M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

cargo

MissesMe wrote: »

I commute from around mullinavat to kilkenny every day and thought it was only the waterford to knocktopher section that was opening? Someone please make my dreams come true and confirm its waterford to danesfort???

Another question, is there any kind of exit to come off the motorway between knocktopher and waterford?

read the previous page of this thread and you'll even find a map showing ou the new section and all the exits. (that would be the big colourful thing in the middle of the page you've just posted this message from!!)

Amtmann

MissesMe wrote: »

I commute from around mullinavat to kilkenny every day and thought it was only the waterford to knocktopher section that was opening? Someone please make my dreams come true and confirm its waterford to danesfort???

Another question, is there any kind of exit to come off the motorway between knocktopher and waterford?

Your dreams have come true. Danesfort it is. See here for a map of the junctions between Danesfort (marked 9) and Waterford (marked 12).

Stark

cargo wrote:

read the previous page of this thread and you'll even find a map showing ou the new section and all the exits. (that would be the big colourful thing in the middle of the page you've just posted this message from!!)

That map is ahead of itself. The section from junction 9 through junction 8 is marked as complete on the map but is not yet open. The open section starts at junction 9.

MissesMe

read the previous page of this thread and you'll even find a map showing ou the new section and all the exits. (that would be the big colourful thing in the middle of the page you've just posted this message from!!)

Sorry, I did see that map but the pure excitement of not being stuck behind JCBs, micras and trucks for an hour knocked the senses out of me.

Your dreams have come true.

Thanks!

MisterCrown

MissesMe wrote: »

I commute from around mullinavat to kilkenny every day and thought it was only the waterford to knocktopher section that was opening? Someone please make my dreams come true and confirm its waterford to danesfort???

Another question, is there any kind of exit to come off the motorway between knocktopher and waterford?

You can get onto the motorway at Mullinavat, just turn up that road just off the main street, the one with the railway level crossing on it, whatever it's called.

JohnC.

Dymo wrote: »

is that 18 minutes from Junction 9 to Waterford 18 minutes ?

Junction 9 to Junction 12 (ie. end of the motorway).

Amtmann

How does it feel to drive? Is it very bendy or are the curves inconsequential? Is the surfacing smooth or are there slight bumps?

jimbojazz

Furet wrote: »

How does it feel to drive? Is it very bendy or are the curves inconsequential? Is the surfacing smooth or are there slight bumps?

Fairly straight, no real noticeable bends, surface could have been better in parts though.

ashleey

And if I wanted to travel from Callan to Rosslare, would anyone advise picking up the new section at Danesfort down to Waterford and then follow signs for Rosslare (i.e. Waterford bypass to New Ross) on the new road (is it finished at Waterford?)?

road_high

Why do the media organisations keep saying it is Knocktopher-Waterford that opened . Danesfort-Waterford is open, and people are understandably confused.
Great road though, just drove from Mullinavat to KK, and back. Journey is easily cut in half now. Great road.

JohnC.

mfitzy wrote: »

Why do the media organisations keep saying it is Knocktopher-Waterford that opened . Danesfort-Waterford is open, and people are understandably confused.

Officially, it is the Waterford-Knocktopher road which was opened by the minister. Knocktopher-Danesfort is a different part of the project by a different company which just happens to have opened today too, without any ministerial fanfare. But I do agree, it could certainly have been handled much better because people are confused.

mojor

So If I'm traveling from Waterford to Dublin now should I get off at Knocktopher or Danesfort? I know after Knocktopher I'd need to cut across through Thomastown, Gowran etc.. but where would you go after taking the Danesfort Exit? Kilkenny Ring Road and on to Paulstown or is that miles out of the way?

KevR

Kahless wrote: »

Officially, it is the Waterford-Knocktopher road which was opened by the minister. Knocktopher-Danesfort is a different part of the project by a different company which just happens to have opened today too, without any ministerial fanfare. But I do agree, it could certainly have been handled much better because people are confused.

And no doubt the likes of AA Roadwatch and RTE will sometimes correctly refer to it as the M9 and at other times refer to it as N9 over the coming months just to confuse people further.

kieranb07

Just trying to figure out something here... how much longer is it from
Knocktopher to Paulstown via Danesfort motorway and kk ringroad
compared to
Knocktopher to Paulstown via Thomastown/Gowran
tryed working it out using googlemaps but the Knocktopher/Danesford part of the road isnt on the map
when i add the supposed 13km that it is between J10 and J9 to the total lenght GMaps gives me there is only 2k in the difference
Is this right?

munchkin_utd

this is from the indo today:

"When the final section is completed, it will be possible to travel from the M7/M50 Red Cow junction to Waterford City in approximately 90 minutes - an unheard-of journey time just a few short years ago," he said.

