M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

fricatus

Bards wrote: »

Sept 2009 is the date I am hearing most often - if that is of any use to you. it is due to coincide with the opening of thw Waterford City Bypass also penciled in for Sept 2009.

While it would be nice and neat to have a "big bang" opening of both the motorway to Knocktopher and the new bridge, it's not technically necessary, is it?

I know the last couple of miles of the M9/N9 are being built by the same people as are doing the bypass and bridge, but the only bit that they need to have ready to coincide with the M9 is the bit from Dunkitt, through the new roundabout by the Limerick road, the upper bit of the Grannagh interchange, and the road from there across the Blackwater and the railway through to the new roundabout that's already open in Newrath.

Bards wrote: »

You never know Roadbridge/Sisk may even have the Knocktopher to Kilkenny section of Phase 4. completed to coincide with both of these openings.

Well certainly if you take a look from the new bridge over the motorway at Danesfort, the motorway looks to be taking shape very quickly, but I travelled between Kells and Stonyford lately, and the old road is still in place, i.e. they haven't yet finished the bridge that will presumably go over the motorway, and while you can see where the motorway will go, it has none of the "shape" to it that the bit further up near Danesfort has.

You never know though

Just to add, coming into Waterford last night, the traffic was moved onto the river-side of the new dual carriageway (i.e. the right-hand carriageway heading inbound). There appears now just to be a little bit left to be built down near the CIE goods yard.

Bards

according to the AA

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/map/map.asp

N9 will be closed on Saturday 21st Mar from 07:30 to 16:00 between Dunkit Cross and Milltown Cross


I suspect this must have something to do with the flyover for the new M9

Chris_533976

More people died on the N9 last night. Sounds like a case of ludicrous overtaking though. I wonder if there'd be any result in suing the government because they didnt keep to their original schedule promises?

fricatus

Chris_533976 wrote: »

More people died on the N9 last night. Sounds like a case of ludicrous overtaking though. I wonder if there'd be any result in suing the government because they didnt keep to their original schedule promises?

I don't know anything about that crash, let me state that from the outset - but I've always found that section of road between Castledermot and Crookstown to be very hairy. It shouldn't be that way because it's new - it was only upgraded a couple of years ago.

However there's something about these roads with a wide hard shoulder and two wide lanes. People treat them as dual carriageways and expect others to move in to the side. However those being overtaken aren't always paying attention, or they're not happy about being overtaken, or indeed are doing about 70 mph themselves! Because the road is so wide, straight and smooth, you'd think nothing about doing ridiculous speeds like 85 mph to get past some "slowcoach" doing 70... I guess it's all about perception...

At least the motorway is being built now, but if it wasn't, I would say there was an urgent need for that stretch of road to be turned into a dual carriageway with a metal barrier down the middle. The lanes would be a little narrow, but there's space enough for four lanes - I've seen something similar going from the M1 into Dundalk by Xerox and in other places too.

fricatus

Bards wrote: »

according to the AA

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/map/map.asp

N9 will be closed on Saturday 21st Mar from 07:30 to 16:00 between Dunkit Cross and Milltown Cross


I suspect this must have something to do with the flyover for the new M9

"Knocktopher Bypass N9/N10 Scheme" :rolleyes: Where do they get these makey-up names?

Almost definitely to do with putting up the new flyover. All the concrete supports appear to be up now, and if they're not, they should certainly be up by 21 March.

Bards

fricatus wrote: »

"Knocktopher Bypass N9/N10 Scheme" :rolleyes: Where do they get these makey-up names?.

from the makey-up phrase book I suspect:rolleyes:

Alun

fricatus wrote: »

However there's something about these roads with a wide hard shoulder and two wide lanes. People treat them as dual carriageways and expect others to move in to the side. However those being overtaken aren't always paying attention, or they're not happy about being overtaken, or indeed are doing about 70 mph themselves! Because the road is so wide, straight and smooth, you'd think nothing about doing ridiculous speeds like 85 mph to get past some "slowcoach" doing 70... I guess it's all about perception...

I have to agree with you there .. some of the stuff I've seen going on on such roads is truly spine-chilling.

The hard shoulder, rather than being somewhere where (as allowed by the RoTR) slow moving traffic occasionally moves over to allow other traffic to pass, almost seems to become a permanent extra lane for traffic moving slightly under the speed limit, and all other traffic uses the normal driving lane at speeds often in excess of the limit.

