M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

rameire

The wall.

The Hole.

Looking north to Kilcullen Junction

looking south on Kilcullen Junction.


click on last pic to go to flickr account to see other photos.

road_high

Thanks Rameire. Interesting to note Athy has been removed from this junction sign, obviously "N78 Athy" will be signed at the next junction on the new link road. Castlecomer also signed there as well I think.

emfifty

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.

that's a slick bit of traffic mgmt. bet no one saw that coming!:)

redalicat

rameire wrote: »

click on last pic to go to flickr account to see other photos.

Ramiere, thanks for posting these. Drove this today but couldn't quite get a grip on what they've done since it's hard to stop. Gives me a good idea of what's coming. Since I live next to this road just yards down from where you've pictured, this can't finish soon enough for me.

lukejr

Great to see this opening soon. Thanks for the photos and updates.

shaymousse

Drove to Dubln today. The traffic has switched back to the north bound lane now as they complete the concrete median. Wont be long now!

mickger

Hopefully there might be a new section open by next Sunday for my drive up to Dublin from Waterford

kieranb07

Here is a few pics i took yesterday, sorry bout the crappy quality.

Looking South at Danesfort Junction (J9), looks like the wearing course has been laid and only needs to be lined..



The southbound off ramp at J10 Knocktopher, looks like there is still a bit of landscaping to do here, and the lights need to be fitted to the lamp-posts.



J10 southbound on ramp at knocktopher.



Was lashing yday so wasnt going up to check if the road is lined on the main road.:)

Setanta_og

Does anyone know the present situation with this road? At it proposed tie in with the existing N9 (Timolin) looking west towards the M9 (Mullaghmast Interchange) it seems to be substantially complete however you can only see approx 900m distance as it then goes over a crest dropping away out of view towards the interchange. Does anyone know if it is complete all the way to the Interchange because if is not this will create a delay with the Kil-Cast. section opening. This link from the old N9 to the new M9 is essential for all who live between Castledermot North and Kilgowan especially commuters to Dublin.

rameire

Setanta_og wrote: »

Does anyone know the present situation with this road? At it proposed tie in with the existing N9 (Timolin) looking west towards the M9 (Mullaghmast Interchange) it seems to be substantially complete however you can only see approx 900m distance as it then goes over a crest dropping away out of view towards the interchange. Does anyone know if it is complete all the way to the Interchange because if is not this will create a delay with the Kil-Cast. section opening. This link from the old N9 to the new M9 is essential for all who live between Castledermot North and Kilgowan especially commuters to Dublin.

there is still a good bit of work to do on the athy link especially towards the athy end.
they have been working quite a lot recently at the athy end, but it will not, i repeat it will not open when the kilcullen to carlow section opens in just under two weeks on the 18th of december.

the section i believe you are talking about just needs to be painted if it not already as the m9 junction is just over the crest and it is complete there, further west a lot of work is still going on.

alpha2zulu

On Waterford-Knocktopher, in the area approching the N24/M9 roundabout otside Waterford there has been a good bit of work done on the R.Blackwater bridge this week, top layer has been put in. In this area around the crossover with the existing N9 at dunkitt there is still a roughly 1km section without top layer.
On the southern side the tie in is almost complete.

Northern side still has a bit to go.

Also there is still a large amount of scaffold in place underneath.

Just north of this point, the works on the bank cutting which had slipped 2weeks are completed.

Very substantial barriers going in protecting the Waterford-Limerick Junction rail line underneath.


Just looking south with the Suir bridge to the left and M9/N24 Roundabout in the distance at the far side of the hill.

Slightly off topic but the M9 isent the only piece of infrastructural investment going on in south Kilkenny at the moment, around the M9 crossover, the Waterford-Limerick Junction rail line has gotten completely relaid with CWR during last week.

Silverado

Just up near Lukeswell today on the Danesfort-Waterford section and the good news is that it is finished up to and beyond the Gorrue road overpass, lined and signed. However it is still a little behind down at Mullinavat Junction with top surfacing work not started.

Down at the Blackwater Bridge near the Waterford roundabout it is also not showing a great deal of progress. A trainee engineer currently working on the road told me that there was some trouble with the bridge and it had to be entirely raised to allow a new pad to be placed underneath. He also said that weather was playing hell with the laying of the top three coats of tarmac.

The principal bogey now seems to be the 5km at the Mullinavat Junction but with a good run who knows. The weather is due to improve from Thursday.

kwalshe

Coming past the Kilcullen tie in at 5 today it looks like the barrier has been filled. It was hard to clearly see as traffic was moving fast.
I did see a load of suits standing at it at 8:30 this morning aswell.

Star Spangler

kwalshe wrote: »

Coming past the Kilcullen tie in at 5 today it looks like the barrier has been filled. It was hard to clearly see as traffic was moving fast.
I did see a load of suits standing at it at 8:30 this morning aswell.

There is still a small gap to fill (the machine can't join two ends otherwise it gets trapped!). I presume this will be shuttered and filled. Also, they have to take up the tar around the barrier (which was laid to allow traffic to cross sides) and lay topsoil. A day or two's work at most.

Irish and Proud

kwalshe wrote: »

...
I did see a load of suits standing at it at 8:30 this morning aswell.

...yeah - is it for the safety audit, especially regarding barrier impact testing? Suits would come in very useful for crash test purposes - more realistic results than one would get with dummies I guess!

Regards!

tomtraubert

rameire wrote: »

there is still a good bit of work to do on the athy link especially towards the athy end.
they have been working quite a lot recently at the athy end, but it will not, i repeat it will not open when the kilcullen to carlow section opens in just under two weeks on the 18th of december.

the section i believe you are talking about just needs to be painted if it not already as the m9 junction is just over the crest and it is complete there, further west a lot of work is still going on.

Not opening on the 18th of December or the 17th for that matter. There's more to it than meets the eye. On time on budget is what the NRA/Department of Finance wants. Mullamast-Athy prob wont be finished till march-ish 2010.

Amtmann

tomtraubert wrote: »

Not opening on the 18th of December or the 17th for that matter. There's more to it than meets the eye. On time on budget is what the NRA/Department of Finance wants. Mullamast-Athy prob wont be finished till march-ish 2010.

Okay, maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but this sort of thing annoys me. Cryptic comments like the one I've bolded don't serve any constructive purpose on a forum like this.

Star Spangler

Furet wrote: »

Okay, maybe I'm just in a bad mood, but this sort of thing annoys me. Cryptic comments like the one I've bolded don't serve any constructive purpose on a forum like this.

I stand to be corrected, but I assume he is hinting at the disagreement between Roadbridge and the NRA on an early finishing bonus.

tomtraubert

Star Spangler wrote: »

I stand to be corrected, but I assume he is hinting at the disagreement between Roadbridge and the NRA on an early finishing bonus.

No disagreement, there is no early finishing bonus allowed for with the contract they are using. And its not the NRA that decides that either, its the Department of finance.

ilovegermany

Star Spangler wrote: »

I stand to be corrected, but I assume he is hinting at the disagreement between Roadbridge and the NRA on an early finishing bonus.

Put surely they wouldn't get the early completion bonus unless the entire scheme is completed (included the Athy link??)

Amtmann

Star Spangler wrote: »

I stand to be corrected, but I assume he is hinting at the disagreement between Roadbridge and the NRA on an early finishing bonus.

I figured as much too. Sorry for being tetchy tomtraubert. Can you elaborate a little more please?

Star Spangler

tomtraubert wrote: »

No disagreement, there is no early finishing bonus allowed for with the contract they are using. And its not the NRA that decides that either, its the Department of finance.

I take it you're not in the Roadbridge camp. KCC perhaps?

alpha2zulu

It would be a real pity if nonsense like this is going to conyinue purely over early completion bonuses: (from aa roadwatch right now).

*MAIN TRAFFIC* *N9/KILDARE* Reports of over 6km delays on the N9 northbound approaching Castledermot, also very heavy traffic southbound due to works in place on the N9 Dublin/Carlow Rd in Castledermot. These works take place from 9am to 5:30pm daily until Friday (11th). Temporary traffic lights are in place.

The M9 potentially opening next week and they decide now is the time to put in temporay traffic lights...

wellbutty

Even if there's a dispute over the early completion bonus, surely a contractor would want to open a new road, save money by letting staff go and save money by not needing to secure the road 24/7. Plus the good publicity that such an eagerly-awaited early opening would bring with BAM way behind on the southern phase.

patrickc

i know some of the security staff were let go last week, so bad for them but good sign for the road opening

tomtraubert

Star Spangler wrote: »

I take it you're not in the Roadbridge camp. KCC perhaps?

Regardless of which camp i'm in even if I were in one the department of Finance public works contract does not allow for an early completion bonus. Contractor can open early if he wants if he receives a cert from the employer (substantial completion cert) also the public works contract does not allow sections to be opened. All of this is available online. Its up to the contractor to decide if its beneficial to him or not. Dept of Finance will not pay early bonus FACT. If they opened early at no extra cost to the department then yes it would be accepted.

Star Spangler....which camp are you in...where did you hear about a "disagreement" between Roadbridge and the NRA? Tell us more!

Palimpsest

unless you want to spend 25 mins queuing. Cannot understand why they didn't wait until the motorway is open before putting in temporary lights. I went through mageney to avoid today and one of the bridges over the motorway has a very short barrier on the left with quite a drop-is that an NRA responsibility or KCC?

tomtraubert

Palimpsest wrote: »

unless you want to spend 25 mins queuing. Cannot understand why they didn't wait until the motorway is open before putting in temporary lights. I went through mageney to avoid today and one of the bridges over the motorway has a very short barrier on the left with quite a drop-is that an NRA responsibility or KCC?

At the moment, until its taken over by the council, it is Roadbridge's responsibility, if it is designed and built to standard, then there is no issue. Cant imagine something like that would be missed by either the contract supervisor or Roadbridge.

Which bridge you on about?

Palimpsest

it is the one on the Ballyvass road. About a mile north of Castledermot is a left hand turn and the brige is about a mile up the road. Barrier on left hand side looks considerably shorter than one on the right.

kieranb07

tomtraubert wrote: »

Not opening on the 18th of December or the 17th for that matter. There's more to it than meets the eye. On time on budget is what the NRA/Department of Finance wants. Mullamast-Athy prob wont be finished till march-ish 2010.

"Presently north & south bound traffic (single lane each) is travelling, contra-flow in the M9 southbound carriageway (from approx 3km north of the Kilcullen bridge southwards to the bridge).
This will be changed over to the northbound carriageway, again contra-flow. There will be some short ‘All Stops@ between11am & 12 noon to make the changes.
Traffic Management System in and around the M9 will be adapted to cater for the next phase of the works and that road users should take extra care when traveling through works.
This new layout will be place until approx 25th December."

Looks like its definatley opening this side of xmas, no matter no matter what state the athy link road is in
http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/traffic/story.asp?id=106694