M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

emfifty

Star Spangler wrote: »

From IOL (Ireland OnLine) News

I have left a message with Sean Power's office seeking clarification on this issue. If it's true Sean Power admitted trying to postpone the decision to open the new m9 motorway then his integrity is now in question for me especially having denied it to members on this board.:(

regards,



PS. no mention of the board's influence on reversed decision in irish times today.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1218/1224260899213.html

"The reversal of the Minister’s initial decision took place after strong protests from south Kildare commuters, the AA and regional politicians."

L1011

boards certainly rallied many of the commuters, and indirectly the politicians it mentions.

alpha2zulu

emfifty wrote: »

I have left a message with Sean Power's office seeking clarification on this issue. If it's true Sean Power admitted trying to postpone the decision to open the new m9 motorway then his integrity is now in question for me especially having denied it to members on this board.:(

Fired off a e-mail there myself earlier too, not exactly pleasent being lied to by a elected representative.

By any chance is he related to Willie Power over in Killinascully??;) Would explain a lot.

hipster2009

dougal wrote: »

Of course it would but you wouldn't be able to get your breakfast roll that way.

If you knew where the intersections are, then you would know this would involve going too far out of the way so the time you save on the journey would already be lost!:)

hipster2009

Star Spangler wrote: »

Would it not be handier for them just to join the motorway at the Castledermot interchange??

no it wouldnt;)
If you knew where the intersections are, then you would know this would involve going too far out of the way so the time you save on the journey would already be lost!

Wild Bill

Hey! Well done folks. I was shocked into silence by the Dempsey direction to leave this road closed - never imagined people would be so focused on the sheer outrageousness of the act.

Dempsey should never be forgiven. Period. :cool:

edanto

Congratulations all! It's good in a way that boards didn't get the credit in the newspaper story, as it wasn't boards that did anything. It was the people here, the people they talked to and all the contact they made with the decision makers. Boards just helped bring all that together, which I'd say the founders are a little proud of.

On the Power issue - there may be a simple explanation for his apparent hypocrisy. Perhaps he's trying to say that he lobbied to delay the opening ceremony, but not the actual opening of the road? If that is his angle, I wouldn't trust him at all as it smells of BS.

alpha2zulu

From the Irish Times today:

Commenting on the controversy this week over the opening of the M9 Kilcullen-Carlow bypass, Mr Dempsey said that he had been given assurances that it would be open on Monday, and the NRA had said it would be safe to do so. The official opening will take place next month.
“I don’t know what it was all about,” Mr Dempsey said in response to questions about a delay in opening the road to assuage traders’ concerns.
“I was in Brussels. I’m saying no more,” he added, while agreeing that he had been lobbied about the timing of the opening by deputies across all parties. He said it was a matter for the deputies themselves to own up to that.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1219/1224260976328.html

redalicat

Times article also mentions:

Carlow to Knocktopher, 40km, to open winter 2010.

Knocktopher to Waterford, 24km, to open spring 2010.

So entire M9 open before May? June?

Roryhy

redalicat wrote: »

Times article also mentions:

Carlow to Knocktopher, 40km, to open winter 2010.

Knocktopher to Waterford, 24km, to open spring 2010.

So entire M9 open before May? June?

Theres no way it will be winter before this is open, the article just referred to the NRA website for figures i'd imagine.

Sponge Bob

alpha2zulu wrote: »

From the Irish Times today:

God Dempsey is such a brazen arrogant liar, even by the usually low FF standards

He left for Brussels late Wednesday or more likely early Thursday for a transport ministers meeting.

He HAD GIVEN THE ORDER TO CANCEL BEFORE HE LEFT.

In Brussels Dempsey discussed more important things on the agenda such as:

1. The management of the European satellite radio-navigation programmes
2. The framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other transport modes
3. Aviation security charges.
4. Reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States of the Community.
5. A sustainable future for transport: Towards an integrated, technology-led and user friendly system.
6. Second stage air services negotiations with the United States of America

and blithely forgot about Sean Powers mate with the garage ......until the phones started hopping around 10am that is

Fortunately for the half million+ people who will use the new road over the christmas period there were more FF TDs calling up and insisting on opening it than there were hicks in Kildare holding out for the brown envelope contribution to their re election funds.

No amount of Dempseys lies will ever change that, and thankfully one lucky person may be alive in January because of the phone calls and emails and a further 4 may be free of a lifetime of pain and serious injury.

robert muldoon

I notice all the new signs at Kilcullen have Ballyshannon on them. Where is Ballyshannon?- Its a townland that happens to have a school and a pub that opens at 7pm in its area,its not even a village like Calverstown or Narraghmore,there is not even a sign for it on the Athy road.

road_high

The one and only downside (if there is one really) is that traffic on the N9/10 south of Carlow and particularly to Kilkenny will worsen now. A lot of KK-Dublin traffic that had used/still used the N78 via Athy will now almost all revert to the M9/N9/10 as and from Monday.
It will only be temporary of course but I have to say I am very dissapointed with the progress of BAM on their section further south. That was meant to finish last summer (and that was a conservative estimate!). Kilcullen-Carlow started a year later but is opening Monday.

