What are they doing with the N4?

Davy

KevR wrote: »

Any sign of the temporary 60kmh speed limit being removed and an 80/100kmh speed limit being put in place?

They were removing the covers off the 80kph signs just in the past hour. Lunatics stopping in the outside lane in a Vw golf then jumping out with no warning, 2 cars and rigid nearly creamed it!

Under the lucan fly over there was a garda doing speed checks, and marching across two lanes to stop the offender!

Redsoxfan

Drove on the fully opened scheme this evening at around 5 on the way back from the airport-no delays exiting the M50, but inbound tomorrow morning and outbound tomorrow evening (exiting the M50 northbound) will be more interesting for me as this would be my normal route.

Chris_533976

Dempseys tripe. I knew it would happen.

“Even in these times of significant economic constraint the Government is committed to investing in top class transport infrastructure.

ONLY BECAUSE THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED BEFORE THE ECONOMY WENT TO HELL. IT WOULD NOT BE STARTING IF IT WAS SCHEDULED TO START IN 2009

Carawaystick

The first post in this thread was 22 July last year, so less than a year to do the job, seems a good result.

bg07

Carawaystick wrote: »

The first post in this thread was 22 July last year, so less than a year to do the job, seems a good result.

It started about Oct 07. Here’s a thread from around then

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055192135

Still good going by the contractors though

L1011

The M50 queue appears to be gone.... but we'll have to see what its like when the brats are back in school to tell for sure.


Had to do a rare trip out from the city centre at 5pm today; this being done shows how critically badly they need to sort Palmeston out. After those two lights the road continues on a decent grade separated alignment for quite a bit further inbound and a fair bit of traffic heads off so even if it did just "move the queue" it'd basically be moved to the city anyway!

Heroditas

What do you think the solution could be?
Ideally we could have a massive gouge cut inbound to bring the road under the Kennelsfort Road junction and also the Oval/Lucan Road junction, similar to what they did with the Newcastle junction, but that ain't never going to happen.

Did my first outbound run this morning, and all I can say is :D:D:D.

We just need to (re)educate drivers that when a highway has three lanes that the left hand lane is available as well :rolleyes: did the entire journey from just after the M50 to just after the Newcastle underpass in lane one, had it to myself the whole way! Lanes two and three were busy.

L1011

Heroditas wrote: »

What do you think the solution could be?
Ideally we could have a massive gouge cut inbound to bring the road under the Kennelsfort Road junction and also the Oval/Lucan Road junction, similar to what they did with the Newcastle junction, but that ain't never going to happen.

Newcastle like digout for Kennelsfort and close/divert the Oval one back to it. Would require cutting a few back gardens but there is space most of the way for it.

Would be 30+M probably to so it though!

Redsoxfan

First complete run today-inbound from Maynooth-> Leopardstown at 7.15, no delays at all, save for the usual spots on the M50.

Outbound, left Leopardstown at around 6 or after-zero holdups, no traffic on the M50 offramp.

As MYOB says, we will have to wait until the brats are back to know for sure I guess (plus the fact that a lot of people could be on holidays now), but so far so good. I finish at 2 every Friday for the rest of the summer so won't really get to see what Friday evenings will be like for a while (generally the worst).

Ice_Box

Make it to work in 22 minutes these days. Used to take an hour. Also averaged 63mpg .... in a 7 seater!!!

icdg

Are we going to get any route confirmation signs on the upgraded route? You won't see a single sign with a distance on it between Dublin and Leixlip now!

Heroditas

Quite a few drivers seem to either think they must exit the N4 onto the slip/access road before the Foxhunter and Texaco to use the Woodies flyover or are getting very disorientated.
The number of cars that pull into that slip road and then continue along it and up the exit ramp is unreal. They could do with a yield sign on the exit ramp though for the traffic exiting the foxhunter and the Texaco.

nordydan

http://www.transport.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=108

Awesome article on the DoT website (while it lasts!), "Dempsey opens road"

nordydan

nordydan wrote: »

http://www.transport.ie/pressRelease.aspx?Id=108

Awesome article on the DoT website (while it lasts!), "Dempsey opens road"

" " :rolleyes:

Poster King

Heroditas wrote: »

Quite a few drivers seem to either think they must exit the N4 onto the slip/access road before the Foxhunter and Texaco to use the Woodies flyover or are getting very disorientated.
.

