Why has M6 got 100km/h limit?

blackbox

I drove to Athlone at the weekend, but couldn't figure why the new motorway hasn't got a proper 120 km/h speed limit.

All junctions had fly-overs, lines of sight were good, no sharp bends...

Anyone got any idea - is this due to some environmental ideology?

MarkN

Some stupid European idea (IIRC) that wants 100 limits - same as new M50 when upgraded will be too.

prentice

blackbox wrote: »

I drove to Athlone at the weekend, but couldn't figure why the new motorway hasn't got a proper 120 km/h speed limit.

All junctions had fly-overs, lines of sight were good, no sharp bends...

Anyone got any idea - is this due to some environmental ideology?

its temporary. when the roads done it will be upped to 120.

*Tripper*

That new road is great apart from the speed limit, but now that's a stupidly unrealistic limit. On the other hand i saw a chap, old guy in an Avensis, driving up the wrong side of the new part on sunday, couldn't actually believe my eyes!

Rowley Birkin QC

Was in Amsterdam lately on a motorway that had an 80km/h limit due to noise restrictions in urban areas. Unbelievable road network over there.

Mayo Exile

Will be a motorway eventually. See the thread "First roads to be declared motorways without a motorway order" over in Soc > Commuting & Transport:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055228345&page=10

Post #148 onwards.

jayok

..and there I was things for a 5-litre V10 that's pretty fecking slow

guil

ha ha i thought the exact same when i saw the thread title

cabrwab

Because as stated in another thread the politicians decide, they need money to pay for the extra expense's!
I'd say its will not be changed when they finish it, you will never see a new 120kmh road again, because all the road deaths occur on the motorway network!

As jayok said i was worried they had destroyed a V10 monster too!

r3nu4l

jayok wrote: »

..and there I was things for a 5-litre V10 that's pretty fecking slow

guil07 wrote: »

ha ha i thought the exact same when i saw the thread title

I thought it was just me!

E92

blackbox wrote: »

I drove to Athlone at the weekend, but couldn't figure why the new motorway hasn't got a proper 120 km/h speed limit.

All junctions had fly-overs, lines of sight were good, no sharp bends...

Anyone got any idea - is this due to some environmental ideology?

Very simple. As per my sig below it is NOT technically a Motorway at this present moment in time. From September 24 it WILL be reclassified to a Motorway and will then get a 120 km/h speed limit. They put up signs saying it is a Motorway for this very reason.

@MarkN the M50 is getting a lower speed limit because the lanes will be narrower when the upgrade is finished then they are at the moment. 100 km/h is rather low though, I would have thought 110 would be more appropriate myself.

astraboy

E92, does your sig statement include the ballincolligh bypass, that was built to a motorway standard several years ago? What about stretches of dual carriageway on national secondary routes, such as Cork-Bandon?

E92

Inter Urbans are Dublin to the border, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Cork, and the Dual Carriageways on these which are built to Motorway standard will be upgraded to Motorway on September 24.

This is a bit over simplistic as for example Dublin-Cork will only be Motorway from the Naas bypass to the Fermoy bypass, even though there's nothing stopping them going all the way to Dunkettle but originally we were only getting a Motorway from Urlingford to Naas(after Naas can't possibly be upgraded to Motorway as it is not even Motorway standard nor is there an alternative route available), the Fermoy bypass was originally a Dual Carriageway but fortunately became a Motorway, but from September 24 an extra 88 km of the Cork-Dublin road can become a Motorway, and when the whole Cork-Dublin road is done we can look forward to 199 km of continuous Motorway rather than the original 93 km of continuous Motorway.

Over 199 km, a 120 km/h speed limit will shave 20 minutes off the journey time compared to a 100 km/h speed limit. In reality, as car speedos underestimate the speed at which we're travelling at, it will probably be even more. Hence why we need higher speed limits:)!

So the answer to your question is no for the moment. There's nothing stopping them getting a Motorway order for the road though, especially when all the roads they looked for getting a Motorway order this time round were given one.

astraboy

I was on it this weekend, it really is a motorway standard, it is certainly on a par, if not better then, some of the motorway to Dublin(less entrys/exits on the road), real pity people will still be caught doing 120kph on it....... At least we can drive to Dublin faster now though!

challengemaster

Was wondering this myself

I'd say once the full stretch is opened it'll be 120.