M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

johnbk

Just took this picture this morning to show progress. It is on Roadbridges section between Danesford and Knocktopher. 10 days should see this section ready.

fricatus

rameire wrote: »

i expect in the future ( not too distant ) the n78 will be re-classified and downgraded to an 80km/h road and prob changed to R448 all the way to the new roundabout in Athy.

It will be interesting to see what they eventually do, but I doubt very much that the N78 will be renamed R448, since that's the designation of the old N9 where the old sections have been replaced with new ones, e.g:

- Naas-Kilcullen
- through Carlow
- the Newrath dual carriageway/Sallypark in Waterford

partypiper

Hey all i've been reading through this thread i've been offered a job in Waterford but really need to get a picture of where this road is at the moment as it will affect my decision.

Correct me if i'm wrong:

The Kilcullen to Carlow section should be open before end of year(this should reduce drivetime Carlow to Dublin to under an hour????)

The Carlow to Knocktopher section : Wikipedia has it scheduled as beinig finished Q4 2009. Where is it at the moment, i've seen mention of sections being finished but when is the whole thing likely to be open??

Any comments would be apprciated

Roryhy

Partypiper-

Kilcullen-Carlow, about 2 weeks

Carlow-Knocktopher, probably next summer

Knocktopher-Waterford, probably within the next 1-3months

times are tough, take the job:D

partypiper

Roryhy wrote: »

Partypiper-

Kilcullen-Carlow, about 2 weeks

Carlow-Knocktopher, probably next summer

Knocktopher-Waterford, probably within the next 1-3months

times are tough, take the job:D

Thanks Roryhy, great info


Could you help me on commute times my partner works in Dublin how would the drive be from Carlow to Clarehall (basically the end of the M50 North) would you do it in an hour in the morning once the Carlow-Kilcullen section opens?? She would be driving home in non-peak hours so i would presume this could be done fairly quickly

How would my commute be:

Carlow to Waterford during peak time

and how would it be once the Knocktopher to Waterford section is finished?

Bards

partypiper wrote: »

Thanks Roryhy, great info


Could you help me on commute times my partner works in Dublin how would the drive be from Carlow to Clarehall (basically the end of the M50 North) would you do it in an hour in the morning once the Carlow-Kilcullen section opens?? She would be driving home in non-peak hours so i would presume this could be done fairly quickly

How would my commute be:

Carlow to Waterford during peak time

and how would it be once the Knocktopher to Waterford section is finished?

Carlow to Waterford once the whole Motorway is done will be about 35 to 40 minutes. Takes just over the hour mark at present

duffman13

Partypiper Carlow to Dublin Newlands X will take about 45 mins id say ya would be talkin just a bit over the hour mark to make clarehall if its off peak. Newlands X to clarehall off peak is about twenty mins

kieranb07

partypiper-

I currently commute from sallins to west side of waterford city,
I exit at Junction 10 Naas south,
I do 3 different shifts 8, 10 AND 11:30

8 -> 1.5hrs [I leave at 6am in work for 7:30 (if i leave at 6:15 im not in till 8:30ish)]

10-> 2hrs I leave at 8

11:30 1.5hrs I leave at 10

once the kilkullen - carlow bit is open it will reduce it by 15min
once the knocktopher section is open it will be another 10min (15-25min between 7:30 and 9 with all the trucks and tractors)

hope this helps,

My first post by the way

Star Spangler

duffman13 wrote: »

Partypiper Carlow to Dublin Newlands X will take about 45 mins id say ya would be talkin just a bit over the hour mark to make clarehall if its off peak. Newlands X to clarehall off peak is about twenty mins

Carlow to Citywest will take about 45 minutes. Citywest to Newlands can take a further 20 minutes at peak times. :eek:

Red Cow to Clare Hall will be no probem once the M1/M50 contraflow is finished.

fricatus

kieranb07 wrote: »

I currently commute from sallins to west side of waterford city,

10-> 2hrs I leave at 8
once the kilkullen - carlow bit is open it will reduce it by 15min
once the knocktopher section is open it will be another 10min (15-25min between 7:30 and 9 with all the trucks and tractors)

:eek:

You SERIOUSLY must come back here in 6-8 months' time when the whole M9 is open and tell us what sort of difference it's made to your life!

kieranb07

fricatus wrote: »

:eek:

You SERIOUSLY must come back here in 6-8 months' time when the whole M9 is open and tell us what sort of difference it's made to your life!

