M50 upgrade - Phase II

cargo

Praetorian wrote: »

It's definitely open, with a poor bloke holding a big blue sign saying "m50 this way" basically. He's answering motorists queries too!

I think he's been run down!!!! When I was coming through the sign was sitting in between the lanes propped up by a cone. Or maybe be was gone giving out a few "Metros"

Running smoothly when I came over it but that was just 30-40mins ago and after the rush. I'm sure it'll take a few days to iron out the indecesion and lane switching like the tipper truck that was infront of me and swapped lanes about 3 timies before edventually heading across the hatched area for the old route around the roundabout!!

Also there's a bit of a slowdown as you join the M50 as you have 2 other freeflow lanes coming either side of you at speed and motorists seem to hesitate a bit. Should be fine in the next few days.

@M50 TM, is the other freeflow ramp (M50 - PT) due to open then next Monday night?

celticbest

Wibbler wrote: »

It was open early this morning and I used it for my morning commute. It's not well signposted at the moment, with the result that almost all of the M1 to M50 southbound traffic piled up to the roundabout as usual.

I thought there was plenty of notice.

I saw a few different signs saying it was opened, the first one was the electronic overhead sign on the M1 just after the Airport junction were I came on, the second was a portable electronic sign was on the side verge of the M1. It was also mentioned numerous time on Live Drive 103.2fm.

The issue I have was on the M50 itself. Traffic coming onto the M50 form the new flyover came on in lane 2 while traffic from the N32/M1 Roundabout was in lane 3. When I came on there was an arctic truck stuck in lane 3 as it could not move across to lane 2/1 as there was a constant flow of traffic blocking it from moving across.

Can anyone confirm if it is legal for an arctic lorry to drive in lane 3 of a motorway, I heard once that they are only allowed in lanes 1 and 2. Is this true ????

All 'n' all, once people get use to the new junction & all lanes are opened I'd say that it will make a major difference to traffic on the M1 in the Morning rush hour.

celticbest

celticbest wrote: »

Can anyone confirm if it is legal for an arctic lorry to drive in lane 3 of a motorway, I heard once that they are only allowed in lanes 1 and 2. Is this true ????

As far as I know, the rule is (UK version) that artics are banned from the "overtaking lane" on three of more lane motorways, the exception is when tthe road is approaching a terminal junction, one like the M50 - N32 roundabout for example.

bcirl03

celticbest wrote: »

Can anyone confirm if it is legal for an arctic lorry to drive in lane 3 of a motorway, I heard once that they are only allowed in lanes 1 and 2. Is this true ????

Can anyone confirm if cars are allowed to drive in Lane 1?

Is it just me or is everyone 'glued' to the 2nd lane? Lane 1 is empty 90% of the time I drive down the motorway, happy days as no traffic for me........

bcirl03

bcirl03 wrote: »

Can anyone confirm if cars are allowed to drive in Lane 1?

Is it just me or is everyone 'glued' to the 2nd lane? Lane 1 is empty 90% of the time I drive down the motorway, happy days as no traffic for me........

lol!

I often have that lane to myself as well

cargo

Here's one for ye.. I was heading along the M50 the other evening and lane 2 was been hogged (i.e. nothing in lane 1 or lane 3) by a TRACTOR :eek: it must have been about 8pm and it was plodding along on it's merry way with a low loader and digger on board. And no it wasn't one of the road project machines. Although I do see the road washing unit heading along late in the evening too but he's excused as he's normally on his was to wash some nice new slip road so it can be opened

Seth Brundle

I think we are straying off topic here but IIRC:
* artics are not allowed on lane 3 of a 3 lane motorway (I'm not including a junction to junction lane as a driving lane here)
* all vehicles allowed on amotorway are allowed use lanes 1 & 2. Page 1 of the ROTR mentions something about driving on the left. If you are in lane 2 or 3 and there is nothing to your left (you are not actively overtaking) then move into that lane.
* if everyone else is in lane 2 &/or 3 and you drive in lane 1 and effectively undertake them, then you are breaking the law as you cannot pass to the left of a vehicle.

Now lets get back on topic!

sdanseo

The disposable signs are now shoved between sets of railings on the gantry approaching the interchange from the M1 southbound. Can barely read them

Interesting that as usual, a fully complete lane is lying idle coned off, as has been the case for months on the M50. It's paved, lined and has a hard shoulder so why isn't it open? It's causing havoc by being closed because there's only one lane for the new slip.

bcirl03

kbannon wrote: »

if everyone else is in lane 2 &/or 3 and you drive in lane 1 and effectively undertake them, then you are breaking the law as you cannot pass to the left of a vehicle.

I think this one would be open to some challenge.....going on the above assumption if I am in lane 1, which is clear all the way and lane 2\3 have cars I have to move from lane 1 into lane 2\3 and force them to pull over so I can continue on??? Eh no that doesn’t sound right.

