M9 - Waterford motorway construction updates

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

rameire wrote: »

Bearing in mind I will be on a Motorbike, so speed limits and traffic will not apply.

:eek:

NedNew2

rameire wrote: »

howdy guys

have a quick question for you.
Im heading to New Ross on Saturday for a wedding, so leaving early in the morning.
So travelling from Athy to New Ross.

to start off i will be heading out the new n78 to the M9 at junction 3 and then heading south.

Can people advise on which way I should go?
Before the m9 i would have probable taken the n80 and then the N30.
Should I go to Thomastown and then take the back roads from there?
Should I go to Mullinavat and take the back roads from there?
Or should i go all the way to Wexford and then take the National road from there?

Bearing in mind I will be on a Motorbike, so speed limits and traffic will not apply.

I know this road extremely well.

So continue down the M9 to it's current terminus (Junction 6, south of Carlow), continue on the N9. Do not take the first signposted left for New Ross (R705, which is the first major left south of J6) but instead take the following major juction left into Bagenalstown/Muine Beag (R724) at Royal Oak.

In Muine Beag take a right at the town centre cross roads (R705). Head towards Borris (careful of gardai speed cameras here). At the T-junction just outside Borris take a right - not the left as sign posted to New Ross - and then take the next left (staying on the R705) heading to Graiguenamanagh. Take the new ring road in Graiguenamanagh (all very scenic after Graig) and you'll be in in New Ross 10 minutes later. It should take 35 minutes from where you turn off the N9 at Royal Oak.

This is the quickest and best route at the minute. When J6-J9 opens on the M9 it would be better to go to Mullinivat and cut across from there but not until then.

rameire

Thank you
that is brilliant

Silverado

rameire wrote: »

Bearing in mind I will be on a Motorbike, so speed limits and traffic will not apply.

Since when do speed limits not apply to motorbikes?

John Lynch Ph.D

Silverado wrote: »

Since when do speed limits not apply to motorbikes?

You've clearly never owned a motorbike.

JohnC.

Jomcc wrote: »

Slightly off topic.........

Just wondering about the "speed bumps" on the R861 from the Grannagh Junction Roundabout to the Newrath Roundabout. Passed there a number of times recently and noticed "temporary" speed bumps signs on this stretch. The "speed bumps" seem to be a dip in the road on Waterford side of railway bridge. Is this a fault? If not, why are signs not permanent ones?
Apologies if this has been discussed earlier but after doing quick search, couldn't find anything.

It's not a speed bump, the sign is for "ramp". It isn't supposed to be there. It wasn't until quite recently. I assume it is subsidence and I did notice some red marks painted on the road there, possibly marking where they intend to fix it.

Jomcc

Kahless wrote: »

It's not a speed bump, the sign is for "ramp". It isn't supposed to be there. It wasn't until quite recently. I assume it is subsidence and I did notice some red marks painted on the road there, possibly marking where they intend to fix it.

Thanks for that.........knew my terminology sounded a bit wrong.

Silverado

Isn’t it amazing that the NRA have still not signposted the M9 properly from the Waterford bypass. I drove over the bypass and new bridge yesterday and I didn’t see one sign for the M9.

Similarly on the Waterford outer ring road there are (M9) signs from Ardkeen to the Cork Road but then they virtually stop. As you continue on towards the bypass they eventually peter out to none. I suppose they don’t want our visitors and non locals to know where the motorway is. That way we can keep it for ourselves; yes, definitely much better, a secret motorway.

Granted the N9 signs have been replaced with a small blue (M9) stickers around Waterford city centre but not on our lovely new bypass or bridge. Yes, the big green N9 signs are still very much there and not a blue one to be seen.

I thought in fact that the N9 had ceased to exist and the former N9 had become the R448 now from the Newrath roundabout in Waterford to Paulstown. However, it appears that I am wrong and the N9 still does exist, very stupidly, between the new bridge roundabout and the Quarry roundabout, a distance of about 400m. At least that’s what the signs indicate on the bypass.

The signs also show the road towards Waterford from the bridge roundabout (all 600m of it) as the R448. How ridiculous, if one was to follow logic surely this should be the N24 (from Limerick).

There should at least be blue (M9) signs on the bypass.

Jayuu

I'm assuming that the N24 now ends where the M9 ends at the Grannagh roundabout. It really would have made more sense to remove the N9 from the road maps completely and continue the N24 into Waterford. That would have allowed for clear M9 signage for Dublin bound traffic coming out of Waterford and simple N24/M9 signage for the N25 bypass signage at the exit by the Suir Bridge.


This is similar the whole M50/M1 situation. Where these two roads intersect there is a complete confusion of signage because it was decided that the M1 ends at the intersection even though its the straight through road on the intersection and the M50 is the merge road. Because of this none of the signage for the road heading to Dublin Port has M50 on it. It actually has no road designation whatsoever.

Now they could have put M50 on the signage coming from the existing M50 because that wouldn't have been a problem. In fact I think it would have helped hugely as a lot of traffic still ends up on the old roundabout because they don't realise that the Dublin Port freeflow is still the M50. This isn't helped by the fact the freeflow lane seem to be an exit lane as opposed to the main route. Its also confused even further by the fact that the old signs at the roundabout clearly have the Dublin Port route through the roundabout marked as M50.

They also can't put the M50 designation on the approach from Belfast because that would mean every single road sign at the intersection, bar the N32 exit, would carry the designation M50 and that would be completely confusing for driver. Also it would mean that the M50 (Southbound) would be the road heading west whereas the M50 (Northbound) would be the road heading south. :eek:

Only in Ireland!

