M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

Amtmann

Frager wrote: »

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

Frager! It's the M9, not the M6.

wellbutty

mackerski wrote: »

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.

Could they not just have renamed that short stretch as the N24, thereby eliminating the N9? It drives me nuts to see how complicated signs in this country can be!

JohnC.

MYOB wrote: »

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

There's also some on the Quays, or rather little blue sections on large white signs.

Stark

That would be even more confusing if you were looking for the M9 and the signs said "N24".

The junction itself is a mess. The M9 should have some sort of freeflow interchange with the N25 Waterford bypass.

wellbutty

Stark wrote: »

That would be even more confusing if you were looking for the M9 and the signs said "N24".

From Waterford (old or new bridges), the signs only need to show that a green N24 and a blue M9 are in that direction. When travelling along that short piece of road, green N24 sign to the left, blue M9 sign to the right. Simple stuff, no N9 cos it's extinct.

Coming from Waterford via the old bridge, first left at the Newrath roundabout (i.e. the old N9 and N24s should read Dublin, Mullinavat, Kilkenny etc in white regional signage and then the second exit should read the same places in blue signage along with green Cork, Rosslare, Limerick, Galway etc.

Do the NRA ever look at their roads after they're finished?!

alpha2zulu

Whether right or wrong it is a bit odd that Waterford City Council stickered over practically all the (M9) signs installed with the opening of the Waterford by-pass with (N9) stickers 3 weeks before the M9 opened.

While it's a pity there is no indication of the M9 in Waterford until your at the start of it, at least the signage in Waterford points Dublin traffic in the direction of the Motorway. Albeit with road paint on the Grannagh Junction roundabout saying M9 and all the related signs there saying N9.:rolleyes:

The situation in Paulstown still sounds such an Irish problem. If the signage is to be believed we have the old N9 and new M9 as some kind of one-way loop strecthing around half of County Kilkenny.

mackerski

wellbutty wrote: »

Simple stuff, no N9 cos it's extinct.

It's not extinct. It's alive and well, but most of it is coloured blue and referred to as the M9. There is an observable convention that where more than one national route multiplexes, it keeps the lower number, which tends to be the more important route anyway.

So with the N9/M9, that is a route that runs from the M7 diverge point to Waterford. In upgrading the route to (mostly) motorway, they appear to have chosen to have the N9 terminate on the N25 rather than continuing into the city centre. I'm not a fan of such an approach, but there it is. Likewise, the N24, as the higher-numbered route, terminates on the N9 rather than vice versa.

Frager

Furet,

Thanks.

Apologies for the error

D.L.R.

mackerski wrote: »

It's not extinct. It's alive and well, but most of it is coloured blue and referred to as the M9. There is an observable convention that where more than one national route multiplexes, it keeps the lower number, which tends to be the more important route anyway.

So with the N9/M9, that is a route that runs from the M7 diverge point to Waterford. In upgrading the route to (mostly) motorway, they appear to have chosen to have the N9 terminate on the N25 rather than continuing into the city centre. I'm not a fan of such an approach, but there it is. Likewise, the N24, as the higher-numbered route, terminates on the N9 rather than vice versa.

There are times when the higher number takes precedence - the N11 terminates on the N25; the N51 on the N52. (Wrong imo)

So I don't think the N9 stub is numbered incorrectly, its just difficult to apply reasonable logic to such a ridiculous layout.

Minister

Stark wrote: »

That would be even more confusing if you were looking for the M9 and the signs said "N24".

The M9 should have some sort of freeflow interchange with the N25 Waterford bypass.

Couldn't happen....as that is a sensible idea and Kilkenny County Council/NRA doesn't do sensible.

rameire

I have the Great Pleasure of announcing that the new Athy Link Road the new N78 from the M9 to Athy is open.
Just before the kilcullen junction there is a flashing sign saying Athy this way.
So March opening it is.
Although i couldnt see much as my visor was fogged up and covered in snow, the road is soooooo smooth, so flat, so fast, and there are no 60 zones, well none that I noticed.
there are crosswind issues, but they could have been hightened by the fact I was freezing and my feet were going to fall off as my boots have failed.
The distance is slightly longer by 1 or 2 km i think but the timing is quicker.
If you stick to the speed limit im not so sure.

