dock and Condell road claims it is easier now than during the boom times.

I'd say the closure of Dell EMF3 has been a big factor in reducing traffic on the dock road and towards Raheen. There's a few other places that have closed around there too, forget which exactly.

Tech3

zilog_jones wrote: »

I'd say the closure of Dell EMF3 has been a big factor in reducing traffic on the dock road and towards Raheen. There's a few other places that have closed around there too, forget which exactly.

Yeah it has reduced traffic significantly, I drive a section of that road before 8 o clock towards the industrial estate and it seems that traffic may have halved from what it was two years ago. I would have normally had to yield to traffic coming off the father russel rd towards quin cross roundabout but there is very little traffic in the mornings now unless your driving up around 9 o clock.

Not to mention several other companies like Banta that have shut down in the industrial estate as well.

Zoney

Line painting and fencing on the SRR mainline beside the Crescent Shopping Centre. With the signs up as well, it pretty much looks ready to drive!

I'd say the contractors are right though about it being a bit of chaos if Rosbrien-Dock Road is opened without the tunnel. As soon as SRR phase 2 opens, access from M20 direct to city centre (via Childers Road) will be cut off causing immediate chaos! The least that can be done about this is to avoid the Dock Road junction having both that redirected traffic *and* cross-river traffic (i.e. wait till the tunnel can handle the latter).

Quite frankly though, even with the reduced traffic with less economic activity, I expect the new traffic arrangements to be a disaster. Neither Dock Road or Tipperary Road junctions are going to cope with the addition of M20->city traffic.

limklad

zilog_jones wrote: »

I'd say the closure of Dell EMF3 has been a big factor in reducing traffic on the dock road and towards Raheen. There's a few other places that have closed around there too, forget which exactly.

Dell is only a small factor. Most of Dell Traffic left Raheen Business Park by the Limerick bypass when the Shannon Development created the new entrance to the Business park, which dramatically reduce traffic on the Raheen Roundabout 5+ years ago.
It all the other industries, and construction lay-offs, less trucks travelling on the road, Travelling through the city with North/South Traffic from Cork/Kerry/Limerick county traffic going to Clare/West of Ireland and vica versa. All have dropped off dramatically.

Dell is only a very small factor with Traffic especially when all sections of the economy is in trouble.

Attach is all the routes in light yellow through the city for Traffic to go out towards Shannon and white all the routes in White for the route when the Shannon Tunnel is opened.

bacon&cabbage

tech2 wrote: »

I know the gantry has been put up for J30(<M20) westbound for a while now but does anyone else agree on the poor location on where it has been installed. It's just after the R511 overbridge and difficult to see at the moment running around 50km/hr past it, it will be worse when road works have finished as the overbridge completely blocks the sign going 120km/hr.

Looks like the're making the exact same mistake at Jn3 Dooradoyle on the M20 approach to Rossbrien, except this time it's a full width overhead gantry. :rolleyes:

d1980

Looks as tho the dock road roundabout is finally getting another layer of tarmac and finally getting rid of speedbumps...
Dont think dock road/ballysimon road will be any worse than they currently are, should improve things...Cant see how the new road will attract more traffic to these points...

CorkMetMan

Thankfully there seems to be good progress since last time I passed through Limerick 3 weeks ago. This scheme just can't open fast enough as far as I'm concerned; I have to drive from Midleton to Mayo on a regular basis and Limerick is always a bottleneck.

I approach Limerick from the Mitchelstown - Ballylanders - Hospital - Caherconlish road; I think it's the R512 and R513, and the current set up from the Ballysimon Interchange to the Shannonbridge roundabout is just crazy.

I can't wait for all of this to be bypassed!!

limklad

CorkMetMan wrote: »

I have to drive from Midleton to Mayo on a regular basis and Limerick is always a bottleneck.

I approach Limerick from the Mitchelstown - Ballylanders - Hospital - Caherconlish road; I think it's the R512 and R513, and the current set up from the Ballysimon Interchange to the Shannonbridge roundabout is just crazy.

I can't wait for all of this to be bypassed!!

If you drive this route through Limerick county then no wonder you are frustrated. by the way, Ballylanders - Hospital - Caherconlish R513 road will never be bypass because it not a primary National road. since you are already on the M8 going into Mitchelstown, you might as well travel to Cahir in Co. Tipperary and take the Limerick Road. It is a better road to travel on.