I agree undertaking is not allowed in the case were I move from lane 2 to lane 1 in order to undertake, but if I am in lane 1 and its clear all the way I'm kinda struggling to find how I can get pulled over for that.

bcirl03

bcirl03 wrote: »

I think this one would be open to some challenge.....going on the above assumption if I am in lane 1, which is clear all the way and lane 2\3 have cars I have to move from lane 1 into lane 2\3 and force them to pull over so I can continue on??? Eh no that doesn’t sound right.

I agree undertaking is not allowed in the case were I move from lane 2 to lane 1 in order to undertake, but if I am in lane 1 and its clear all the way I'm kinda struggling to find how I can get pulled over for that.

A lorry driver once said to me that it's technically queuing, the queue in lane one is going faster than the queues in the other lanes.

dcr22B

kbannon wrote: »

* if everyone else is in lane 2 &/or 3 and you drive in lane 1 and effectively undertake them, then you are breaking the law as you cannot pass to the left of a vehicle.

As loathe as I am to do it, sometimes you just have to take the Gumball option.

The amount of people who do not understand simple lane discipline on the M50 have flashed at me (after I've safely undertaken them while they sit robot like in the outside lane with nothing around them) is borderline ridiculous.

When I have pulled up behind them, I stay patient for about 500m, give a polite flash of the lights to request they pull in and if that doesn't work, I pull gradually into lane 1 from lane 3 (so as they don't cut me up if they finally decide to move out of lane 3) and then I continue on my way again.

csd

kbannon wrote: »

I think we are straying off topic here but IIRC:
* artics are not allowed on lane 3 of a 3 lane motorway (I'm not including a junction to junction lane as a driving lane here)

The actual rule is that HGVs (and any other vehicles legally limited to 80 km/h, including cars towing trailers) may not use the lane nearest the central reservation of any motorway with a speed limit greater than 80 km/h. So during the road works, when a limit of 60 km/h applies (not that anyone bothers sticking to it), HGVs may use all lanes. Once the limit goes above 80 they can't use the overtaking lane.

/csd

celticbest

Just found the following rules for Motorway driving in Ireland from the Rules of the road website. The below site also has a link for downloading the Rules of the Road book in PDF format.

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/motorways/on-the-motorway.html

This explains how an arctic lorry is currently allowed to use the third lane on this section of the motorway as the current speed limit is 60km/h and all vehicles can use the 3 lanes once the speed limit is below 80km/h.

The following is from the Rules of the road book page 45

REMEMBER
You must normally overtake on the right. However, you are allowed to
overtake on the left in the situations listed below.

You may overtake on the left when :

You want to go straight ahead when the driver in front of you has moved
out and signalled that they intend to turn right.

You have signalled that you intend to turn left.

Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly and traffic in the left-hand lane is
moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane.

You must not overtake when :

You are at or near a pelican crossing, zebra crossing or at pedestrian
signals.

A traffic sign or road marking prohibits it.

You are approaching a junction.

You are on the approach to a corner, bend, dip in the road, hump-back
bridge, brow of a hill or on a narrow road.

You are in the left-hand lane of a dual carriageway or motorway when
traffic is moving at normal speed.

chewed

bcirl03 wrote: »

Can anyone confirm if cars are allowed to drive in Lane 1?

Is it just me or is everyone 'glued' to the 2nd lane? Lane 1 is empty 90% of the time I drive down the motorway, happy days as no traffic for me........

I think the reason why so many people used the 2nd lane is that they're afraid of being boxed in from traffic coming onto the motorway from the slip roads!

M50 Traffic MGT

sdonn wrote: »

@M50TM - or anyone else that knows for sure

Are these new gantries on the M50 and M1 all going to be fitted with Variable Message signs? They all look very heavy duty to me, I'm presuming so? One or two of these between each junction on both motorways would make an unfathomable difference to traffic flow by informing people what to do etc. Would be nice to see the M1 and M50 look exactly as the tunnel does at the minute, driving through that is so easy in comparison.

It will not be part of the current project as the country is broke, but in the future all current gantries will be fitted with VMS's over each lane. The idea behind it is that if there is an accident/queueing at an interchange, traffic approaching (maybe 2 or 3 junctions away) can be slowed down to try and help the queue disperse. This system works very well on the M25 in London and will help avoid accidents like the lorry last Friday that crashed into the back of a stationary lorry in the queue for the off ramp

M50 Traffic MGT

cargo wrote: »

@M50 TM, is the other freeflow ramp (M50 - PT) due to open then next Monday night?

At the moment works are incomplete and Monday is still pencilled in for opening, but it may be this Friday. This will have a significant effect on the M50 NB from Ballymun. Keep an eye out here for updates

Davy

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

At the moment works are incomplete and Monday is still pencilled in for opening, but it may be this Friday. This will have a significant effect on the M50 NB from Ballymun. Keep an eye out here for updates

That would be a great home, recently it seems the M1 slip is fine from M50 northbound, while the queue for the N32/PT is getting slower even at off peak times.