Pablod

rameire wrote: »

I have the Great Pleasure of announcing that the new Athy Link Road the new N78 from the M9 to Athy is open.
Just before the kilcullen junction there is a flashing sign saying Athy this way.
So March opening it is.
Although i couldnt see much as my visor was fogged up and covered in snow, the road is soooooo smooth, so flat, so fast, and there are no 60 zones, well none that I noticed.
there are crosswind issues, but they could have been hightened by the fact I was freezing and my feet were going to fall off as my boots have failed.
The distance is slightly longer by 1 or 2 km i think but the timing is quicker.
If you stick to the speed limit im not so sure.

woo hoo
i'll probably still use the old road :pac:

rameire

Pablod wrote: »

woo hoo
i'll probably still use the old road :pac:

weirdo.

it will be downgraded to 80km/h apart from the 60 zones.

Pablod

rameire wrote: »

it will be downgraded to 80km/h apart from the 60 zones.

I know that, just tell everyone else to use the new road and i'll keep using the old one.
Its alright for you, dont need to worry about traffic on your scooter

rameire

Pablod wrote: »

I know that, just tell everyone else to use the new road and i'll keep using the old one.
Its alright for you, dont need to worry about traffic on your scooter

well the road will suit you, slowmo.
:P:p

sk8board

I've heard from someone in Thomastown that the traffic is not lighter at all; with a lot of traffic coming off at Knocktopher, into Thomastown, Gowran, Paulstown as before

alpha2zulu

Without meaning to be off topic-just a heads up to anyone who might be heading on the M9 Carlow-Kilcullen section in the next few hours.

Passed through that section after 11pm tonight heading from Dublin Airport -Waterford and the conditions are extremely treacherous. Heavy slush suddenly begins just south of the Kilcullen junction and just got worse the further south you go until the Carlow by-pass where it began to clear gradually from the N80 junction onwards. Signage for the Castledermot junction wasen't even visible with the amount of snow stuck to it. Max speed possible in our car was only 50-60km/h max and air temperature of 0c.

I know if the temps swing quickly it may well have improved by the morning but its worth bearing in mind none the less.

Pablod

rameire wrote: »

well the road will suit you, slowmo.
:P:p

Well I never :eek:!!

Anyway - took the new Athy link road this morning
A lot of people were hesitant to take it not sure wether it was open or not and still went the old N78

Yes it is a slightly longer trip indeed.
But if you base it on the journey from Athy to The Kilcullen Bridge.
Depending on traffic - you could shave in the range of 5-8 mins of your journey time.

rameire

Pablod wrote: »

Well I never :eek:!!

Anyway - took the new Athy link road this morning
A lot of people were hesitant to take it not sure wether it was open or not and still went the old N78

Yes it is a slightly longer trip indeed.
But if you base it on the journey from Athy to The Kilcullen Bridge.
Depending on traffic - you could shave in the range of 5-8 mins of your journey time.

Took it this morning too.
Most people leaving Athy went the old Route, probably because they havnt a clue what the road is for.
and due to the lack of cars there was quite a bit of slush and snow.
thankfully I only had to over take 2 vehicles.
the wind was not as bad today but it actually blew me onto the other side of the road but i was just about to overtake someone so it was ok.

from Athy roundabout to end of on slip joining M9 motorway at kilcullen junction the distance is 22km using old road.
from Athy roundabout to end of on slip at the Kilcullen junction on the M9 motorway using the new road and new junction the distance is 24.6km.

so new road journey is an extra 2.6km.

for the above distance on the old road on a good day last week i did the journey in 14 min.
today with the roads in a bad way, including the M9 which was one lane for quite a bit, journey took 16min.
so i expect to shave a few min off that when the weather is good.