Roryhy

Whats the story with Athy traffic from Monday, the link road isn't finished so they will continue to use the old N78 which i heard had been downgraded to an R road, hence 80kph limit. This will be frustrating for commuters, same road, 20kph lower limit, no choice. Please tell me they have sense and wont implement the downgrading of the N78 until the link road is finished

alpha2zulu

On the southern end of Waterford-Knocktopher BAM finally making a bit of progress. By the looks of it by Christmas all lining and cats eyes will be done between Waterford and Mullinavat.
On the troublesome River Blackwater bridge, all the above ground work is done, bridge lined and painted and just the side crash barriers needing to be connected up. The scaffold is still in place however underneath.

Looking north from the N9 crossover area in Dunkitt.

Looking south,about 2.5km from the end of the motorway with the N25 Suir Bridge at the far left.

The N9 crossover at Dunkitt.

Looking south,1.5km from the end of Motorway with the Nightcap-Lower Kilmacow overpass in the background.

The completed Blackwater Bridge with the end of Motorway-1Km sign just visible under the E of Rosslare.

fricatus

Excellent photos alpha2zulu!

Can anyone explain the little bits of debris every 2-3m or so? Are they something to do with the installation of cats' eyes?

Amtmann

^^ That's it exactly, fricatus.

JPW1981

Castledermot is one **** hole. Im from there and I hate when I say Im from Kildare and someone goes "oh yea? where abouts?"...and Im like "erh erh.....near Athy"

Setanta_og

I was down this way today travelling the old N9 hopefully for the last time but what with all the controversy about the M9 opening/not opening etc. I decided to take a few shot to highlight and contrast the huge improvement the new M/w is going to provide for motorists/commuters alike heading towards the Capital or S/E particularly in respect to safe motoring compared with the existing situation.
I had a look at the work in progress on the link from Mullaghmast to Athy its quite a beautiful piece of road building in its own right with an 11m blacktop width there is nothing been spared in the build. This new link will effectively do away with a narrow third rate side road with many dangerous bends and turns well done to all concerned when designing this new road that recognition was given to the need for a 110% upgrade cause that’s what’s been built enjoy

Setanta_og

Heres a few more of the link road...

redalicat

Setanta_og wrote: »

I was down this way today travelling the old N9 hopefully for the last time but what with all the controversy about the M9 opening/not opening etc. I decided to take a few shot to highlight and contrast the huge improvement the new M/w is going to provide for motorists/commuters alike heading towards the Capital or S/E particularly in respect to safe motoring compared with the existing situation.

I live near the third photo, quite right.

BluntGuy

That is a gorgeous stretch of new-build single-carriageway. If they were truly ambitious they could've squeezed in a 2+2, but the new road as it is, is shaping up to be fantastic and will be more than apt for the traffic volume.

Thanks for the shots Setanta!

L1011

2+2 would be total overkill, but the roadgeek and speedfreak within agrees entirely with the idea of using it as the standard for what were S2 projects going foward....

Chesco

Just noticed on the NRA website that the M9 Kilculen /Carlow is now listed as Completed.

Im, a long time lurker of this group but a first time poster
Well done to all involved in getting the decision corrected! last week.

mackerski

murpho999 wrote: »

I have been in 'first world' countries where they don't use 'cats eyes' at all eg Netherlands, so your comment is a bit OTT.

I can't think of a single European country (except UK) that does use cats eyes except in special circumstances.

Chris_533976

Thats because its impossible to snow-plough a road with cats eyes, simple as that

murphaph

Chris_533976 wrote: »

Thats because its impossible to snow-plough a road with cats eyes, simple as that

There's more to it than that I thonk because even though they are "non standard" we have some cats eyes (albeit mains powered) on the A100 and A113 motorways near here. These roads would definitely see snow ploughs.

Spain etc. would have no need for snow ploughs but also avoid cats eyes.

I love german autobahns but I hate them on pissy rainy nights and some are really hard to drive in these conditions, around here anyway. The cats eye is quite simply a feckin great invention, shame Ireland maintains them so poorly after installation. The beads only last a couple of years IIRC and need replacing but it doesn't seem to happen.

Latro

Cornering at high speed on a motorcycle is deadly when you drive on them. Not like it matters here. We hardly have any bikes on the roads.

redalicat

Article in the Sunday Business Post here:

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/m9-kilcullen-section-to-open-tomorrow-46373.html

Now the business trade on the N78 is invoked as the reason for the first reversal? :rolleyes:

murphaph

Latro wrote: »

Cornering at high speed on a motorcycle is deadly when you drive on them. Not like it matters here. We hardly have any bikes on the roads.

I'm a biker too. If you're hitting the cats eyes whilst cornering you're obviously too wide for the road and just as likely to be hit by an oncoming vehicle, sure a wet white line or tar banding are just as lethal in those circumstances.

I'd say there are a hundred more dangerous things for irish bikers on the roads than cats eyes tbh, starting with other drivers!