I missed the new slip lane for the petrol station at Foxhunter when heading west last Saturday. Next petrol station is in Ballinasloe/Mullingar I think. Was thankful that I had just enough fuel. Are they sticking a service area in there anywhere? Kinnegad?

Also, is there a lack of clar speed limit signs on the new N4 or was I just driving to fast to notice them. Is the limit 80kmh os 100kmh?

Redsoxfan

Poster King wrote: »

I missed the new slip lane for the petrol station at Foxhunter when heading west last Saturday. Next petrol station is in Ballinasloe/Mullingar I think. Was thankful that I had just enough fuel. Are they sticking a service area in there anywhere? Kinnegad?

The next roadside station on the M4 is Mullingar alright. Of course there are other places where you don't have to go too far off the road (Kilcock, and to a lesser extent, Maynooth etc) where you can refuel. In fairness they currently have large flashing signs for Texaco after the Liffey Valley exit outbound on the N4.

Poster King wrote: »

Also, is there a lack of clar speed limit signs on the new N4 or was I just driving to fast to notice them. Is the limit 80kmh os 100kmh?

Yes, compared to say Germany (specifically the motorway from Berlin Schonefeld to the CC) where there were large '80' signs on the gantries, the signs on the N4 aren't really that clear/large. The limit is 80 as far as the M4 (Leixlip).

L1011

Redsoxfan wrote: »

The next roadside station on the M4 is Mullingar alright. Of course there are other places where you don't have to go too far off the road (Kilcock, and to a lesser extent, Maynooth etc) where you can refuel. In fairness they currently have large flashing signs for Texaco after the Liffey Valley exit outbound on the N4.

Esso Maynooth is far closer to the motorway than any station in Kilcock!

Theres an Applegreen (with a Wimpy, seating area, etc so more like a micro-services) off Junction 2a/6 (Celbridge West) and an Esso right beside Junction 3/7 (Maynooth) if you miss the Foxhunter.

geurrp the yard

Would anyone be able to tell me how long it would take to get from the long mile road out to maynooth at around 8 in the morning during school term. I suppose the only route is the m50 to liffey valley and then out on the n4 unless theres something else.

mysterious

In the original proposal they had extra local off roads and the the dual carriegway could be up to motorway standard apparently.

This obviousily didn't happen. What was the original design?

Heroditas

geurrp the yard wrote: »

Would anyone be able to tell me how long it would take to get from the long mile road out to maynooth at around 8 in the morning during school term. I suppose the only route is the m50 to liffey valley and then out on the n4 unless theres something else.

25 minutes max I would have thought

L1011

mysterious wrote: »

In the original proposal they had extra local off roads and the the dual carriegway could be up to motorway standard apparently.

This obviousily didn't happen. What was the original design?

There are or were renderings on SDCC's website. I don't have time to find them right now. But yes, an entire service road rather than just a lane was planned originally.

Redsoxfan

MYOB wrote: »

Esso Maynooth is far closer to the motorway than any station in Kilcock!

Yeah, I just tend to forget about that station as it doesn't have an ATM and I always go to Tesco anyway.

KevR

A few pictures of the newly upgraded section of the N4. All are Eastbound on Friday evening. No hold-ups for me going East and Westbound looked to be moving quite well also.

Click thumbnails for full size images

---

Slightly off-topic but there's no point in creating a new thread or bumping a really old one. Some pictures of the M4 Eastbound.

Approaching toll plaza:


Toll plaza:

Heroditas

Well, how does everyone find the N4 now? Absolutely great, isn't it?

However, there still is one small piece of work to be done - the offbound ramp going west at the Woodies exit.
At the top of the ramp at the lights, there are a couple of barriers and what looks like some excavating. As a result, it's very difficult for cars to take the left filter turn down the outer ring road if there is a wide car or a bus waiting at the lights to turn right across the bridge. It's causing a little bit of a logjam back down to the foot of the slip road some evenings.
Apart from that though, I can't complain.

KevR

Heroditas wrote: »

Well, how does everyone find the N4 now? Absolutely great, isn't it?

Have driven it a couple of times on Friday evenings and it really is great.

Redsoxfan

Heroditas wrote: »

Well, how does everyone find the N4 now? Absolutely great, isn't it?

Pretty much. Seems to be some talibacks at the Lucan exit, but not enough to cause issues on the main carriageway. Haven't hit the N4 exit off the M50 on a Friday evening at rush hour for some time now, so can't say if the usual problems have been resolved. Will hold judgement in full until September, but so far, so good. My commute that used to take an hour now takes 30-45 minutes.

They also need to clearly signal where the M4 and the 120kph speed limit starts going West.

icdg

Heroditas wrote: »

Well, how does everyone find the N4 now? Absolutely great, isn't it?

However, there still is one small piece of work to be done - the offbound ramp going west at the Woodies exit.
At the top of the ramp at the lights, there are a couple of barriers and what looks like some excavating. As a result, it's very difficult for cars to take the left filter turn down the outer ring road if there is a wide car or a bus waiting at the lights to turn right across the bridge. It's causing a little bit of a logjam back down to the foot of the slip road some evenings.
Apart from that though, I can't complain.

That jam spills out onto lane 1 at times. Its really annoying if you've obeyed "keep left" and used lane 1 for normal driving. Its practically impossible to get out from nearly a standstill to a lane where drivers are driving (often far in excess of) 80 km/h.

They also need to clearly signal where the M4 and the 120kph speed limit starts going West.

This has always been a bugbear of mine. There has never been a Start of Motorway Regulations sign at this point. I thought they might put one in as part of the upgrade but apparently not. But at least the ADS used to have chopsticks on it to indicate the start of the motorway. However the gantry that replace it does not. In addition, the "Motorway Ahead" signs are so far off the mainline that you wouldn't really be able to see them easily (remember, there is a double lane drop at this at this junction, with both the filter lane and Lane 1 becoming the off-slip).

And why are there no route confirmation signs! In either direction! Must be skimping with the recession.

Redsoxfan

icdg wrote: »

This has always been a bugbear of mine. There has never been a Start of Motorway Regulations sign at this point. I thought they might put one in as part of the upgrade but apparently not. In addition, the "Motorway Ahead" signs are so far off the mainline that you wouldn't really be able to see them easily (remember, there is a double lane drop at this at this junction, with both the filter lane and Lane 1 becoming the off-slip).

Bit of an issue considering there has been a Gatso Van under the overpass at times.


I only noticed the Motorway Regulations sign you refer to when using the Leixlip exit to avoid the jam caused by the hedge cutting last week.

sdanseo

Can someone please explain to me the 80km/h limit? Surely this should be motorway or HQDC with 120km/h limits? It's practically impossible to come from 120km/h (and then some) off the M4 down to 80 and keep it there with 3 + 1 lanes and not a single obstruction.

I can understand sightlines bringing it down to 100km/h but this should be the minimum; a la M50 it could be made motorway then, no?

Minor gripe as well - the left hand N4E-> M50N slip needs reworking. Impossible to notice and very little warning. I've missed it twice and ended up in town. Cheaper, but that should be my choice not the NRA's! :P

KevR wrote: »

Toll plaza:

Hehe, completely OT but I absolutely assasinated a few of those orange yokes the other day, went for the far left lane and noticed last second it was tags only. Couldn't lose the momentum fast enough combined with checking my mirror/shoulder for cars meant i couldnt avaoid them

NRA/Eurolink - bigger signs please...and some lane markings! Nothing short of dangerous exiting the toll.

Redsoxfan

I think the 80kph limit is pretty crap myself-maybe 80kph from M50->Lucan, but I think the road is good/safe enough to handle 100kph from Lucan->Leixlip.

Perhaps someone in the know could say why it is 80kph-are there technical reasons?

This morning some retard had got off a Dublin Bus inbound at the stop under the flyover just before the M50 and was walking back towards Liffey Valley in the bus lane.

icdg

mysterious wrote: »

In the original proposal they had extra local off roads and the the dual carriegway could be up to motorway standard apparently.

This obviousily didn't happen. What was the original design?

I should have answered this in my earlier post - part of the original design was the restoration of the R835 at Lucan Golf Club to two way traffic. With the removal of the private accesses for Kew Park/McCoy's/Spa from the mainline this would have allowed this section (from J3 to J5 at least) to be redesignated as motorway in theory, although in that case the bus stops at Tandy's Lane and Esker Lane would have had to go.

I have no idea why this proposal did not go ahead though.

The history of the Lucan Bypass' ever changing speed limit - believe it or not, the road was originally NSL (60 mph) - has been a source of frustration to many a driver. Here's a summary -

Opening - c.1997 - NSL
1997-2005 - 40 mph - this was technically speaking a works limit for the works to do with the grade-seperation of the Liffey Valley interchange and widening between the M50 and Lucan to three lanes, but lasted NINE YEARS due to objections by Hermitage Golf Club to the closing of its median.
2005 - 2006 - 60 km/h (as above). The Hermitage Golf Club finally agreed to the median being closed at this point.
2006 - present - 80 kmh except when works limits applied for the upgrade project.

KevR

sdonn wrote: »

Minor gripe as well - the left hand N4E-> M50N slip needs reworking. Impossible to notice and very little warning. I've missed it twice and ended up in town. Cheaper, but that should be my choice not the NRA's! :P

Here's a post I made on Sabre about that:

Anyone else going from N4 East to M50 Clockwise (Northbound) notice that the road in front of you completely disappears for a second immediately before you go onto the slip?
The roadway for the M50 slip completely disappears because of the decline but you can see the adjacent N4 City lane which is starting to climb to go over the M50. Someone unfamiliar with the junction could quite easily momentarily adjust their line of driving towards the N4 City lane (because that's the only roadway they can see ahead at the blind spot), and then swerve back when the M50 Clocwise lane reappears.
Although, I think this would be more to do with the M50 upgrade rather than the N4 upgrade.

Davy

KevR wrote: »

Anyone else going from N4 East to M50 Clockwise (Northbound) notice that the road in front of you completely disappears for a second immediately before you go onto the slip?

Its really bad, for anyone unfimiliar with it, its a hazard really. It doesnt help with the buslane just finishing before it, they are trying to cross to go citybound, while cars are trying to cross over the bus lane to get to the m50 nothbound slip

Holsten

Was told eariler that they have finally blocked off the on ramp to the N4 east bound in Lucan, just after Maxol/McDonalds here.

I think this is stupid as hell, and will just add to the massive levels of traffic already in the village.

Seth Brundle

It was open this morning IIRC and is signposted, line painted, etc for it so I guess that if it is closed, its just temporary

Davidth88

The new N4 is a huge improvement , congratulations to all involved.

One point though , they have reopened the entrance into the Hermitage GC.

That is an accident waiting to happen. People speeding up on the on ramp from Lucan( woodies ) are confronted with cars braking to go into the entrance to the GC.
Mark my words , there will be a rear ending or 10 there .

bazzer

Davidth88 wrote: »

cars breaking

Breaking what?

Davidth88

Thanks for pointing out typo........ forgot this was an English exam

BigAl81

Yeah, that off ramp was closed yesterday ;o( Signs for local access only there now. A lady called round a few weeks ago asking to sign a petition to keep it open, obviously didn't work!!

Other gripe, what the frick is with the giant sign for "Dodsborough" at the Lucan slip road (were you come down to Maxol/McDonallds). Shurely that should read 'Lucan', stoopidist sign ever, there's even a 'Wecome To Lucan' rock/flowerbed at the end of the hill [/rant]

Go Team!

bazzachazza

Seems strange they closed it alright as it NEVER caused me an issue or anyone else.

Unless its being done to allow for an increase in the speed limit. Fingers crossed 100kmh would be nice.

bazzer

Davidth88 wrote: »

Thanks for pointing out typo........ forgot this was an English exam

Sorry dude, I thought maybe you were referring to 'breaking' the speed limit.

manc

a few times in the last couple of weeks I have noticed taxis letting people off outside the Spa Hotel, but not in the dedicated lane inside the orange barriers but rather in the left lane of the 3 driving lanes, this also included people blowing them off the road.

Does similar happen at the Foxhunter?

Heroditas

That access road for the Texaco is a curse. Loads of cars looking to exit the N4 at Ballyowen this evening were using the access road instead of the proper exit. As a result, it was nigh on impossible for cars to actually leave the station.
Also, the cars on the access road were blatantly ignoring the yield sign and as a result, traffic couldn;t actually get off the N4 and up the exit ramp.
Cue tailbacks building up on the N4 itself.
Oh it'll be great fun with the schools are back. :rolleyes:

Still no sign of the work being completed at the top of the exit ramp either and the rest of the roadworks have been completed for about a month now? :rolleyes:

icdg

BigAl81 wrote: »

Yeah, that off ramp was closed yesterday ;o( Signs for local access only there now. A lady called round a few weeks ago asking to sign a petition to keep it open, obviously didn't work!!

Other gripe, what the frick is with the giant sign for "Dodsborough" at the Lucan slip road (were you come down to Maxol/McDonallds). Shurely that should read 'Lucan', stoopidist sign ever, there's even a 'Wecome To Lucan' rock/flowerbed at the end of the hill [/rant]

Go Team!

Funnily enough I always spelled it Dodsboro. As I understand it, Dodsboro is the area the opposite side of Tandy's Lane to Hillcrest (which is in Esker). The post office at Spar (the Cottage Stores to those of us with long memories) is Dodsboro Post Office, though it might now be considered Lucan Post Office since An Post decided to close the actual Lucan Post Office.

Anyway, the NRA's idea is that J3 and J4 are the Lucan exit. (If you're heading westbound and bound for Lucan village you'll likely have already exited at one of these junctions rather than J4a - I know eastbound it is a different kettle of fish and taking J4a is easier than having to navigate the R120/R835 junction...). So J4a is for Dodsboro. Hence why it is also signed L1014 (or whatever) rather than R835 for Lucan.

A worse example can be found at J2, which is now signed "Fonthill, Liffey Valley R113" instead of "Clondalkin, Liffey Valley R113" which it had been since the day Liffey Valley opened (and before that, it was just "Clondalkin R113". Now while the Fonthill Road may have gained a rather large shopping centre and a retail park since the 1980s, I don't see why they chose to drop Clondalkin. Particularly since once you leave the N4 proper, all signs refer to Clondalkin again rather than Fonthill.

lods

Now that the schools are back, were starting to see some of the problems. Palmerstown is now worse asa bottle neck in the evening. It looks like a few people have hit the green Bollards at the start of the turnoff for the M50. No Motorway signs up after McCoys garage, makes it a bit confusing

Davidth88

manc wrote: »

a few times in the last couple of weeks I have noticed taxis letting people off outside the Spa Hotel, but not in the dedicated lane inside the orange barriers but rather in the left lane of the 3 driving lanes, this also included people blowing them off the road.

Does similar happen at the Foxhunter?

I have not seen this , I use the N/M4 most days ... that is seriously dangerous.

murphaph

manc wrote: »

a few times in the last couple of weeks I have noticed taxis letting people off outside the Spa Hotel, but not in the dedicated lane inside the orange barriers but rather in the left lane of the 3 driving lanes, this also included people blowing them off the road.

Does similar happen at the Foxhunter?

That's lunatic behaviour but we've come to expect nohting better from taxi drivers. Wait till someone is killed when a taxi is rear ended by a 40' as a passenger is alighting in lane 1.

Redsoxfan

lods wrote: »

Now that the schools are back, were starting to see some of the problems. Palmerstown is now worse asa bottle neck in the evening. It looks like a few people have hit the green Bollards at the start of the turnoff for the M50. No Motorway signs up after McCoys garage, makes it a bit confusing

Have to say that as someone who travels Maynooth->M50 everyday the upgraded N4 is still working very well for me-no issues morning or evening. As far as I can see, the biggest issue still appears to be Ballyowen, where cars can tail back onto the main carriageway in the evenings.

The lack of motorway signs at the start of the M4 is an issue-who should be contacted about this? The NRA or South Dublin County Council?

Separatley, what are they doing on the M50 offramp?

Redsoxfan

manc wrote: »

a few times in the last couple of weeks I have noticed taxis letting people off outside the Spa Hotel, but not in the dedicated lane inside the orange barriers but rather in the left lane of the 3 driving lanes, this also included people blowing them off the road.

Does similar happen at the Foxhunter?

Haven't seen this happening myself, but wouldn't be surprised.

Not long after the upgraded road opened, I saw someone who had missed the Lucan exit eastbound (opposite the Spa) reversing back torwards it!

Plus, I think I've seen 1 cyclist using the dedicated (off-road) lanes.