Slates

Can someone please let me know why the M9 stops at a roundabout when you get to the outskirts of Waterford with minimal signage ?

My better half drives this road to work every day a thinks there is going to be a fatality at the roundabout within the next few weeks.

Evey morning there are cars and lorries jambing on the brakes, obviously supprised that there in no slip road, just a full stop !!
Surely a better junction could have being planned and built ??

dubhthach

Slates wrote: »

Can someone please let me know why the M9 stops at a roundabout when you get to the outskirts of Waterford with minimal signage ?

My better half drives this road to work every day a thinks there is going to be a fatality at the roundabout within the next few weeks.

Evey morning there are cars and lorries jambing on the brakes, obviously supprised that there in no slip road, just a full stop !!
Surely a better junction could have being planned and built ??

In an ideal world yes, but this is Ireland where it's impossible for us to built proper motorway-motorway interchanges, "awh sure a round about will do" pfff

tonc76

Slates wrote: »

Can someone please let me know why the M9 stops at a roundabout when you get to the outskirts of Waterford with minimal signage ?

My better half drives this road to work every day a thinks there is going to be a fatality at the roundabout within the next few weeks.

Evey morning there are cars and lorries jambing on the brakes, obviously supprised that there in no slip road, just a full stop !!
Surely a better junction could have being planned and built ??

Obviously not reading any of the ADS or warning signs on the approach to the roundabout :pac:

wellbutty

I don't see how the roundabout can be a surprise to anyone, unless you've been asleep! You can see it from a fair distance and it's well signed. Obviously it should never have been there in the first place but that's another story.

On the issue of signage (or lack of it) near Paulstown, I emailed KK Co. Council last weekend, they thanked me for my reply but no response so far. Here's what I sent:

Yesterday I travelled back from Dublin on the fantastic new M9 Danesfort to Waterford.

It struck me as odd that near Paulstown, there's no indication whatsoever to tourists that a new and safer road exists by continuing straight along the N10, following the Kilkenny Ring Road and then joining the M9 at Danesfort.

Considering that this temporary diversion is likely to remain until the middle of the year at the earliest, does Kilkenny County Council plan to erect temporary signage near Paulstown indicating the presence of a motorway?

Slates

tonc76 wrote: »

Obviously not reading any of the ADS or warning signs on the approach to the roundabout :pac:

Its a motorway stoping dead at a roundabout! is there any other junction like this in the country ?

tonc76

Slates wrote: »

It a motorway stoping dead at a roundabout, is there any other junction like this in the country ?

M50/N32 Malahide - being upgraded now though

M8/N25 Dunkettle Interchange

Proposed M3/N3/N52 junction

murphaph

Slates wrote: »

It a motorway stoping dead at a roundabout, is there any other junction like this in the country ?

both ends of the M11 Gorey Bypass

M6 (ok it's N6 at the end but teh road standard is the same) ends in a roundabout.

End of M2 northbound north of Ashbourne

Prob loads of examples tbh.

L1011

murphaph wrote: »

both ends of the M11 Gorey Bypass

The northern end of the M11 Gorey BP is the M11 Arklow BP

It doesn't start or end at a RAB also, its only the southern end.

D.L.R.

Slates wrote: »

Its a motorway stoping dead at a roundabout! is there any other junction like this in the country ?

M11 ends on a roundabout in Shankill. And the M1 spur to Dublin Airport is another dog's dinner.

Sometimes roundabouts are the right option, but even when they aren't they seem to be favoured all the same. Look at the original M50 ffs! What lunatics designed that madness?

emfifty

"Kildare - The N78 Athy Link Rd has opened to traffic; this links the Kilcullen/Athy Rd to the M9 Dublin/Carlow Rd at J3"

confirmed on aa website today.

rameire

unofficially it can take 4min 30 seconds from the m9 junction 3 to the new roundabout in Athy