Then you get someone who comes along who decides that even the car in the normal driving lane isn't going fast enough, and then overtakes them in turn. Result ... 3 cars side by side in one direction, 2 in the other ... on a 2 lane carriageway. Pure madness.

serfboard

The thing I like the best is the people driving on the hard shoulder on dual-carriageways/motorways :eek:

alpha2zulu

At least the motorway is being built now, but if it wasn't, I would say there was an urgent need for that stretch of road to be turned into a dual carriageway with a metal barrier down the middle.

Very same happened whwn the N24 Piltown bypass opened, there was a horrendous fatality rate for the first couple of years until the 2+1 layout with barrier down the middlw was installed.

The 2+1 idea seems to have been put on the backburner nationwide as that section of the N9 would have been ideal for it. Dont know whether its a cost issue or what but the Piltown and Cahir bypass are the only locations I can think of with this layout.

Bards

alpha2zulu wrote: »

Very same happened whwn the N24 Piltown bypass opened, there was a horrendous fatality rate for the first couple of years until the 2+1 layout with barrier down the middlw was installed.

The 2+1 idea seems to have been put on the backburner nationwide as that section of the N9 would have been ideal for it. Dont know whether its a cost issue or what but the Piltown and Cahir bypass are the only locations I can think of with this layout.

2+2 is only an extra 10% so NRA have scrapped 2+1 in favor of 2+2's

Irish and Proud

Bards wrote: »

2+2 is only an extra 10% so NRA have scrapped 2+1 in favor of 2+2's

...well nearly that is...

...the original 2+1 (14m) and WS2 (15m - afaik now scrapped) specs were replaced by 2+2 (16.5m) for most green-field schemes. However, a slightly narrower 2+1 spec (13m) has been retained mainly for retrofit projects - due to site constraints I'd imagine. The current standard S2 (12.3m) could be upgraded to 2+1:

12.3m + (2 x 0.5m off the verges) = 13.3m.

The verges for the S2 spec are 3m while same for 2+2 are 2.5m.

Regards!

Sully

I went from B&Q to the bridge today. All that's needed is a cleanup, lining and fitting of the rest of the street lights. When you arrive at the bridge there is a lot of work to be done. Security said it will be 2-3 months and the bridge will be fully completed. Apparently they get a load of visitors!

Any tips on better ways of getting access to the bridge rather then take so long to walk from B&Q?

http://pix.ie/sully/album/336622 for photos.

road_high

fricatus wrote: »

"Knocktopher Bypass N9/N10 Scheme" :rolleyes: Where do they get these makey-up names?

Almost definitely to do with putting up the new flyover. All the concrete supports appear to be up now, and if they're not, they should certainly be up by 21 March.

...which is slightly ironic as the sceheme will not fully bypass Knocktopher until the Knocktopher-Carlow stretch comes on stream. It will end tot he west of the village and traffic will still have to pass through to link to the N9/10 roads.
But there is a possibility the road may open as far as Danesfort outside Kilkenny at the same time.

Bards

Sully wrote: »

I went from B&Q to the bridge today. All that's needed is a cleanup, lining and fitting of the rest of the street lights. When you arrive at the bridge there is a lot of work to be done. Security said it will be 2-3 months and the bridge will be fully completed. Apparently they get a load of visitors!

Any tips on better ways of getting access to the bridge rather then take so long to walk from B&Q?

http://pix.ie/sully/album/336622 for photos.

Sully, the new bridge is part of the Waterford City bypass not the Dublin to Waterford Motorway.

The Motorway does not start until you are past the bridge from one of the new Rondabout's out by the Grannagh Interchange.

Excellent pics though!!

road_high

Bards wrote: »

Sully, the new bridge is part of the Waterford City bypass not the Dublin to Waterford Motorway.

The Motorway does not start until you are past the bridge from one of the new Rondabout's out by the Grannagh Interchange.

Excellent pics though!!

Yea, title is misleading. Almost the pics are of the Waterford bypass not the M9.

Sully

Ah shoot. I for some daft reason though the opposite! Okay, thanks.

There is probably not much else past the bridge to take pictures of but I might head out past it and take more pictures. I wouldn't mind getting better access to the bridge though.

road_high

Sully wrote: »

Ah shoot. I for some daft reason though the opposite! Okay, thanks.

There is probably not much else past the bridge to take pictures of but I might head out past it and take more pictures. I wouldn't mind getting better access to the bridge though.

