M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

AndrewMc

Star Spangler wrote: »

Yes. Turn right at the top of the ramp in the direction of Athy then take next left.

Just to be specific, it's not the next left (a small residential back road) but the next next left, which is very big and obvious, and signposted R448 and Kilgowan (I think).

AndrewMc

MaireadK4 wrote: »

Is the exit for Athy changed now? I noticed the signs at the current exit (Kilcullen) have a temporary Athy sign stuck at the bottom.

When the Athy Link Road is finished in a few months time, it'll be exit 3, but for now keep taking exit 2.

EUSTY500

Just came down from Dublin (to Kilkenny) & I think we were among the first to "have a go on it" at 1.42pm. Got to North Carlow turnoff exactly 15 minutes later taking it very handy because of the weather & passed the first wave of cars lead by the Gardai coming north about halfway down. Very nice road, gonna make the Dublin commute a hell of a lot easier. Feel bad for anyone below Thomastown who still has to deal with getting through the bottlenecks but it shouldn't be too long now before Waterford - Danesfort opens...

jd

Star Spangler wrote: »

Yes. Turn right at the top of the ramp in the direction of Athy then take next left.

Edit: Sorry I should have said no you can't. The old N9 is for residents only.

Visiting residents

yellow012

Star Spangler wrote: »

Yes. Turn right at the top of the ramp in the direction of Athy then take next left.

Edit: Sorry I should have said no you can't. The old N9 is for residents only.

Hey I hope yourself and Redalicat enjoy the peace and quiet and improved quality of life that will come without having a busy main road on your door steps...

larryone

I'm hoping it'll reduce the number of vehicles using the N81 aswell. Pity the road from Baltinglass to the Athy junction isn't being improved.

rocks1981

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dempsey-opens-m9-kilcullen-to-carlow-motorway-439166.html

"I'm very pleased with the ongoing progress along the entire route and look forward to the official opening of this stretch of road in January 2010."

Roryhy

Just back from a spin up n down the new road. 14mins from end to end for me at the limit. Wonderful piece of infrastructure, pity there's nothing we can do about the same old a**holes driving in the overtaking lane the whole way, with their foglights on. Link road from Ballitore to J3 is open, just not the other way towards Athy.

Dempsey is a knob, he has taken a real nosedive in my estimations recently.

Also, northbound, did anyone else see the massive trench to the left of the road, maybe 5km north of Carlow junction, no crash barrier, massive drop. If you came off the road there at speed i wouldn't fancy your chances.

emfifty

rocks1981 wrote: »

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/dempsey-opens-m9-kilcullen-to-carlow-motorway-439166.html

"I'm very pleased with the ongoing progress along the entire route and look forward to the official opening of this stretch of road in January 2010."

I see a helicopter in the background. Either Dempsey is in a hurry or he is looking for a quick getaway. Happy Christmas to the man!

D'Peoples Voice

MYOB wrote: »

WHAT business on the N78? Its only a small section being detrunked and many people will use it anyway.

Richard Daly, a Fine Gael councillor in Athy, said that as far as he and his fellow councillors were aware, the road was scheduled to open in January. However, they learned at a meeting last Tuesday with contractors Roadbridge that the section was opening.
‘‘This just smacks of a disregard for the local communities affected.
There have been concerns about ancillary roads and other issues. The area engineer, whose job it would be to ensure the road is salted and gritted, had not even been forewarned of it."

why did Fine Gael not just keep their mouth shut and let people think it was only Sean Power in FF that was trying to stop the road opening early

dougal

Latest on the Waterford to Danesfort section.

Can the more technical minded please explain why this is the case on this section but not Kilcullen to Carlow?

Sent: 21 December 2009 15:28
Subject: RE: status on road from Waterford to Danesfort?

Unfortunately the weather in the autumn was not conducive to road finishing particularly the final bituminous layer, road marking and landscaping. It looks like it will be mid Feb at least before we open.

Project Coordinator

rocks1981

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1221/m9.html

"has been opened without Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey or a ribbon cutting ceremony" ..... "There was controversy last week when it was announced the road would not be opening until January even though the National Roads Authority had said the road was ready to be opened." ....

Kellzer

How much time do people reckon will the new road cut off the journey time from Carlow to Dublin?

fricatus

dougal wrote: »

It looks like it will be mid Feb at least before we open.

Project Coordinator

At this stage, the delays just have me numbed... :mad:

I think I will have a better Christmas if I just learn to accept the things I cannot change

It will open when it opens...

redalicat

yellow012 wrote: »

Hey I hope yourself and Redalicat enjoy the peace and quiet and improved quality of life that will come without having a busy main road on your door steps...

Thank you, we're quite happy at the difference already 5:10 in the evening and hardly a car on the road...

redalicat

Just got home from taking a spin on the M9 bypass, took photos but only had my mobile camera with me. With the decreasing light at half four, they came out pretty blurry and sketchy, so I won't post them. Went as far as the exit for what will be the N78, saw the part of the roundabout that will go to Athy once the new road is done.

Road was great, can hear the bypassed cars in the distance but only if I'm outside. Handful of cars here on the old N9 with the occasional lorry, so it's much calmer in my neck of the woods.:cool: Still hoping the entire M9 opens before schedule as I have friends down Waterford way.

kilkea

Guys, just checking, is J3 open fine and letting you get over to the old N9? I'm heading Moone direction later and just want to make sure I don't end up in a dead-end if I take the junction!

Roryhy

Yes, the link to Moone is open

elius

Great stuff would i be right in saying its motorway the hole way down from naas to carlow?, My folks liv in waterford and my misses parents live in dublin. Always ment a lenghty drive on christmas day from dublin to waterford. Would have prefered the carlow waterford stretch to have opened first as the killculin to carlow isnt a bad road compared to carlow to waterford...

Roryhy

Yes motorway as far as the far side of Carlow, this time next year and it'll be a much nicer drive the rest of the way

spacetweek

fricatus wrote: »

I think I will have a better Christmas if I just learn to accept the things I cannot change

Haha, so many people on Boards have that problem

W.B. Yeats

Just leaving work in KK heading home to Dub,
Can't wait to get onto the new road, I'm actually a bit excited!:D

kwalshe

that was brilliant. saved 15 mins on my commute home...

rameire

drove down to junction 3 on the way home and then back to junction 2 and back to athy.
didnt have enough petrol to get to carlow.
wasnt bad, took 7 min prob could do it faster but with the weather they way it is and all the people enjoying the road at a leisurely pace it wasnt possible.

not too sure if its a good road south for the motorcycle with the camber of the road at some places but northbound seems alrite.

hopefully when i get to drive it in the daytime it might be better.

on a good note its very smooth.

also cant wait for the athy link to open.

NedNew

Also noticed for those interested:

The Kilcullen-Carlow section has rumble strip yellow lines but does not (yet?) have emergency phones installed.

Chris_533976

RTE did their crappy piece today, was good to see the before/after Castledermot pics tho.

W.B. Yeats

It saved me about 10 min from KK to Dub; it would have been more except for the thick fog around KK reducing visibility and causing people to drive at around 40mph
A happy day

Mayo Exile

Piece on the opening from Six One News today now on RTE player. 30 minutes in.

deiseman21

Funny they should show the southern end (not yet completed) during the last few seconds of the report, you can clearly see the N25 Bridge at the very end.

emfifty

this is posted on the NRA website today...


'Given current wintry weather conditions, the Minister [of Transport] used the opportunity to once again highlight the road safety message to all road users'.



----And this new bypass was being put back to Jan why?....:rolleyes: