M50 upgrade - Phase II

Heroditas

ml100 wrote: »

M50 Traffic MGT, how will you get from Blanchardstown village onto the M50 southbound in the new layout? it only seems possible to get M50 northbound or N3 in/outbound?

You'll have to go in as far as the Auburn Avenue junction and then do a u-turn there apparently.

ml100

thanks Heroditas, so getting onto the M50 is going to get worse rather than better!
I spent 35 minutes yesterday queuing to get off the M50 and onto the N3, I hope that's going to get better soon!

Heroditas

ml100 wrote: »

thanks Heroditas, so getting onto the M50 is going to get worse rather than better!

I think once the work is done it shouldn't be worse because all the inbound traffic on the N3/M3 will now bypass that section as it's heading into town so if you are coming from Blanchardstown, the main M50 roundabout will be much quieter and you'll have a clear run in as far as Auburn Avenue

ml100 wrote: »

I spent 35 minutes yesterday queuing to get off the M50 and onto the N3, I hope that's going to get better soon!

Yeah it can be fairly bad going both northbound and southbound trying to get off the M50 at this junction. It's been particularly bad the last week or two heading northbound for some reason.

testarossa40

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

They are good to go, lining, signing etc all finished but the merge lengths seem to be incorrect according to NRA spec and may require yields. It's up to the designers to certify them as yields and this is what is holding them up

When is this certification likely to be completed and the lanes finally opened? The congestion here is chronic at peak times and needs addressing.

Speaking of chronic congestion (s/b at least), since construction of the 3rd lanes at Firhouse exits finally commenced in September ('09) and traffic flow further reduced at peak hours since, when will this chronic bottleneck finally be relieved? IIRC this was meant to be completed by the end of this year but clearly will continue into 2010.

M50 Traffic MGT

*Important Information for N3*

On Friday night at 20:00 the N3 outbound at Auburn Ave Roundabout will be diverted onto the new tar in the median. This will remain as two lanes. This traffic will then be sent up a temporary ramp onto the M50 Interchange, to the right of where the current lights are. This is to allow the existing area before the lights to be excavated, and the new layout in the median will be tied in with the current lights. As a result, major disruption is expected while people get used to the temporary layout on Saturday and Sunday. By 06:00 on Monday morning traffic will no longer use the temporary ramp and instead be sent up the tar that will be laid on Sat/Sun leading up to the existing lights. A sketch is attached below of the layout on Monday morning

M50 Traffic MGT

Tomorrow morning at 06:00 (Friday 6th November) the new slip from the M1 NB (M50 NB) to the M50 SB will open. This should speed up this slip as it is currently very tight. Once opened the slip to the lights will then be only one lane.

Also tomorrow morning the new freeflow slip from the M50 SB towards the city at the Ballymun Interchange will also open. And next Friday the slip from the city/Ballymun to the M50 SB will open

The Prisoner

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Tomorrow morning at 06:00 (Friday 6th November) the new slip from the M1 NB (M50 NB) to the M50 SB will open. This should speed up this slip as it is currently very tight. Once opened the slip to the lights will then be only one lane.

Also tomorrow morning the new freeflow slip from the M50 SB towards the city at the Ballymun Interchange will also open. And next Friday the slip from the city/Ballymun to the M50 SB will open

M50, do you know whether the traffic lights are due to be taken out at the M50/N32 roundabout and if so when this is likely to happen? I see in another thread you said they wouldn't but what is the justification for keeping them when you see the queues from the N32 at the moment???

Cheers

Empire o de Sun

I'm not speaking for the M50, but for roundabouts, if there isn't a correct "balance" you could end up with one or two entry points dominating the roundabout and this could result in not queues on some entry points and large queues on other.

For exmaple, if the majority of traffic on the N32 is heading west towards Ballymun and the majority of M50 traffic (at the roundabout) is heading townards the N32 (which it will as the fly overs will cater for other movements), then traffic coming from the other directions may find it hard to get on to the roundabout.

Empire o de Sun

Empire o de Sun wrote: »

I'm not speaking for the M50, but for roundabouts, if there isn't a correct "balance" you could end up with one or two entry points dominating the roundabout and this could result in not queues on some entry points and large queues on other.

For exmaple, if the majority of traffic on the N32 is heading west towards Ballymun and the majority of M50 traffic (at the roundabout) is heading townards the N32 (which it will as the fly overs will cater for other movements), then traffic coming from the other directions may find it hard to get on to the roundabout.

I think that the only traffic that will have an issue would be from M1 north (or M50 anticlockwise ) to N32 east as it will be waiting for N32w - M50 (anticlockwise) traffic.

The Prisoner

Deleted User wrote: »

I think that the only traffic that will have an issue would be from M1 north (or M50 anticlockwise ) to N32 east as it will be waiting for N32w - M50 (anticlockwise) traffic.

That's true, but a lot of that traffic would have the alternative of coming off the M1 at the previous exit if it did become a problem, which I genuinely don't think it would be.

It just seems ridiculous that the lengthy queues to get onto both motorways from the N32 appear set to remain when the obstacle to removing it is to my eyes so small. At the very least the lights should have sensors to allow the busier entrance to the roundabout more time.

It should be possible to remove the lights from the M50 east entrance and the N32 West entrance to the roundabout and just have the other two sets on "active sensors" to speed up the flow and prevent tailbacks on the M50N to N32E traffic flow.

Irish and Proud

Since the closure of the Malahide Viaduct, I've been travelling daily along the M1 and DPT. With regard to the section between Turnapin (M1-J1/M50-J3) and Coolock (M50-J2), what's happening there? It was supposed to be widened to D4M with Hard Shoulder - it now seems that the contractors are just resurfacing that section and leaving it as D3M - is this actually the case?

Regards!

Wibbler

testarossa40 wrote: »

Speaking of chronic congestion (s/b at least), since construction of the 3rd lanes at Firhouse exits finally commenced in September ('09) and traffic flow further reduced at peak hours since, when will this chronic bottleneck finally be relieved? IIRC this was meant to be completed by the end of this year but clearly will continue into 2010.

It's my least favourite part of my morning commute around the M50, partially because it's such a favoured spot for breakdowns and accidents. That truck breakdown yesterday morning added an hour to my commute.

I too would love to know when this part of works will be completed.

Irish and Proud

Irish and Proud wrote: »

Since the closure of the Malahide Viaduct, I've been travelling daily along the M1 and DPT. With regard to the section between Turnapin (M1-J1/M50-J3) and Coolock (M50-J2), what's happening there? It was supposed to be widened to D4M with Hard Shoulder - it now seems that the contractors are just resurfacing that section and leaving it as D3M - is this actually the case?

Regards!

The main carriageway woll be three lanes each way but between junctions there will be a fourth auxillary lane for merging and leaving traffic.

Same as done between Ballymount and Lucan Rd

oddiot

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

Tomorrow morning at 06:00 (Friday 6th November) the new slip from the M1 NB (M50 NB) to the M50 SB will open. This should speed up this slip as it is currently very tight. Once opened the slip to the lights will then be only one lane.

Also tomorrow morning the new freeflow slip from the M50 SB towards the city at the Ballymun Interchange will also open. And next Friday the slip from the city/Ballymun to the M50 SB will open

Well it turns out that neither of these slip roads have opened, I guess M50 Traffic Mgt had the wrong dates to hand, as there is sill some work to be done before they do open.

L1011

Anyone any idea what could have caused a 'phantom jam' northbound about 6pm today, was there an incident cleared? Between Red Cow and Lucan. Traffic slowed to stopping but recovered to normal running speeds after a few hundred metres - all 4 lanes.

Davy

MYOB wrote: »

Anyone any idea what could have caused a 'phantom jam' northbound about 6pm today, was there an incident cleared? Between Red Cow and Lucan. Traffic slowed to stopping but recovered to normal running speeds after a few hundred metres - all 4 lanes.

Crash northbound just under the bridge where the n4 crosses the m50, was cleared over to the left side by the guards

testarossa40

Wibbler wrote: »

It's my least favourite part of my morning commute around the M50, partially because it's such a favoured spot for breakdowns and accidents. That truck breakdown yesterday morning added an hour to my commute.

I too would love to know when this part of works will be completed.

Unfortunately M50 Traffic MGT seems to be studiously ignoring us on this :rolleyes:. Ask an M1 or N3-related question though...