And the N32 going towards the M50 was very slow even with the M1 to M50 freeflow slip. Forcing the traffic into one lane on the roundabout was probably the main cause of the problems, would be nice to see it removed tomorrow

Heroditas

There was no traffic outbound on the N3 as far as the Auburn Avenue roundabout this evening at 5pm!
Has the opening of the third lane outbound between Auburn Avenue and Scott's Roundabout made that much of a difference? :eek:

mackerski

The new movement is now mapped on OpenStreetMap.

Curiously, one of the mobile matrix displays signposts "M50" traffic to use the new ramp. Must be a great annoyance for anybody who wanted the tunnel.

chewed

chewed wrote: »

I think the reason why so many people used the 2nd lane is that they're afraid of being boxed in from traffic coming onto the motorway from the slip roads!

That may be true where the Auxillary lane is not yet open, but between Ballymount and Lucan Rd exits, that is no excuse traffic joining or leaving the M50 can slip in/out of the aux lane at any point between the junctions.

Many I see just jump over lane one and sit in the middle lane or go from the middle lane to the aux lane at the last possible moment!

mackerski

mackerski wrote: »

The new movement is now mapped on OpenStreetMap.

Curiously, one of the mobile matrix displays signposts "M50" traffic to use the new ramp. Must be a great annoyance for anybody who wanted the tunnel.

Hmmm... that new freeflow was closed again when I came that way this evening @18:45

edit: it was the other freeflow that was opened....

Carawaystick

Are the permanent overhead gantries not installed for the new M1S to M50W freeflow?

I mean if they can build the two bridges for it surely an auld sign isn't beyond the means of the nra who got several million euros in fines from their badly thought out toll scheme

celticbest

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

At the moment works are incomplete and Monday is still pencilled in for opening, but it may be this Friday. This will have a significant effect on the M50 NB from Ballymun. Keep an eye out here for updates

Hi M50,

Can you please confirm that when this new slip road is opened the two lanes to the M1 will also be reopened as this seems to be a major part of the cause of the hold up from Ballymun Junction 4 NB on the M50 to the M50/M1/N32 Junction 3.

celticbest

mackerski wrote: »

The new movement is now mapped on OpenStreetMap.

Curiously, one of the mobile matrix displays signposts "M50" traffic to use the new ramp. Must be a great annoyance for anybody who wanted the tunnel.

To True mackerski,

I have to agree. Why did the NRA not just leave the M1 as the M1 all the way to the Port Tunnel and not rename the section from Junction 3 (M50) to the Port Tunnel as the M50 !!!

Wibbler

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

This system works very well on the M25 in London and will help avoid accidents like the lorry last Friday that crashed into the back of a stationary lorry in the queue for the off ramp

Which is why they should find the money to do it now. It could just as easily have been a stationary car that was hit with more serious consequences.

(not getting at you M50MGT :-) )

Wibbler

celticbest wrote: »

To True mackerski,

I have to agree. Why did the NRA not just leave the M1 as the M1 all the way to the Port Tunnel and not rename the section from Junction 3 (M50) to the Port Tunnel as the M50 !!!

I agree. Apart from the fact that the M50 is a ring road, 'M50 Southbound' is also now ambiguous if approaching from the M1. :rolleyes:

Wibbler

M50 Traffic MGT wrote: »

At the moment works are incomplete and Monday is still pencilled in for opening, but it may be this Friday. This will have a significant effect on the M50 NB from Ballymun. Keep an eye out here for updates

I'm really looking forward to this one! At the moment I'm doing a crazy detour via the Ballymun exit and around the back of the airport each evening to get home to Swords in a reasonable time. :-)

cargo

Carawaystick wrote: »

Are the permanent overhead gantries not installed for the new M1S to M50W freeflow?

I mean if they can build the two bridges for it surely an auld sign isn't beyond the means of the nra who got several million euros in fines from their badly thought out toll scheme

Carawaystick, they must be tracking your posts they have the signs in place on the gantry's this am

martian1980

celticbest wrote: »

To True mackerski,

I have to agree. Why did the NRA not just leave the M1 as the M1 all the way to the Port Tunnel and not rename the section from Junction 3 (M50) to the Port Tunnel as the M50 !!!

I think it was in the hope that someday they would get to continue the tunnel over (or under!) dublin bay, turning the M50 into a ring road, and utilising what is currently regarded as the M1. I'm not defending the naming convention, but I think that was part of the rationale.

maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow - maybe it could be financed with all the profits we make from nama

M50 Traffic MGT

celticbest wrote: »

Hi M50,

Can you please confirm that when this new slip road is opened the two lanes to the M1 will also be reopened as this seems to be a major part of the cause of the hold up from Ballymun Junction 4 NB on the M50 to the M50/M1/N32 Junction 3.

The temporary layout for the M50 NB at the M1 Interchange has yet to be finalised as key stakeholders, NRA, DAA, HSE, Gardai, Fingal, Dublin City Council etc etc have only got the design so we need time to address issues they may arise but there are still some verge works that are not completed in this area so we may not be able to open 2 lanes to the M1 NB but we will confirm closer to the time