Just to put it in perspective, how long did it take normally before the motorway opened?
And what about a Friday or Sunday evening?

tonc76

munchkin_utd wrote: »

this is from the indo today:

Just to put it in perspective, how long did it take normally before the motorway opened?
And what about a Friday or Sunday evening?

Normally traffic free it took 2 hours

Friday evening could take up to 3 with Carlow being the biggest holdup

Sunday evening about 2.5 hours with Carlow again holdiing things up

dowlingm

By the looks of things IE should just shut up shop south of Carlow unless they can find a way to speed up their service big-time... Newbridge-Waterford is timetabled at 2hrs right now, so even if an IC train stopped in Clondalkin (nearest to Red Cow) you're looking at 2h15+?

savic04

i drove home from dub airport today, road was great until gowran, then it was just the normal crap road.. that slowed up the journey, so where do you get onto the new road ?

I couldnt see a link to the new road..

going to/from dublin/waterford, do I now not vear off after ballyhale before Knocktopher and take the Thomastown, Gowran route?

roryq

I've been traveling the old N9 to work everyday for the last 4 and half years. And today was the first day I made it from kilkenny to tramore in about 45mins. I could not be happier.

Bards

savic04 wrote: »

i drove home from dub airport today, road was great until gowran, then it was just the normal crap road.. that slowed up the journey, so where do you get onto the new road ?

I couldnt see a link to the new road..

going to/from dublin/waterford, do I now not vear off after ballyhale before Knocktopher and take the Thomastown, Gowran route?

go back a few pages and you'll see all your questions answered

johnbk

The day has finally arrived. The worst road in Ireland (National Primary route) is finally resigned to history. I travelled from Waterford to Kilkenny in 26 minutes. (M9 Roundabout to roundabout on Kilkenny ring road). I have to say that the bends on the mainline around Mullinavat seem inconsequential in the car to how I thought they might be (when I cycled the route two weeks ago). The route actually has some decent straight stretches. I also met the Garda escort coming towards me.

Irish and Proud

fresca wrote: »

I have no doubt that some kind soul shall post the updated map on http://www.openstreetmap.org/

Yep!

It's on OSM - the N9 route now looks weird - the M9 (northwards from Waterford) becomes the N10 through Kilkenny and then spontaneously becomes the N9 again at Paulstown. There's no N9 through Thomastown - it has become (as expected) the R448!

Regards!

Dum_Dum

I don't understand why the N9 has been demoted to the R448 instead of an 'L' road.

RobitTV

Can you actully use the Motorway to go to Kilkenny now according to OpenStreetMap At the moment the Motorway stops at the N10 Going to Kilkenny so that will be a big save in time!

Dilbert75

johnbk wrote: »

I also met the Garda escort coming towards me.

Lucky they were more concerned with leading the VIPs than catching fellas driving with one hand, taking photos with the other while straddling the white line!:p

Great day for the south east. I'm strongly considering taking the N25 from New Ross to Waterford and up that way to Dublin in future, just to see if I can cut off that extra time on my trip. Should be safer too.

BTW are there pull-in stops somewhere around Carlow? Not petrol stations, just lay-bys?

jd

Dum_Dum wrote: »

I don't understand why the N9 has been demoted to the R448 instead of an 'L' road.

I guess because it is an alternate route

lotie

Great that this latest stage is open. I travel Knocktopher to Waterford every day so the journey home was great. Quicker, safer and less stressful.:)

That said, the road did underwhelm he somewhat. As a piece of infrastructure it doesn't come across to be as striking as the the Carlow to Kilcullen section. Anyone else left with this impression?

Chris_5339762

Spot the stupid mistake in the RTE picture -

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0322/m9.html

lotie

Great spot Chris!

Wouldn't be surprised is they needed to use Roadbridge's opening stone for their scheme as BAM f**ked up getting one in place in time!

PS. Difficult to watch report on RTE news with RTE quoting that the reason for the scheme being late was 'weather related'. They're not journalists - just parrotts.

tramor

Great picture. I'd hate to have been stuck on the other side of the road. I'm going to take time off work to drive the new motorway both directions, for no other reason than I've been looking forward to this for 3 years now. I thought that the Grannagh roundabout up to Danesfort would be 18 mins, not just up to Knocktopher. I'll guess I'll find out tomorrow for myself. Will post the numbers tomorrow.