M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

NedNew

Could it be that the Kilcullen-Carlow section could open this week without any sort of official ceremony? I mention this because the Athy link road won't be completed for a few more months and maybe the official opening will wait until then.

Just a thought.

Silverado

mfitzy wrote: »

Dunno, I think i'd prefer info from somebody directly involved with the building ie. an engineer. Did you ask him why it would be so long?

Another person mentioned Ascon were using the old "weather" excuse once again...I would imagine had it been soley the weather then why 30 or 40 miles up the same road is work all but completed on Kicullen-Carlow

Perhaps it has escaped your notice but here in Waterford we had 3.5 times the average rainfall for the month of November. I’m no expert but laying tarmac in torrential or on standing water is a no go. The main issue with the Waterford-Danesfort leg seems to be at Mullinavat where progress has been very slow.

road_high

Silverado wrote: »

Perhaps it has escaped your notice but here in Waterford we had 3.5 times the average rainfall for the month of November. I’m no expert but laying tarmac in torrential or on standing water is a no go. The main issue with the Waterford-Danesfort leg seems to be at Mullinavat where progress has been very slow.

Well rainfall wasn't any different in Carlow and South Kildare on that section so I'm just confused as to why Carlow-Kilcullen is ready to open while a section that started over a year before it is still being worked on. I think that is a fairly valid point to raise.
Rainfall was 299% above Normal at Oakpark, Carlow; the nearest station to the Carlow-Kilcullen section. At Johnstown Castle, Wexford the nearest to the southern section it was 212% above Normal (Source; Met.ie).

johnbk

I’ve been watching road building closely for years. The reason IMO that Waterford-Knocktopher is behind isn’t down to weather at all. What I have observer in these large contracts is that they are divided into smaller sections with individual compounds with stand alone crews due to the length and distances involved. Bam did not commit enough resources to this project from an early stage. They have had the section at the Knocktopher end largely complete for 8 months and the same at the end south of Mullinavat. They hadn’t even started the section in the middle until about 8 months ago. This is probably due to their commitments on the Waterford bypass. Only thing now is that it is that close to being finished that it isn’t worth getting to upset over.

road_high

johnbk wrote: »

I’ve been watching road building closely for years. The reason IMO that Waterford-Knocktopher is behind isn’t down to weather at all. What I have observer in these large contracts is that they are divided into smaller sections with individual compounds with stand alone crews due to the length and distances involved. Bam did not commit enough resources to this project from an early stage. They have had the section at the Knocktopher end largely complete for 8 months and the same at the end south of Mullinavat. They hadn’t even started the section in the middle until about 8 months ago. This is probably due to their commitments on the Waterford bypass. Only thing now is that it is that close to being finished that it isn’t worth getting to upset over.

You are spot on there Johnbk. I can understand the Waterford bp being a priority of course and thus resources were too evenly spread over Knocktopher-Waterford. I think the weather hasn't helped of course but definitely has not been the only factor.
Bards mentioned the terrain as being a factor too, which is somewhat true, though the difficult bit would be the rise north east of Mullinavat and down towards Newmarket. Other than that, the terrian is flat and easily worked like the Kilcullen section.

Star Spangler

NedNew wrote: »

Could it be that the Kilcullen-Carlow section could open this week without any sort of official ceremony? I mention this because the Athy link road won't be completed for a few more months and maybe the official opening will wait until then.

Just a thought.

Afaik the M6 at Ballinasloe has been open since the 20th November but the "official" opening is taking place next Friday 18th December.

I took a run down the new M9 to the Priory on the bicycle yesterday and noticed there was a fair bit of work still going on building some sound-proof fencing on various places along the section.

Chris_533976

Nah the M6, one side of it, was temporarily opened because Galway was completely cut off due to flooding. It was closed again afterwards. Had there been no flooding, there wouldnt have been this temporary opening.

tramor

jimbojazz wrote: »

Spoke to the security guard at the Danesfort roundabout today and he said it will be a "longtime" before the road will be open i.e. Knocktopher - Kilkenny section - couldn't figure that out because it looked fairly ready to me - but if anyone is going to know it's him I suppose

Would'nt be sure about that. Last March a security guard on the Waterford bypass told me it would be next March/April (ie. 2010) before the Waterford bypass would open. He was wrong about that!

road_high

So will this week see the opening of the Carlow-Kilcullen section at long last...the next few days will tell all

kieranb07

Heard from an engineer that is doing the drainage on the Knocktopher - Waterford section,
He said that there plan now because of all the weather delays and other problems like the bridge that had to be re-raised, is that the K-W section will open in unison with the Knocktopher - Carlow section in the first half of February..:(

road_high

kieranb07 wrote: »

Heard from an engineer that is doing the drainage on the Knocktopher - Waterford section,
He said that there plan now because of all the weather delays and other problems like the bridge that had to be re-raised, is that the K-W section will open in unison with the Knocktopher - Carlow section in the first half of February..:(

Hard to see that section being ready by then? Still seems a lot of work to be done. The Paulstown link road for instance has been barely touched, just carved out.
Though I do note a lot of the light fittings have gone up the Carlow bypass end recently, as have gantries for signage. It would be nice to think it would be ready that quickly but I would be highly surprised...

Carawaystick

mfitzy wrote: »

So will this week see the opening of the Carlow-Kilcullen section at long last...the next few days will tell all

Has to be before Friday, so's not to steal the politician's thunder from opening the first interurban then.


