M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

Project Coordinator wrote:

I’m hoping at worst that it will be delivered in time for the Hurling final in Sept.

fricatus wrote:

There's confidence!

He's obviously from New Ross - the rest of the county will be heading up the N11!

Bards

Roadbridge have updated their website (At long last) and have some scheme brochures/progress details

http://www.roadbridge.ie/?q=projects&q2=roads

and news

http://www.roadbridge.ie/?q=news

road_high

scubadavie wrote: »

I just heard from a Guard in Waterford that they were told by contractors that the stretch from Danesford to Powerstown would be open by March 17th. I find this a little bit hard to believe!!??

God I wish . I can't see it open that early unfortunately. The mid summer dates are far more plausible.

Thye have started proper on the Paulstown junction roundabouts on the current N9/10 in recent days. Hopefully the works won't prove too chaotic.

Not too long to wait for the stretch down to Waterford at last it seems as well. The M9 is well and truly becoming a reality south of Carlow now

Silverado

Good progress on the Mullinavat Junction. The western carriageway is now finished and being lined, there are also signs going up. The eastern carriageway is now being prepared for the wear coat. Still some landscaping going on. Should be all done in a week or two.

fricatus

Silverado wrote: »

Good progress on the Mullinavat Junction.

Never thought I'd hear those words! :rolleyes:

dougal

tomtraubert wrote: »

Its not a cattle crossing exactly.

Its where the farmer crosses his cattle across the Regional road to Nurney/Kildare near Crookstown. He has crossed his cattle here for 50 years and now that this existing regional road has been bridged over the M9 he reckons its not safe.

This relates to the farmer protest at the opening of Kilkullen to Carlow section.

There was a piece about this on "Ear to the Ground" last night.
Basically the farmer crosses his cattle about 100 metres from the motorway overbridge. Since the bridge was opened last March the cars coming over the bridge have no view of the cattle until they come over the brow of the bridge.
This gives them very little time to stop.
He was looking for an underpass but surely some traffic calming measures around the bridge would suffice.

redtelephone

mfitzy wrote: »

Thye have started proper on the Paulstown junction roundabouts on the current N9/10 in recent days. Hopefully the works won't prove too chaotic.

+1 but I do hope it's done quickly, as Waterford -Danesfort opening should mean a lot more traffic passing through Paulstown on the N10, which at the moment veers hourly from speedway to total bottleneck, and has the potential to be another Castledermot. Please God let them hurry up!

Dummy

Where is Danesfort?

Is it Junction 8 on this map? - http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KilkennyCountyCouncil/N9N10CarlowKnocktopherKilcullenWaterford/Map,16507,en.pdf

roryq

Dummy wrote: »

Where is Danesfort?

Is it Junction 8 on this map? - http://www.nra.ie/RoadSchemeActivity/KilkennyCountyCouncil/N9N10CarlowKnocktopherKilcullenWaterford/Map,16507,en.pdf

It would be no 9

Trick of the Tail

So until the section from jcn 9 to 6 is completed, how will one progress north from Danesfort?

A.

road_high

alinton wrote: »

So until the section from jcn 9 to 6 is completed, how will one progress north from Danesfort?

A.

Take the N10 into KK and along the ring road to the N10 Carlow/Dublin road and proceed to the M9 Carlow bypass.

tramor

on the map it looks like there is a tiny road from danesfort to Gowran. It is more direct than going into Kilkenny. Has anyone driven it? How bad is it?

Dummy

Anything is better than that road from Waterford to Paulstown. I drove it for the first time yesterday and I thought it a very dangerous road (mixture of terrible road and terrible drivers).

thetonynator

alinton wrote: »

So until the section from jcn 9 to 6 is completed, how will one progress north from Danesfort?

A.

You could take the n10 to ballyhale and then N9 through thomastown to paulstown and carlow, road isn't as good, but might not be as busy???

Kilkenny ring road is a nightmare at peak time . . .

thetonynator

tramor wrote: »

on the map it looks like there is a tiny road from danesfort to Gowran. It is more direct than going into Kilkenny. Has anyone driven it? How bad is it?

Its a very small road, goes from danesfort to bennettsbridge, very narrow and full of potholes, and then from benettsbridge to gowran, more of the same thing, would be faster by thomastown or kilkenny . . .

road_high

tramor wrote: »

on the map it looks like there is a tiny road from danesfort to Gowran. It is more direct than going into Kilkenny. Has anyone driven it? How bad is it?

The road from near Gowran to Danesfort is an unclassified county road of reasonable width and quality but certainly not a road you would encourage
N road traffic to go on. It could be an option for some in the interim until the st of the M9 opens though. Particularly to avoid the KK ring road at rush hour which is seriously congested.

roryq

I would get off at junction 10 which is close to knocktopher and go from knocktopher to Thomastown and to carlow.

Kilkenny in the mornings is ok. But kilkenny at 5.30 in the evening try to get accross the ring road is horrible.

tramor

that road from knocktopher to paulstown through thomastown was what I was hoping to avoid, and at the same time to use the approx. 5 miles of motorway from knocktopher to danesfort. It would be a sin not to use it when it finally opens. Thanks for the advice though!!

road_high

Are we still on for Mid March for KK-Waterford?

wellbutty

On topic, but also slightly off it, I see an ad in the Aer Lingus onboard magazine flouting the new M9 as a major reason for businesses to relocate to the southeast. When you see the estimated drive times to Kilkenny, Waterford and Carlow it really does make the country small again. Hopefully BAM will get on with it and get the next section open.

road_high

wellbutty wrote: »

On topic, but also slightly off it, I see an ad in the Aer Lingus onboard magazine flouting the new M9 as a major reason for businesses to relocate to the southeast. When you see the estimated drive times to Kilkenny, Waterford and Carlow it really does make the country small again. Hopefully BAM will get on with it and get the next section open.

This is indeed very interesting. Is this an IDA type ad or Chambers of Commerce or something?
I'm not surprised at all, it really is a magnificant piece of Infrastructure and will be a catalyst for future investment in the south east. Great to see it being pushed already.

Trotter

mfitzy wrote: »

This is indeed very interesting. Is this an IDA type ad or Chambers of Commerce or something?
I'm not surprised at all, it really is a magnificant piece of Infrastructure and will be a catalyst for future investment in the south east. Great to see it being pushed already.

It also makes a strong business case for the major expansion of the airport in Waterford. Maybe we dont realise how important this road will prove to be over the next 50 years. Here's hoping for a return to prosperity for the South East.

alpha2zulu

mfitzy wrote: »

This is indeed very interesting. Is this an IDA type ad or Chambers of Commerce or something?
I'm not surprised at all, it really is a magnificant piece of Infrastructure and will be a catalyst for future investment in the south east. Great to see it being pushed already.

I remember seeing this last month but from what I remember it was some sort of developers ad, definetly wasent IDA unfortuently. The journey times printed were a little bit optimistic but its a good ad all the same!

murphaph

Trotter wrote: »

It also makes a strong business case for the major expansion of the airport in Waterford. Maybe we dont realise how important this road will prove to be over the next 50 years. Here's hoping for a return to prosperity for the South East.

Surely it should be making a strong business case for the closure of half of these regional airports (regional airports on a small island) and for the further development of Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.

redalicat

Leinster Leader reports that the new Athy link road "is in line to be open to traffic by late spring/early summer, according to Kildare County Council."

risteardo

tramor wrote: »

that road from knocktopher to paulstown through thomastown was what I was hoping to avoid, and at the same time to use the approx. 5 miles of motorway from knocktopher to danesfort. It would be a sin not to use it when it finally opens. Thanks for the advice though!!

Yeah, I'd be of the same mind. Some of the roads between Thomastown and Gowran are as bad if not worse than Waterford - Ballyhale section, especially on a dark rainy night with speeding trucks coming against you and with nervous drivers impeding any meaningful progress!

Though I haven't yet experienced the now looming dread of the Kilkenny ring road :eek:. Perhaps that will change my tune. But until that happens, from March 12th onwards, I'll be intent on avoiding the full section of old road from Waterford to Paulstown. Good riddance to it.

cargo

Slutboy wrote: »

Yeah, I'd be of the same mind. Some of the roads between Thomastown and Gowran are as bad if not worse than Waterford - Ballyhale section, especially on a dark rainy night with speeding trucks coming against you and with nervous drivers impeding any meaningful progress!

Though I haven't yet experienced the now looming dread of the Kilkenny ring road :eek:. Perhaps that will change my tune. But until that happens, from March 12th onwards, I'll be intent on avoiding the full section of old road from Waterford to Paulstown. Good riddance to it.

Came into Kilkenny on the N76 yesterday evening (Callan/Clonmel Road) at 5pm and traveled all the way over and out the N10 (Dublin Road). No problems anywhere along the ringroad at that stage. Now it may be worse around 5.30 but should be liveable for a few months anyway.

I know they were widening a few of the roundabouts lately but did they widen the Waterford Road one on the approach to KK from Waterford? i.e. will there be a turning lane for Dublin and a straight through / left turn lane for other traffic? Would help speed the flow through here.

fricatus

cargo wrote: »

Came into Kilkenny on the N76 yesterday evening (Callan/Clonmel Road) at 5pm and traveled all the way over and out the N10 (Dublin Road). No problems anywhere along the ringroad at that stage. Now it may be worse around 5.30 but should be liveable for a few months anyway.

I know they were widening a few of the roundabouts lately but did they widen the Waterford Road one on the approach to KK from Waterford? i.e. will there be a turning lane for Dublin and a straight through / left turn lane for other traffic? Would help speed the flow through here.

Heading north there is a right-turning lane at the Waterford roundabout to take you onto the ring road. You head straight on through the Loughboy roundabout easily enough as long as there isn't a tailback from the Bennetsbridge roundabout. That one has just been widened, and I certainly think it's helped in the past few months (notwithstanding the roadworks).

The Dublin Road roundabout is next, and there are two nice big long and wide lanes leading onto it, so while it handles a lot of traffic, it's not too bad.

I see the traffic every day from the office, and to be honest, while there are certainly tailbacks at 9 and again at 5, the traffic gets through and is usually clear by around 9.15 or 5.45.

I'd take the KK ring road over Thomastown any day.

Alun

dougal wrote: »

This relates to the farmer protest at the opening of Kilkullen to Carlow section.

There was a piece about this on "Ear to the Ground" last night.
Basically the farmer crosses his cattle about 100 metres from the motorway overbridge. Since the bridge was opened last March the cars coming over the bridge have no view of the cattle until they come over the brow of the bridge.
This gives them very little time to stop.
He was looking for an underpass but surely some traffic calming measures around the bridge would suffice.

In England they often have flashing light signals where this happens and visibility is compromised. I believe they're operate by the farmers themselves with a key operated switch.

roryq

fricatus wrote: »

I'd take the KK ring road over Thomastown any day.

I'm not too sure about that.. I finish up in purcellsinch at 5.30 most days when I'm in Kilkenny and that ring road is a nightmare..Between the Dublin road roundabout and the blackwater one.