LoL, I will do,
Also ment to say....I dont drive to easy most early mornings
I really dont mind the distance, its the bloody trucks going at 60km/h that wrecks my head...
cant wait to just cruise by them..

rameire

on the way home tonight notice the tie in at kilcullen was all lined up.

placard

Drove past the Kilcullen tie-in late this evening and they where carrying out inspections on the finished road. At the Carlow end they have to remove the concrete barrier blocking the southbound side, uncover the signs and remove the traffic cones! looks like everything is done except for filling in the central barrier on the kilcullen tie-in. They could probably open this section this weekend if they wanted to!!

Amtmann

Will it open late next week so? What are the local papers saying?

placard

Furet wrote: »

Will it open late next week so? What are the local papers saying?

Going by what I've seen and what Star Spangler was told it should be open in two weeks time.

Pity about the Kilkenny to Waterford section.. would have been handy over the holidays.

sk8board

placard wrote: »

Going by what I've seen and what Star Spangler was told it should be open in two weeks time.

Pity about the Kilkenny to Waterford section.. would have been handy over the holidays.

don't count on anything this side of christmas would be my guess.

theres no way they'd have it as close as 2 weeks from opening and not even have a Minister booked to cut the ribbon.

still reckon its january myself (saves me the disappointment!)

Silverado

Just looked at the Mullinavat junction etc today, centre barrier almost complete. Most landscaping finished, top surface and lining being worked on hard, signs going up. An opening of the Waterford-Danesford section before Christmas could still happen.

tramor

sk8board wrote: »

don't count on anything this side of christmas would be my guess.

theres no way they'd have it as close as 2 weeks from opening and not even have a Minister booked to cut the ribbon.

still reckon its january myself (saves me the disappointment!)

I can't see how it won't be open within the next week, or 2 weeks at most. They would'nt be doing the things they are doing otherwise. When the Carlow bypass opened, there seemed to be very little warning. I drove past early that morning on the way to Dublin, and the concrete barriers at each end were being lifted. A few hours later, on the way back to Waterford, the roundabouts at each end were being weeded. I thought it would be a few days more before it was opened but in fact it was a few hours later that it was officially opened (minister +TV crews, etc)

inarut

tramor wrote: »

I can't see how it won't be open within the next week, or 2 weeks at most. They would'nt be doing the things they are doing otherwise. When the Carlow bypass opened, there seemed to be very little warning. I drove past early that morning on the way to Dublin, and the concrete barriers at each end were being lifted. A few hours later, on the way back to Waterford, the roundabouts at each end were being weeded. I thought it would be a few days more before it was opened but in fact it was a few hours later that it was officially opened (minister +TV crews, etc)

I clearly remember a similiar situation in 2008 when heard official confirmation of the opening date of the Carlow Bypass only 9 days in advance of its actual opening on May 29th and prior to that point speculation was that the motorway would be open at the end of Q2 (June) 2008 at the very earliest. The Minister was called upon to open that stretch of road at very short notice as in about 1 week at best.

The NRA official news confirmation was only 6 days ahead of actual opening back then http://www.nra.ie/News/PressReleases/htmltext,14700,en.html

The Kilcullen-Castledermot Stretch is at a similiar stage of almost completion and having taken detours to observe the new roadway at various points between the end of the existing M9 at tie in and Carlow in the last few months, really cannot see how it will not be opened after lets say December 18th which is my current guess. Really just a few minor things to finish at both ends and road will be complete within days- followed by the call to the Ministers Office;)

Sponge Bob

inarut wrote: »

Really just a few minor things to finish at both ends and road will be complete within days- followed by the call to the Ministers Office;)

Dempsey needs lots of cameras around to announce the Navan railway line....for the 87th or 88th time. Of course he will show up.