There's a few days next week to do it for whoever hasn't a safe seat.

Wild Bill

Carawaystick wrote: »

There's a few days next week to do it for whoever hasn't a safe seat.

:cool: There aren't enough projects to go around on that basis!

sk8board

kieranb07 wrote: »

Heard from an engineer that is doing the drainage on the Knocktopher - Waterford section,
He said that there plan now because of all the weather delays and other problems like the bridge that had to be re-raised, is that the K-W section will open in unison with the Knocktopher - Carlow section in the first half of February..:(

I think it makes a lot of sense to open them together; otherwise you'd have to route all the traffic off the motorway at Knocktopher, through the small village, down the junction, and into thomastown as usual for about a 25min journey to the start of the carlow by-pass motorway.

not sure that would work well

kildareman007

oh my God.....Castledermot. Today was the worst ever.....tailbacks past The Alpine service station. Everyone turning back and using back roads round Kilkea etc,,,,, and these drivers dont care for local road users.....bombing along on bad roads not knowing them.
Kildare CC should be proud of themselves....... well done lads. you shower of tools

redtelephone

mfitzy wrote: »

Hard to see that section being ready by then? Still seems a lot of work to be done. The Paulstown link road for instance has been barely touched, just carved out.
Though I do note a lot of the light fittings have gone up the Carlow bypass end recently, as have gantries for signage. It would be nice to think it would be ready that quickly but I would be highly surprised...

They began work again on the Paulstown link road this morning after nearly six months, but it's still very far behind the rest of the project. With two roundabouts to be built as well as the link road, the intersection (J7) isn't anywhere near completion and with Christmas coming, it looks like late Spring or early Summer 2010 for Carlow - Knocktopher.

tramor

Heard from a guy who drives one of the tar trucks in the Dublin-Limerick motorway construction. Some of them were pulled off that by the contractor for the last 2 weeks and put delivering tar to a re-surfacing job somewhere south of Limerick, totally un-necessary as the existing surface was perfect. My friend was talking to one of the senior guys in the company and he said they were asked to quote and do this job immediately as the money had to be spent before year end. This must be similar to what is going on in Castledermot. Shame on the council, and the financial state of the country, not to mention the un-necessary pain they are causing everyone. Hopefully some of them read this thread. If you do, lets hear your side of the story (If you have one, which I doubt)

EUSTY500

Does anyone know what time those muppets start working up in Castledermot each morning? I have to go to Dublin early this week (should be through there before 9.00 & would like not to have spend too long there).

Just like to say as well that this has been a great thread. I've been following it closely, especially over the last couple of months & will actually kinda miss it once the M9 is finally finished.

slimjimmc

EUSTY500 wrote: »

Does anyone know what time those muppets start working up in Castledermot each morning? I have to go to Dublin early this week (should be through there before 9.00 & would like not to have spend too long there).

Just like to say as well that this has been a great thread. I've been following it closely, especially over the last couple of months & will actually kinda miss it once the M9 is finally finished.

09:00 - 17:00 according to the radio broadcasts.

GeneHunt

I see Google maps have opened the M9 Waterford to Knocktopher before time :D:D

but no sign of the Waterford bypass!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=knocktopher&hl=en&ei=i9MmS-upGqS6jAenzpzeCQ&sll=52.481896,-7.212788&sspn=0.013592,0.032015&ie=UTF8&view=map&geocode=FWjPIAMdDPGR_w&split=0&ved=0CA0QpQY&hq=&hnear=Knocktopher,+County+Kilkenny,+Ireland&ll=52.482388,-7.228532&spn=0.014741,0.038581&z=15
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=knocktopher&hl=en&ei=i9MmS-upGqS6jAenzpzeCQ&sll=52.481896,-7.212788&sspn=0.013592,0.032015&ie=UTF8&view=map&geocode=FWjPIAMdDPGR_w&split=0&ved=0CA0QpQY&hq=&hnear=Knocktopher,+County+Kilkenny,+Ireland&ll=52.287483,-7.129784&spn=0.029611,0.077162&z=14

Stark

Google maps suck so horribly. They messed up the old N9 as well. Instead of an R-road running next to the new "N9", there's just a generic white road that may as well be service roads to farmers' fields.

L1011

Its Tele-Atlas's fault, as usual, for being quick to update but usually wrong. Limerick-Nenagh is down as open on it too! And the Carlow BP was also listed ahead of time.

road_high

It's not opening today then I take it :(

Maximus82

Maximus82 wrote: »

Carlow - Kilcullen is opening Thursday 17th December.....for definate.

Couldnt get a minister for the 17th apparently so its now going ahead on Monday 21st.

Villain

Well I spoke to the NRA and they say it definitely won't be open until January now FFS!!!!!

road_high

Who's right here I wonder; Monday 21st or January...

Villain

Someone else want to ring the NRA and see if they get a different answer?

Rabidlamb

Villain wrote: »

Well I spoke to the NRA and they say it definitely won't be open until January now FFS!!!!!

Say this isn't true, I couldn't take it.
I'll go down tonight & move the bollards myself if this is the case.
Maybe the "official opening" wont be until the new year.
Everyone I've asked has said the same thing, "Thursday".

L1011

i'm sitting in traffic in castledermot now, knowing a completed road is closed beside me is exceptionally annoying... Anyone for barrier shifting?

road_high

Jay, the M9 Carlow-Kilcullen section is started to have a bit of the Belin Wall feel to it, with people wanting to burst through the barriers