M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

Silverado

Most people are driving the Waterford-Danesfort leg in about 18-20 minutes. I myself have done it twice in that time. Why did it take 30 minutes?

Trick of the Tail

Well, my house to Danesfort. My house being in Carrigeen. Thats the extra 10 mins, I guess.

But the timings to Paulstown are still comparable.

Interestingly, my sat nav was still correct in its estimation of my journey time, even though it doesn't have the new M9 in it, obviously.

A.

Maxalon

Hi all,
The new section of the M9 is great. It has taken another 20 minutes of my journey time between Waterford & Dublin, down to 2hrs 10mins door to door. As I am traveling this journey every day mostly by bus & rail (2.5hrs / 3.5hrs) I would be very interested in starting a car pool if there is anyone else interested please send my a quick message. Cheers

mickger844posts

Drove from the suburbs of Waterford City to Dublin Airport today. Went over the new bridge and door to short stay car park in the airport was 2 hrs 10 mins. The two newest sections Waterford/Danesfort and Carlow/Kilcullen are excellent. It was a stress free drive and i'm looking forward to the finishing of M9 in late summer I went via Kilkenny and Paulstown which is a decent road.

L1011

The reduction in journey times to Dublin must have Waterford Airport both very scared (its now a lot easier to fly from DUB) and rubbing their hands with glee (those who hate DUB like me can get to WAT much easier) at the same time.

fitzeyboy.

MYOB wrote: »

The reduction in journey times to Dublin must have Waterford Airport both very scared (its now a lot easier to fly from DUB) and rubbing their hands with glee (those who hate DUB like me can get to WAT much easier) at the same time.

Indeed it must. but anyone flying to london from KK or Carlow musn now be seriously thinking of flying from waterford. its too close to ignore now and just to handy

gally74

i can see the new motorways being a real problem for aer arann, galway airport to dublin airpoirt is now 2 hrs, the opening of the gort by pass will mean shannon is 1 hr and knock is one hour,

really something will give here,

bus, rail and air all subsided

Chris_5339762

I've said it before, Waterford airport shouldnt exist and neither should Galway. Knock maybe, as its far enough north to serve a big enough chunk of the country.

Silverado

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

I've said it before, Waterford airport shouldnt exist and neither should Galway. Knock maybe, as its far enough north to serve a big enough chunk of the country.

Perhaps you didn't notice this is a motorway discussion group, not an airport location one.

mike65

Not to go too OT if an airport pays its way then it should carry on. Waterford is not subsidised - no PSO ever been "awarded" down here.

alpha2zulu

Just wondering has anything being done with the signage at Paulstown or is it still sending Waterford traffic in the Gowran direction.

Went for a spin on the old N9 today in south Kilkenny. Definetly much quieter and the motorway seemed to be doing plenty of business but there were still groups of D and KE reg cars heading south on the old route.

Is it a case of people just being on autopilot and turning at Paulstown down the old N9 or is the signage still not quiet done around that junction.

As somebody else mentioned all the old route seems to be down to a 80KM/h limit now. It's probably no bad thing and gives a little nudge to Waterford-Dublin traffic to go via Kilkenny.

L1011

On Friday it was still directing Waterford traffic via Gowran.

Should reduce the chances of coming round a bend to find a lorry the other direction in the middle of the road, based on all traffic being signed via KK from Waterford!

blah_frenchie

Really good motorway for people driving from Wford to KK.
But for people driving to Dublin, depending the time of the day, there's a high chance to be stuck in traffic on the KK ring...
Only gained 5 minutes on a Wford - Dublin journey

I'm not judging though, as the whole motorway is not built yet. And this will be the ultimate one.

zootroid

blah_frenchie wrote: »

Really good motorway for people driving from Wford to KK.
But for people driving to Dublin, depending the time of the day, there's a high chance to be stuck in traffic on the KK ring...
Only gained 5 minutes on a Wford - Dublin journey

I'm not judging though, as the whole motorway is not built yet. And this will be the ultimate one.

I've never driven from Dublin - Galway, but having driven Dublin - Cork, and Dublin - Limerick, Dublin - Waterford certainly ranks as the motorway that was most needed from a safety point of view. The road was lethal, too narrow and had some dangerous bends in places. Given the state of the previous road, it will probably knock the most time off of the journey to Dublin.

road_high

zootroid wrote: »

I've never driven from Dublin - Galway, but having driven Dublin - Cork, and Dublin - Limerick, Dublin - Waterford certainly ranks as the motorway that was most needed from a safety point of view. The road was lethal, too narrow and had some dangerous bends in places. Given the state of the previous road, it will probably knock the most time off of the journey to Dublin.

Most of those roads were already decent standard for much of their length i.e.wide two lane with hard shoulder and oppurtunity for overtaking. The old N9 was abysmal in comparison. And in wet weather drainage used to be just shocking as ponds of water used take over the already narrow road.

blah_frenchie

5 years ago, it used to take almost 5 hours from Waterford city centre to Dublin City centre.
Now it only takes 2 hours.

alpha2zulu

MYOB wrote: »

On Friday it was still directing Waterford traffic via Gowran.

Should reduce the chances of coming round a bend to find a lorry the other direction in the middle of the road, based on all traffic being signed via KK from Waterford!

Bit odd that they have managed to change the speed signs within a few days but can't find even a few temporary "Waterford thataway" signs for Paulstown At least if nothing else if gives the shops and businesses on the old route a slightly gentler landing.

Silverado

alpha2zulu wrote: »

Bit odd that they have managed to change the speed signs within a few days but can't find even a few temporary "Waterford thataway" signs for Paulstown At least if nothing else if gives the shops and businesses on the old route a slightly gentler landing.

Agreed. In and around Waterford City I can't find any blue signs at all showing M9, only green N9 ones.

I thought that the N9 was history in south Kilkenny and replaced by the R448. Even on the new bridge there are only green N9 signs.

Is there a batch new shiny blue M9 signs being manufactured for fitting ASAP? No that's probably too much to ask the NRA. We have a wonderful new road but strangers leaving the city can't find it.

L1011

Theres M9 signs on the ring road and there has been since well before there was an M9 down there...

Trick of the Tail

Well having driven to Waterford from Dublin, I can report again that taking the N10/M9 route makes no difference to the journey time.

Unless, of course I would have otherwise have encountered some major delay on the old N9 route.

As I said previously I think the Danesfort-Carlow section is the one which will really make the difference.

It is strange though that on approaching Paulstown the signage still points to the left and the N9 turn. There is no signage advising of the alternative N10/M9 route, not anywhere until you actually get to Danesfort.

I wonder if the Motorway is really being regarded as a north-to-Dublin only route at present, with southbound traffic still encouraged to use the N9, to prevent too much traffic through Kilkenny, which I can see would easily jam up.

A.

Sully

MYOB wrote: »

Theres M9 signs on the ring road and there has been since well before there was an M9 down there...

A lot were replaced with green N9 signs for some reason.

L1011

Just thinking there, based on how complete the RAB on the N10 and the link road to the M9 appear to be at Paulstown, is there any possibility that Roadbridge would open Powerstown->Paulstown early? Would bypass Paulstown and sort out the problem of people going via Gowran anyway. The link through to the R448 there is nowhere near ready, though.

jimbojazz

Here's my experience of my first drive to Dublin, well Leixlip actually, on the new section of road

Left office in Waterford at 4pm Friday afternoon
Stopped off in Kilkenny at KFC (10 mins) continued to Paulstown and all the way on to Leixlip via M50

Arrived at house in Leixlip at 6.15pm

Now how can anyone say that the new roads are not making a difference - rush hour Friday 2hrs and 15mins and no stress

Frager

I wanted to try the drive for Waterford to Dublin on the M6 just for a spin last Saturday. I really don't know the road.
I found myself "forced" into Kilkenny.
How should I have gone to Thomastown & Gowran via the N9?

hi5

blah_frenchie wrote: »

5 years ago, it used to take almost 5 hours from Waterford city centre to Dublin City centre.
Now it only takes 2 hours.

5 hours? That seems like a long time for only five years ago.
I remember as a nipper been driven through places like Royal oak,Leighlinbridge,Carlow,Moon,Timolin,Kilcullen and Nass,all distant memories now.
Leighlinbridge had to be the worst,if two trucks met on the bridge you could be there all day:(
I dont remember having to go through Kill or Johnstown though, bypassed in the early 60s I think with the Nass DC:)

D'Peoples Voice

Frager wrote: »

I wanted to try the drive for Waterford to Dublin on the M6 just for a spin

thats some spin......ah I guess its nice to avoid Paulstown at all costs:D

AngelinaJolie

Hey just back from Dublin - went on the new motorway heading up and as I went through Kilkenny, it made me feel as if I was going out of my way? It's probably all in my head but I decided to return via Thomastown thinking that surely I would see a sign directing me to the motorway.. nothing! Continued to take the road and tbh it took roughly the same time as the new motorway. So what's going on- am I actually taking the long way round but on a better road?... it feels like it!

Chesco

Reading through the board its fair to say there are problems with sinage to the new section of the M9

I think worst of all is , leaving Waterford via Rice bridge, you are directed to Dublin N9. Follow this and you will find yourself on a new section of road that was never N9, it will bring you to the start of he M9 and the N9 vanishes. What do you if your a passenger in a car with a driver who has a learners permit ? It would be a mystery tour to find your way back on to the old N9.
Mess up like this on a multi million € project in any other job and heads would roll.

mackerski

Chesco wrote: »

I think worst of all is , leaving Waterford via Rice bridge, you are directed to Dublin N9. Follow this and you will find yourself on a new section of road that was never N9, it will bring you to the start of he M9 and the N9 vanishes.

You'll be referring to this section of road, I guess. Whereas I agree that the signage, as it has been described in this thread, seems to be a mess, This short section of road is indeed the N9, making the sign you describe valid. It should, I suggest, carry an additional blue-patched "(M9)" indicator to indicate that's where you'll end up. That's not just important for people wanting to avoid the M9 - it's also important for those people who want to be sure they've chosen the motorway route and not the old road.

Frager

I just felt like a day out. I was directed by red and white cones onto the N10. I followed a sign for Carlow/Dublin. Is there a sign on the new M6 near Knocktopher for Thomastown? I did not want to go to Kilkenny