Road-Hog

placard wrote: »

Drove past the Kilcullen tie-in late this evening and they where carrying out inspections on the finished road. At the Carlow end they have to remove the concrete barrier blocking the southbound side, uncover the signs and remove the traffic cones! looks like everything is done except for filling in the central barrier on the kilcullen tie-in. They could probably open this section this weekend if they wanted to!!

I would love to know how you can say that 'they were carrying out inspections on the finished road'........did you see guys with suits, yellow jackets and hard hats with clip boards and cameras walking around ?

Star Spangler

Star Spangler wrote: »

The final surface layer on the tie-in has been held until all landscaping work has been completed. Having had a good look at it this evening it appears that that is now completed. The final surface shouldn't take more than a day to go down (it's only 1 or 2 inches thick) then another day for lines. Another few days to finish the central barrier work where the traffic is currently crossing over and in theory the Kilcullen-Carlow section of the M9 could be completed by the end of next week - 4th December.

I was almost right! Landscaping, lighting, signage and lining is all completed. There's just the central barrier to close up now.

slimjimmc

Road-Hog wrote: »

I would love to know how you can say that 'they were carrying out inspections on the finished road'........did you see guys with suits, yellow jackets and hard hats with clip boards and cameras walking around ?

They were probably council workers standing around with their hands in their pockets, testing the tarmac with the heels of their boots and trying to guess how many years it will hopefully take for the potholes to appear so that they can swing into action with a shovel of loose gravel.:D

AndrewMc

Traffic flow at Kilcullen had reversed again this evening. Southbound M9 splits before J2, left to exit 2 and right (onto Northbound carriageway) to Carlow. Presumably they're filling in the median barrier now.

kwalshe

AndrewMc wrote: »

Traffic flow at Kilcullen had reversed again this evening. Southbound M9 splits before J2, left to exit 2 and right (onto Northbound carriageway) to Carlow. Presumably they're filling in the median barrier now.

I'm heading up there in the morning, will take pics if they are....

flamegrill

I was heading up that way from Carlow today and I found myself stopped for 20 minutes. Rang Naas Garda station and was told that the road was closed. They were up to something, not sure what. It re-opened anyway but still traffic split onto north bound lane. The whole lot looks finished though. _very_ excited about it all, tend to drive to Dublin a fair bit from Carlow.

rameire

drove by today, took some pics , will put them up shortly.
no working going on today on the road.
as said before all that is missing is the hole in the wall.
was driving up and down abit on the southern section and up the new slip road.
next installment after today from myself should be a video after it opens.

kieranb07

Going down to waterford today via kilkenny,
Looking south on the danesfort junction (J9) all that has to be done is have it lined, all of the gantry and signs are up and looks like the landscaping is finished,
All thats left now is for BAM to get the finger out and hurry up!!

Also yet another crash this morning outside ballyhale, a car upside down in a dike...
I wonder will BAM have on there concince, all the lives lost and families destroyed all because of there decision to prioritise making money off the Waterford toll bridge scheme by completing it 6 months ahead of scedule and leaving this project fall nearly a year behind its completion date of spring 2009, which in turn not its not getting the 10k+ drivers off one of the worst main roads in Ireland!!

Sorry for the rant..

road_high

Are all the signs up now Kieran? Like around the danesfort junction? Kilkenny-Waterford will be a breeze once this opens.

kieranb07

All the signes on the motorway section, and the signs on the existing N9 seem to be in the yard, waiting to be put up,
So going on the way roadbridge work, it will take 2 days to line it, and they will throw up the signs on the existing K/W road in a few hours.. imo
Will try get a pic/vid on way back to kkenny this evening.