And if you'd like to take pics of the M9 as well it would be great to see . Thanks.

Sully

Well if somebody tells me easy access routes, sure.

Id like to finish the bypass photos first, taking a right instead of a left down to the bridge (assume its towards Kilmeaden). Though I dont fancy walking whatever amount of miles it was from B&Q :P

Btw, whats the estimated new journey time when the road opens?

road_high

I took a drive down beyond Knocktopher down to above Mullinavat along a back road beside the M9 for much of it...
It's strange, while in places the road is tarred with concrete barrier in place along the centre etc and for all intents and purposes looks like it's almost ready to open...
Then further down I came across one stertch with lots of work still to do with just the bare cut-out of the road. This was at a flyover for a backroad
(sorry I have no pics, wouldn't know how to upload them here if I had taken any..). Still seemed to be lots of work to be done in areas such as this.
They seem to be doing it in patches. Would be nice to see them getting on with it at this stage. Over two years since construction began now..

larryone

Had a look at the Kilcullen side of things today, took a few photos, but I have misplaced my usb cable for the camera...
Plenty of earth works going on in the extreme northern section, a good few bridges are well on their way - central pillars and endpoints are there on some of them. The bridge where the new road cuts in under the existing N9 is complete, the traffic will probably be brought on to it fairly soon, and the existing road will be removed.
The earthworks stop just at the point where the lanes of the M9 converge. The works are just about visile from the N78 bridge. I'd imagine It'll be the last part of the Kilcullen-Carlow section to be completed. The tie-in at the Carlow end will be simple, minimal disruption. Kilcullen end isn't as easy.
I'll get the photos uploaded soon.

road_high

Yea Carlow-Kilcullen is very well advanced at this stage. It looks to be at least as well progressed as Knocktopher-Waterford despite starting a year later.
I know the terrain of land would be easier of course on this section, fairly flat for much of it with gently rolling hills.

larryone

Camera cable has gone AWOL, so I probably won have the pics before the next time I drive through there. It was for my second camera anyway, next time I'll use my good camera. (which also uses a non-proprietary USB connection) If I find the other cable in the meantime I'll lash up the images, but they'll be a little out of date.

Road-Hog

Some additional pictures of various parts of the Waterford Bypass are now viewable from the following link..........

http://www.waterfordcity.ie/n25bypass/gallery.html

Bards

Road-Hog wrote: »

Some additional pictures of various parts of the Waterford Bypass are now viewable from the following link..........

http://www.waterfordcity.ie/n25bypass/gallery.html

might be more suited to the Waterford City Bypass thread

Amtmann

Any new updates on the Knocktopher to Waterford section that Ascon are building?

1) Has the median been laid?
2) Have they started to apply the final surface to any sections yet?
3) Any sign poles or crash barriers erected yet?
4) How likely is this to open before July?

BluntGuy

Not an update, but you've just reminded me that I was down in Waterford a few weeks ago and took a bunch of pictures. I better upload them! I may have taken one or two of the Waterford-Knocktopher stretch near Grannagh.

Amtmann

BluntGuy wrote: »

I better upload them!

Get cracking!

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

Get cracking!

Will do. I'm using one of those SD card reader things now which are nice 'n' quick. I'll slap 'em up on Flickr and post them here (if I can find my camera). I also took plenty of shots of the Piltown and Clonmel Bypasses (N24).

Road-Hog

Furet wrote: »

Any new updates on the Knocktopher to Waterford section that Ascon are building?

1) Has the median been laid?
2) Have they started to apply the final surface to any sections yet?
3) Any sign poles or crash barriers erected yet?
4) How likely is this to open before July?

From good sources, answers to your questions

1. By Median I assume you mean the concrete central median barrier, if so about 20%
2. No 'final surface' / wearing course has been laid in any section and similarly for the N25 Waterford bypass, not a single m2 of wearing course placed apart from side roads and realignments
3. Apart from side roads and realignments none placed.
4. Not a chance that road will be open by July, will be lucky to see traffic on it by end of year.

Tomorrow's budget could mean an even later opening from what I hear..........

johnbk

Progress is slow. Around Lukeswell where the new M9 crosses the exising N9 north of Mullinavat they are still carring out drainage along the sides of the new road, no surfaces are laid at all yet, not even the CBM. The junction at Knocktopher is coming along nicely but there is still a pile of work left on it. This section will be lucky to be finished before the end of the year.