M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

Bards

fricatus wrote: »

With thanks to Munurty once again... these pictures are absolutely brilliant. This is my favourite. It shows the entire Waterford end of the N9 coming out from the city centre, through the Newrath roundabout, through the new Grannagh interchange where it crosses the new N25, and out to the new Quarry roundabout where the M9 begins as a motorway and also where the N24 will terminate in the future.

Not only that, but it's a great view of the river Suir and the west side of the city.

Amazing stuff... hats off once again!

Yep, Have to agree 100% there

Chris_533976

Fantastic picture but god is that an underpowered and stupid junction. I've said it many times before but the M9/N24/N25 thing is the worst design for a junction that I've ever seen.

M9 should trumpet onto the N25 and the N24 should trumpet onto the M9. The M9 should be 3x3 from the N24 trumpet to the N25.

Ludicrous design to stick two roundabouts in there.

murphaph

Chris_533976 wrote: »

M9 should trumpet onto the N25 and the N24 should trumpet onto the M9. The M9 should be 3x3 from the N24 trumpet to the N25.

What about the N9 into Waterford itself ;-)

Your idea sound pretty tidy and cheap (trumpets are ultra cheap and provide a fully freeflowing solution) but the N9 into Waterford needs to be catered for somehow though it wouldn't have to be in a freeflowing manner coming out of the city.

All academic now unfortunately. I get the distinct impression this all occured because the NRA were not expecting the M9 to ever get built as far as Waterford but politics interfered and it had to be incorporated 'somehow' into the long established N25 design (probably would have been penalties for significantly altering the spec after the N25 tender was signed). I'm sure a more elegant solution could have been found (even a stacked roundabout(N25/M9) with the N24 trumpeting directly onto the M9 a mile to the northwest would be more elegant and probably do the job).

BluntGuy

I suppose in the long-run, free-flow slips could be added for some movements, but the design will forever ensure that (without a huge investment and painful demolition work) the junction will be needlessly underpowered.

deiseman21

traffic levels will never justify upgrade works on any of these routes ,at least for the next 30 years ,by which time the current projects will have served there purpose.

road_high

There are big signs gone up outside Kilkenny on the Dublin road to do with the Carlow-Knocktopher scheme. Presume the same has happened at Danesfort, have not been out that way yet ?

fricatus

mfitzy wrote: »

There are big signs gone up outside Kilkenny on the Dublin road to do with the Carlow-Knocktopher scheme. Presume the same has happened at Danesfort, have not been out that way yet ?

Yes, near Danesfort and also near Stonyford.

serfboard

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Fantastic picture but god is that an underpowered and stupid junction. I've said it many times before but the M9/N24/N25 thing is the worst design for a junction that I've ever seen.

Ludicrous design to stick two roundabouts in there.

Echo the above comments. The picture is indeed fantastic. Without having studied in detail the design, I had wondered what the Waterfordians were going on about in talking about the N24/M9/M(?)25 interchange, but there it is, displayed in all its technicolour ridiculousness.

Mayo Exile

Any further news on a possible finish date for the Kilcullen to Carlow section?

yellow012

Star Spangler wrote: »

The tie-in of the new stretch of motorway with the existing M9 at Kilcullen will commence in mid-August and will involve completing the south-traffic carriageway first and then the north-traffic carriageway. The north-traffic ramp at the Kilcullen exit will be closed as will the south-traffic ramp at the same exit. During the tie-in process Dublin bound traffic wishing to go to Kilcullen or Newbridge will come off the N9 at the new link road just before Kilcullen, joining the Athy - Kilcullen road.

The projected timeframe for the tie-in is 8 to 10 weeks. The completion of this process will coincide with the opening of the M9 north of the Carlow bypass. Therefore, it will be opening October at the earliest/November at the latest.

I think this is probably the best information we've got on when it's due to be completed.

Mayo Exile

Thanks yellow012. Wow! They must be doing very well on it so. NRA website still has a Q4 2010 finish!

Link: http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KildareCountyCouncil/N9N10KilcullentoCarlow/SchemeName,16515,en.html

diarmaid2

Have seen the recent aeriel photos of the Waterford-Knocktopher section. It looks well advanced in many spots. But I don't see how the Mullinavat junction area can be finished any time in the near future(up there yesterday). It looks to be completely flooded (with the current weather I doubt this will change).

road_high

Yes but a few weeks of hard work I would imagine it could be finished very quickly. The unfinished sections are very short.

W.B. Yeats

Mayo Exile wrote: »

Any further news on a possible finish date for the Kilcullen to Carlow section?

For sure not until early November
I saw another advert recently for an athletics road race on the M9 Carlow-Kilcullen before it is opened in early November

wellbutty

diarmaid2 wrote: »

Have seen the recent aeriel photos of the Waterford-Knocktopher section. It looks well advanced in many spots. But I don't see how the Mullinavat junction area can be finished any time in the near future(up there yesterday). It looks to be completely flooded (with the current weather I doubt this will change).

Was there myself yesterday, theyre still at earthworks stage...I personally cant see this opening in 2009.

Edit: Just seen a previous post saying the NRA expect this to open this year...this would be a fantastic achievement..the pace is breathtaking

nordydan

BluntGuy wrote: »

I suppose in the long-run, free-flow slips could be added for some movements, but the design will forever ensure that (without a huge investment and painful demolition work) the junction will be needlessly underpowered.

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/resources/eng/Services/mooncoinmap.gif

I wonder is the future upgrading of the N24 the reason they have left the junction as a roundabout? I know its an old map,but it might explain a bit

road_high

wellbutty wrote: »

Was there myself yesterday, theyre still at earthworks stage...I personally cant see this opening in 2009.

Edit: Just seen a previous post saying the NRA expect this to open this year...this would be a fantastic achievement..the pace is breathtaking

But from what I can see the unfinished sections are relatively small and could be finished quickly enough.

Munurty

CBM laying due to restart tomorrow on Waterford-Knocktopher

Road-Hog

Met a cousin at the weekend who is workin on the M9/M10 project and he poured a lot of 'cold water' on the opening dates being discussed on this site about the sections north and south of the carlow bypass being complete and open by the end of this year. He says it will be more like this time next year before all is finished, there may be some phase opening of certain sections but it will not be complete until June/July 2010. Hate to be the provider of more bad news.........!:(

road_high

Road-Hog wrote: »

Met a cousin at the weekend who is workin on the M9/M10 project and he poured a lot of 'cold water' on the opening dates being discussed on this site about the sections north and south of the carlow bypass being complete and open by the end of this year. He says it will be more like this time next year before all is finished, there may be some phase opening of certain sections but it will not be complete until June/July 2010. Hate to be the provider of more bad news.........!:(

Did your cousin outline to you the reasons why construction will be held up for another year??
Especially between Carlow and Kilcullen, I don't see any particular reason why construction would drag on for that much longer.

road_high

Munurty wrote: »

CBM laying due to restart tomorrow on Waterford-Knocktopher

Saw a Morrisey truck with a tarmac laying machine on board today outside KK, I wonder was that on its' way to the M9?

BluntGuy

mfitzy wrote: »

Did your cousin outline to you the reasons why construction will be held up for another year??
Especially between Carlow and Kilcullen, I don't see any particular reason why construction would drag on for that much longer.

I'm sure he was probably more specifically referring to the southernmost sections. I wouldn't be too concerned about Carlow-Kilcullen. Waterford-Knocktopher and Knocktopher-Carlow though are different cases.

Road-Hog, could you outline which sections your cousin was specifically referring to?

Road-Hog

BluntGuy wrote: »

I'm sure he was probably more specifically referring to the southernmost sections. I wouldn't be too concerned about Carlow-Kilcullen. Waterford-Knocktopher and Knocktopher-Carlow though are different cases.

Road-Hog, could you outline which sections your cousin was specifically referring to?

Danesford to south of carlow section and I think the 'mid-section' of the other project north of carlow, nothing more specific. Maybe that guy who has done the aerial shots of the waterford bypass could take a trip up the route and take a few pictures and maybe then we all might have a better idea...maybe someone could pm him??

road_high

Road-Hog wrote: »

Danesford to south of carlow section and I think the 'mid-section' of the other project north of carlow, nothing more specific. Maybe that guy who has done the aerial shots of the waterford bypass could take a trip up the route and take a few pictures and maybe then we all might have a better idea...maybe someone could pm him??

Well that section was the last to start and I would be least concerned with. Late Spring 2010 was when I had thought myself so that's not far out. Roadbridge are making excellent progress, saw it for myself Sunday. Many section of the road are fully complete.

It's the section from Waterford-Knocktopher being built by Ascon is the one most concerns me right now; it should be ready at this stage (started early Spring 2007) but unfortuanately we have a couple of (admitadly short) sections around Mullinavat still requiring major works.

Road-Hog

mfitzy wrote: »

Did your cousin outline to you the reasons why construction will be held up for another year??
Especially between Carlow and Kilcullen, I don't see any particular reason why construction would drag on for that much longer.

Why would you assume its being 'held up'......assessing the completion date of road project by glancing over overbridges etc is not a very exact way of making a judgement on an opening date coupled with a few optimistic emails from the local authority.......I've been told that even when the pavement is complete including lining there still can be a significant amount of work to be done e.g. drainage, signs, landscaping, road safety audits which can result in a lot of items needing attention and then a certain amount of the paper work will also need to be closed out.

road_high

Road-Hog wrote: »

Why would you assume its being 'held up'......assessing the completion date of road project by glancing over overbridges etc is not a very exact way of making a judgement on an opening date coupled with a few optimistic emails from the local authority.......I've been told that even when the pavement is complete including lining there still can be a significant amount of work to be done e.g. drainage, signs, landscaping, road safety audits which can result in a lot of items needing attention and then a certain amount of the paper work will also need to be closed out.

Referring spceifically to Waterford-Knocktopher, the estimated completion date was initially Spring 2009 then Q3 2009-, then you said in your post July 2010- so I am making an intelligent guess that something must be holding it up

BluntGuy

Road-Hog wrote: »

Why would you assume its being 'held up'......assessing the completion date of road project by glancing over overbridges etc is not a very exact way of making a judgement on an opening date coupled with a few optimistic emails from the local authority.......I've been told that even when the pavement is complete including lining there still can be a significant amount of work to be done e.g. drainage, signs, landscaping, road safety audits which can result in a lot of items needing attention and then a certain amount of the paper work will also need to be closed out.

This is true, but when the actual earthworks, structures and pavement are done, one would assume even taking into account the other associated works, an opening would not be more than 3 or 4 months away at the most.

It's looking like a lot of the scheme is complete with regards to earthworks, structures and pavement and I've heard it said somewhere that'll it'll be fully complete by October. Therefore, I wouldn't rule out a December (possibly slipping into January or February) opening just yet for that section.

But I that's only from what people have being saying here and from driving past it around a month ago. And I don't know much about the other sections, so I can't really say anything on those.

Road-Hog

mfitzy wrote: »

Referring spceifically to Waterford-Knocktopher, the estimated completion date was initially Spring 2009 then Q3 2009-, then you said in your post July 2010- so I am making an intelligent guess that something must be holding it up

I think if you look back at what I first said above I was talking only about the sisk/road bridge projects ie the ones north and south of the Carlow Bypass.....I think the Waterford Knocktopher section should be complete in early 2010 i.e. jan/feb, not july 2010

fricatus

Based on Munurty's pictures, I've done up a little schematic to outline the progress of the M9 from Waterford to Danesfort.

Green = complete, lined
Orange = tarmac (not necessarily final surface) laid and concrete barrier up
Orange/Red = tarmac partially laid, e.g. one side only
Red = major work still needing to be done

L1011

the island of completed-ness with no junctions to access it is very, very strange - why rush ahead on a part that can't be partially opened in advance?