As for the Ballysimon Interchange. Complaints To Limerick Council Council and NRA are constantly falling on deaf ears because since the Traffic Lights have been put in place, there is less people killed and less serious accidents at this junction. I rather they have put in Large Roundabouts at both sides of this Interchange instead. Having to stop at three Traffic lights is crazy when there is no or very little Traffic at night or day.

Driving through Limerick City Centre is Cause by Limerick City council to deliberately cause traffic to be restricted with extra Traffic Lights, change Road routes and street closures for Pedestrian of Limerick Streets so that Road users who are travelling through the city will use the Toll road when the Tunnel is opened. This was stated years ago at meetings about the Presentation with a NRA representative about the Tunnel/ bypass and Toll Booth construction in response to questions about what if people keep taking the old routes to avoid paying the Toll.

macjohn

Hi,

I am not that familiar with limerick city so the road names etc are confusing me a bit.
I am thinking of doing a course in L.I.T. next September and am wondering will the tunnel and motorway make it easier to get to L.I.T., is there an exit anywhere near the college? I will be coming from the Newport side.

Thanks.

Zoney

macjohn:

If you don't mind paying the tunnel toll, you could do that route by taking the Clonmaken exit (first one after the tunnel) and it brings you out by Ivan's Cross, just down the road from LIT.

However, it's a fair detour and without traffic it's probably better going into the city via Dublin Road, crossing to King's Island, taking Thomond Bridge and out to LIT via Hasset's Cross. However, traffic may well be bad enough along that in the mornings/evenings to make the detour via SRR a lot shorter timewise.

macjohn

Zoney wrote: »

macjohn:

If you don't mind paying the tunnel toll, you could do that route by taking the Clonmaken exit (first one after the tunnel) and it brings you out by Ivan's Cross, just down the road from LIT.

However, it's a fair detour and without traffic it's probably better going into the city via Dublin Road, crossing to King's Island, taking Thomond Bridge and out to LIT via Hasset's Cross. However, traffic may well be bad enough along that in the mornings/evenings to make the detour via SRR a lot shorter timewise.

Thanks very much for that Zoney. When you say fair detour do you mean it is longer time wise.

They told me that based on this year I would probably have two 9am starts and one 5pm finish and other days would vary - so possible the tunnel would be a good option for the two 9am starts?

Zoney

macjohn,
No I mean distance-wise. Time-wise one can only guess for now, though as I say it probably will be quicker (but then traffic through the city may reduce too).

Mc Love

There is a toll before you come onto clonmacken roundabout I think

lukejr

Update from the AA website, looks like a May opening may be on target.

Clare - From Tues 6th April until approx. 21st May, traffic management will be in place on the N18 at Cratloe - Updated: 25/03/2010 22:37:01
This is required to facilitate the tie in between the existing N18 and the New Limerick Tunnel Project Rd at Cratloe, which opens on approx. 21st May. Traffic from the Limerick City direction will be reduced to one lane just before the Cratloemoyle R/A until the completion of works at the R/A. Traffic will also be reduced to one lane from after the Sixmilebridge Bridge interchange through to the Cratloemoyle R/A. These works will be in place until 21st May approx.

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/traffic/story.asp?id=109853

Deedsie

lukejr wrote: »

Update from the AA website, looks like a May opening may be on target.

Clare - From Tues 6th April until approx. 21st May, traffic management will be in place on the N18 at Cratloe - Updated: 25/03/2010 22:37:01
This is required to facilitate the tie in between the existing N18 and the New Limerick Tunnel Project Rd at Cratloe, which opens on approx. 21st May. Traffic from the Limerick City direction will be reduced to one lane just before the Cratloemoyle R/A until the completion of works at the R/A. Traffic will also be reduced to one lane from after the Sixmilebridge Bridge interchange through to the Cratloemoyle R/A. These works will be in place until 21st May approx.

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/traffic/story.asp?id=109853

The Limerick to Shannon commute is gonn be a disaster again. Hopefully they will get it done ahead of schedule! Carry out the emergency response simulation and have it open completely in May

zilog_jones

Got a text message the last time I used my ParkMagic:

Did you know you can now pay Limerick Tunnel Tolls with your ParkMagic account? Ask us how on 0818220107

A bit early for that! :pac: