M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

yellow012

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.

The Q4 09 completion date for the Kilcullen-Castledermot section was announced by the NRA themselves in this press release.
http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/htmltext,15949,en.html

Is it possible your mate is being a bit of a pessimist?

Star Spangler

yellow012 wrote: »

The Q4 09 completion date for the Kilcullen-Castledermot section was announced by the NRA themselves in this press release.
http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/htmltext,15949,en.html

Is it possible your mate is being a bit of a pessimist?

Carlow - Kilcullen will definitely be open in 2009. Roadbridge are now on holidays until after the August bank holiday so don't expect to see much happening the next few weeks!

rameire

Star Spangler wrote: »

Carlow - Kilcullen will definitely be open in 2009. Roadbridge are now on holidays until after the August bank holiday so don't expect to see much happening the next few weeks!

ahhhhhh, thats why they stopped doing the n9 n78 junction, cause they were flying along with it.
i will still get the pics for the end of the month though, as i believe there was some progress made on the kilcullen end after my last visit.

Star Spangler

rameire wrote: »

ahhhhhh, thats why they stopped doing the n9 n78 junction, cause they were flying along with it.
i will still get the pics for the end of the month though, as i believe there was some progress made on the kilcullen end after my last visit.

They will start surfacing the link road between N9 and N78 on their return (you will see that it is already prepared and lined out) and it will be completed within about two weeks (by mid August). It will then be opened to accommodate northbound traffic to allow for tie-in work to commence at the Kilcullen interchange.

Star Spangler

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.

I'm not sure how others do the work but with Roadbridge drainage and landscaping are completed before any actual surface work is carried out. Paperwork is also completed before anything is done - even if it's only to pull a post out of the ground. I know this because they are making access allowances for my house while the tie-in is being done and there was 6 inches of paperwork to sign before they would touch anything!

Amtmann

Road-Hog wrote: »

....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.......

You're fierce contrary, aren't you! I was able to predict the opening of the M8 M-F scheme with good accuracy six months before that opened, when the official reports were still saying December 2009 or something ridiculous like that. I've also made a prediction for M7 N-L: November 2009. A few months later, that was all but confirmed, and the cantilevers are already up, which is a sure sign that the opening is about four months away.

Now of course, predicting road openings isn't a science...it's guesswork, but guesses can be accurate when based on observation.

road_high

Road-Hog wrote: »

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.......

....and talking to people working on seperate sections of the project is I suppose.

Tech3

Road-Hog wrote: »

.....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......

What a really stupid and negative post.

johnbk

I feel like adding my bit on estimation of completion dates on the M9. I go out at weekends with my car and bycycle attached to the boot. Over the years I have cycled a more than a few unopened roads just to get a feel for the road building at a scale we will never see again after 2010.

The M9 sothern section map on a earlier post is fairly accurate. Only the red/orange after Mullinavat going north still requires fairly significant earthworks. If you go past the entrance to McBrides scrapyard the little byroad is now closed. Walk past this and climb onto the path of the new M9 and you will see what I mean. This section will no more be open (In my opinion) this year.

I have notticed Roadbridge over the years and am always amazed at the rate at which they do work. I have notticed this year that they do not do one single minute of overtime. I think they have no incentive to finish early this time, i.e. no major road project to move onto, hense why they will not push ahead and finish before the schduled completion dates. In summarly, Killcullen-Carlow should open before November, Waterford-Knocktopher to open Jan or Feb of next year along with Knocktopher to Danesford and Danesford to Carlow towards the end of 2010.

road_high

Reckon you are fairly spot on there John BK if even a tad conservative with the latter two sections.

diarmaid2

Looks to be good progress at Mullinavat junction. Alot of excess surface water is gone with pipes being laid. Much progress on a couple of weeks ago which leads me to believe that the delay was not down to the weather in the first place. Maybe underground water? Would like to hear how the rest of the scheme is progressing.

tramor

I had heard recently from some people who live near Mullinavat that the problem was underground springs, not surface water. Still, it is surprising that Ascon would have left such a troublesome spot the last part to start construction on. You would imagine they would want to get going at it as soon as the problem was found.

road_high

Least it seems to be back on track now. Read on the Kilkenny People somewhere about a November opening form Danesfort to Waterford according to Joe Gannon, Project Co-ordinator.

Tech3

mfitzy wrote: »

Least it seems to be back on track now. Read on the Kilkenny People somewhere about a November opening form Danesfort to Waterford according to Joe Gannon, Project Co-ordinator.

I guess it will be the next bit of inter urban open so if it beats other sections of the M9 and the M7 Nenagh-Limerick.

fricatus

mfitzy wrote: »

Least it seems to be back on track now. Read on the Kilkenny People somewhere about a November opening form Danesfort to Waterford according to Joe Gannon, Project Co-ordinator.

Oh God, that would be so wonderful. Another winter of driving that God-awful boreen almost seems like too much to bear. A motorway would make December and January so much more bearable!

road_high

No link to the snippet on the KK people website. Would make a lot of sense to do it as far as Danesfort initially. There were plans to put mini-roundabouts and upgrades at Knocktopher village and onto the existing N10 and N9. Have not seen any work to indicate that is to go ahead. Would not be needed if it were opened to Danesfort in any case.

fricatus

mfitzy wrote: »

No link to the snippet on the KK people website. Would make a lot of sense to do it as far as Danesfort initially. There were plans to put mini-roundabouts and upgrades at Knocktopher village and onto the existing N10 and N9. Have not seen any work to indicate that is to go ahead. Would not be needed if it were opened to Danesfort in any case.

I always wondered what would happen in Knocktopher once the M9 opened as far as there, but they mightn't bother with the upgrades, like you say - especially since there's going to be no more than a year before the Danesfort-Carlow section completes the M9.

However would that mean that they'd encourage Waterford-Dublin traffic to go via the ring road in KK? I can hardly see that happening; for one, it wouldn't be very desirable for KK, and two, it would be a longer journey, albeit on better roads, for the Wat-Dub traffic. Individuals would be free to choose their own route of course, but what will the official route be?

road_high

fricatus wrote: »

I always wondered what would happen in Knocktopher once the M9 opened as far as there, but they mightn't bother with the upgrades, like you say - especially since there's going to be no more than a year before the Danesfort-Carlow section completes the M9.

However would that mean that they'd encourage Waterford-Dublin traffic to go via the ring road in KK? I can hardly see that happening; for one, it wouldn't be very desirable for KK, and two, it would be a longer journey, albeit on better roads, for the Wat-Dub traffic. Individuals would be free to choose their own route of course, but what will the official route be?

I reckon it would just have to cope for the time being until it's all finished. I'd imagine some people may choose to exit at Knocktopher and over to the N9 to Carlow, others will stay til Danefort and join the N10.
It would very much depend on the time of day; i.e. if I was driving Waterford to Dublin on a wet December night I know I would be avoiding the god-awful N9 at all costs and staying on the motorway as long as possible!

L1011

You're making the N9 on a wet night sound like a wholly bad thing - you need to treat it like an adventure ride, what with railway bridges and abbeys jumping at you through the rain and spray all the way from grannagh to gowran!

Bards

mfitzy wrote: »

I reckon it would just have to cope for the time being until it's all finished. I'd imagine some people may choose to exit at Knocktopher and over to the N9 to Carlow, others will stay til Danefort and join the N10.
It would very much depend on the time of day; i.e. if I was driving Waterford to Dublin on a wet December night I know I would be avoiding the god-awful N9 at all costs and staying on the motorway as long as possible!

I would go via the N10, albeit it may be longer but it would be on better roads and thus less tiring and a hell of a lot safer

deiseman21

Or just go the coast road:D
the n30 might be bad but a shorter drive and not any worse than the n9

road_high

deiseman21 wrote: »

Or just go the coast road:D
the n30 might be bad but a shorter drive and not any worse than the n9

AA Routeplanner Waterford-Dublin via Enniscorthy is 116 miles versus 102.9 for the M9. A full 13 miles longer according to that anyhow!
When the next stretch M9 opens there will be no contest. New motorway at 120 kmh for most of the journey or stuck in New Ross and Enniscorthy trundling along sinlge lane N30/N11....I know which I'd be choosing

deiseman21

Just curious, after wat - k,topher will the m9 or n/m11 be longer in terms of length of good descent road (ie dualled or motorway)?

Bards

deiseman21 wrote: »

Or just go the coast road:D
the n30 might be bad but a shorter drive and not any worse than the n9

Can't get to Carlow that way, I do the Waterford to Carlow route quiet a bit so the M9 as far as Danesford will be a great help.

Remember not everyone wants to go to Dublin the whole time

road_high

deiseman21 wrote: »

Just curious, after wat - k,topher will the m9 or n/m11 be longer in terms of length of good descent road (ie dualled or motorway)?

Firstly the M9 will be far superior road to the N11/N25/N30 route. There will be no single carriageway at all left, all motorway to plough along at 120 kmh.
You would be lucky to do an average 80/90 kmh on much of the other road over a longer distance.
The M9 follows the current N9 for much of its length. Any distance in length will be very slight and blown away by the far quicker and safer journey times.

I don't see why Waterford-Dublin could not be done in an hour and half or less on the new M9.

deiseman21

mfitzy wrote: »

It would very much depend on the time of day; i.e. if I was driving Waterford to Dublin on a wet December night I know I would be avoiding the god-awful N9 at all costs and staying on the motorway as long as possible!

was replying to this post specifically ,never said anything of carlow

deiseman21

mfitzy wrote: »

Firstly the M9 will be far superior road to the N11/N25/N30 route. There will be no single carriageway at all left, all motorway to plough along at 120 kmh.
You would be lucky to do an average 80/90 kmh on much of the other road over a longer distance.
The M9 follows the current N9 for much of its length. Any distance in length will be very slight and blown away by the far quicker and safer journey times.

I don't see why Waterford-Dublin could not be done in an hour and half or less on the new M9.

again was talking about wat-k,topher not talking finished route

road_high

deiseman21 wrote: »

again was talking about wat-k,topher not talking finished route

Well 2 stretches are due to open at roughly the same time; Kilcullen-Carlow and Waterford-Danesfort in October/November. So that should amke your dillema easier i.e. the bit between KK and Carlow bypass (20 miles or so) will not be Motorway for a time, all the rest will be. And bear in mind this is a reasonably good standard of road already. So with 13 miles of a longer journey on a worse road only true Wexford/Wicklow lovers will choose the N11 route :cool:

road_high

I hear R448 has appeared on signs down around Waterford; for Mullinavat and Waterford City. I can feel a new road opening only months away now when the old road starts getting resigned

fricatus

mfitzy wrote: »

I hear R448 has appeared on signs down around Waterford; for Mullinavat and Waterford City. I can feel a new road opening only months away now when the old road starts getting resigned

Don't get too excited mfitzy. The stretch in question is being built under the N25 contract and it will have to open in order to allow access to the new bridge and bypass. The M9 is separate, so the signs up for the R448 are not an indication that its opening is imminent...