Incidentally I have a theory that a lot of the increased congestion at Firhouse & further south since September is due to knock-on effects from construction personnel & equipment arriving at the sites during morning peak traffic hours (sometime between ~7 & 8.30am) and holding up the mainline traffic as they slow down to a near stop to pull into the slips and so the domino effect takes over as the traffic behind also has to slow down to a near stop, jams up all the way back to the Red Cow, and never really recovers until mid-morning :mad:. If true the construction shift times should be better planned/managed to not interfere with peak traffic flows (suggest ~6am instead). Just a theory though but wouldn't surprise me if true...

mackerski

oddiot wrote: »

Well it turns out that neither of these slip roads have opened, I guess M50 Traffic Mgt had the wrong dates to hand, as there is sill some work to be done before they do open.

The ramp from M50 (formerly M1) anticlockwise from the Tunnel to the M50 anticlockwise is certainly open, or was as of Sunday night and is mapped on OpenStreetMap.

The Prisoner

mackerski wrote: »

The ramp from M50 (formerly M1) anticlockwise from the Tunnel to the M50 anticlockwise is certainly open, or was as of Sunday night and is mapped on OpenStreetMap.

Just had a look at that and see the N32 has become the M32

Wibbler

testarossa40 wrote: »

Incidentally I have a theory that a lot of the increased congestion at Firhouse & further south since September is due to knock-on effects from construction
snip...

There's a significant amount of slip road surfing going on there. This is plain to see if you actually exit at Firhouse. Their attempts to merge with the M50 just adds to the congestion. The feckers save a few minutes at everyone else's expense.

Northbound towards the M1 exit has another type of muppetry with drivers trying to enter the exit lane at the very last moment and this causes brake light tailbacks nearly as far as the Ballymun exit in the evenings. I used to avoid this by exiting at the N2, but thanks to the M50 to N2 slip now being dug up, the whole area is a clust*rf*ck.

cargo

mackerski wrote: »

The ramp from M50 (formerly M1) anticlockwise from the Tunnel to the M50 anticlockwise is certainly open, or was as of Sunday night and is mapped on OpenStreetMap.

Yeah i came up from the PT direction and headed straight up the M1 around 7pm on Friday evening and I could see cars heading off on the new slip to the M50 in the distace.

cargo

cargo wrote: »

Yeah i came up from the PT direction and headed straight up the M1 around 7pm on Friday evening and I could see cars heading off on the new slip to the M50 in the distace.

Must have been sometime after that, I was going anticlockwise at 19:10 and had to use the old road.

cargo

Deleted User wrote: »

Must have been sometime after that, I was going anticlockwise at 19:10 and had to use the old road.

Ok then it was 19:11

mackerski

The Prisoner wrote: »

Just had a look at that and see the N32 has become the M32

It has always been the M32. The roundabout and the spur leading to it are under motorway regulations, though this seems very likely to change once the freeflows open for all "real" motorway-motorway movements.

See also Pathetic Motorways.

oddiot

mackerski wrote: »

The ramp from M50 (formerly M1) anticlockwise from the Tunnel to the M50 anticlockwise is certainly open, or was as of Sunday night and is mapped on OpenStreetMap.

Yep, it opened sometime over the weekend, but on Friday night when I posted, it was still cordoned off, but the freeflow to the north of the new overpass was still available. Now it's the new freeflow lane south of the overpass, and a single lane up to the N32 roundabout.

They're still working on the crash barrier and other finishing works at the Ballymun exit, so I'd say that it won't open for a couple of days yet.

The Prisoner

mackerski wrote: »

It has always been the M32. The roundabout and the spur leading to it are under motorway regulations, though this seems very likely to change once the freeflows open for all "real" motorway-motorway movements.

See also Pathetic Motorways.

You learn something new every day! Pathetic doesn't do it justice.

cargo

cargo wrote: »

Ok then it was 19:11

LOL!

Redsoxfan

Wibbler wrote: »

There's a significant amount of slip road surfing going on there. This is plain to see if you actually exit at Firhouse. Their attempts to merge with the M50 just adds to the congestion. The feckers save a few minutes at everyone else's expense.

Plus those who feel the need to move from one slow moving lane into another and those who exit at Tallaght to come back on at the Tallaght offramp etc etc etc......

Redsoxfan

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Plus those who feel the need to move from one slow moving lane into another and those who exit at Tallaght to come back on at the Tallaght offramp etc etc etc......

add to that the lost sheep that try to get into lane two as they thought that the left lane (lane one) continued through.... sigh!