Road-Hog

Silverado wrote: »

Isn’t it amazing that the NRA have still not signposted the M9 properly from the Waterford bypass. I drove over the bypass and new bridge yesterday and I didn’t see one sign for the M9.

Similarly on the Waterford outer ring road there are (M9) signs from Ardkeen to the Cork Road but then they virtually stop. As you continue on towards the bypass they eventually peter out to none. I suppose they don’t want our visitors and non locals to know where the motorway is. That way we can keep it for ourselves; yes, definitely much better, a secret motorway.

Granted the N9 signs have been replaced with a small blue (M9) stickers around Waterford city centre but not on our lovely new bypass or bridge. Yes, the big green N9 signs are still very much there and not a blue one to be seen.

I thought in fact that the N9 had ceased to exist and the former N9 had become the R448 now from the Newrath roundabout in Waterford to Paulstown. However, it appears that I am wrong and the N9 still does exist, very stupidly, between the new bridge roundabout and the Quarry roundabout, a distance of about 400m. At least that’s what the signs indicate on the bypass.

The signs also show the road towards Waterford from the bridge roundabout (all 600m of it) as the R448. How ridiculous, if one was to follow logic surely this should be the N24 (from Limerick).

There should at least be blue (M9) signs on the bypass.

For your information ( and don't get me wrong I think the N9 should be gone) applying the present road numbering and signage rules/conventions, maintaining this small section of N9 is correct, an N road has to terminate at another N road or else a port

Silverado

Road-Hog wrote: »

For your information ( and don't get me wrong I think the N9 should be gone) applying the present road numbering and signage rules/conventions, maintaining this small section of N9 is correct, an N road has to terminate at another N road or else a port

Obviously then the M9 should terminate at the N24. More importantly it needs to be signposted from the N25 (Waterford bypass).

Wild Bill

Has anybody else noticed that when you pass through the toll heading east on the N25 the exit for the M9/Dublin is abysmally signed? Blink and you miss it, hardly any advance warning.

Wild Bill

Ooops! I see they have noticed!

Dummy

Has anyone heard any reliable reports as to when Danesfort / Powerstown section of motorway will be completed? Is it still Q3?

Jayuu

Wild Bill wrote: »

Ooops! I see they have noticed!

What have they changed? Hopefully they've removed some of the brown "Waterford" signs which almost completely obscure the main directional sign.

pd101

Has anyone had trouble with the toll bridge in Waterford? The last four times I have used it I have been overcharged 3 times by between 10c and 70c and the fourth time I got through for free.

willbeuptuesday

Hi all

I have been following the progress of this road on this site for
a while and found it to be very intresting and informative. But lately I have noticed that there has been little or no mention of progress on the final section . So I am wondering has anyone heard anything.

Road-Hog

willbeuptuesday wrote: »

Hi all

I have been following the progress of this road on this site for
a while and found it to be very intresting and informative. But lately I have noticed that there has been little or no mention of progress on the final section . So I am wondering has anyone heard anything.

last section to be open for the upcoming bank holiday weekend

Aquos76

Road-Hog wrote: »

last section to be open for the upcoming bank holiday weekend

Are you saying that the full M9 from Waterford to Dublin will be complete and open within 2 weeks, have you a confirmed source for this, would be fantastic if it was completed that quick

nordydan

Road-Hog wrote: »

last section to be open for the upcoming bank holiday weekend

you sure?

johnbk

There is still about 1.5 to 2 months work left on this section IMO. The pace of work has slowed right down. What they are at now is laying the final wear surface. They started at the Powerstown end and are heading south. I went for a cycle two weeks ago and they were as far as the Kilkenny trumpet junction. I suspect they are as far as Bennettsbridge now if not further. After that I reckon they will start laying the northboud carriageway. Lineage will follow this afterwhich sighns have to be erected.

The bridge at Bennetsbridge which required breaking up of the concrete deck due to using the wrong concrete spec is nearing recompletion.

The Kilkenny link has seen huge prgress in the last 6 weeks and looks like it will open along with the motorway now. It has has had the first layer of tarmac layed.

I suppose if Roadbridge had any other projects to go on to then this project could have been finished much earlier but as I said at the start, progress is seems ral slow now.

Freddie59

How long is this section actually. I went from Waterford - Carlow via KK and was surprised at how near KK is to Paulstown.

L1011

Mainline length is 40km for the entire scheme but a bit of it (Knocktopher to Danesfort) is already open.

tinkerbell

So when does Dublin to Kilkenny open, does anyone know? Thanks!

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

tinkerbell wrote: »

So when does Dublin to Kilkenny open, does anyone know? Thanks!

Not sure what you mean.

So far, the M9 runs from the M7/M9 split (just after Nass) all the way to the end of the Carlow bypass. There is another section that runs from Waterford to Danesfort which is about 10 miles east of Kilkenny. The final stretch of the M9 will connect these two streches and will include a new link road across to Kilkenny. This final strech will probably be completed in 2 to 4 months.

Hope this helps!

Also have a look on http://www.openstreetmap.org/

Cuauhtemoc

johnbk wrote: »

There is still about 1.5 to 2 months work left on this section IMO. The pace of work has slowed right down. What they are at now is laying the final wear surface. They started at the Powerstown end and are heading south. I went for a cycle two weeks ago and they were as far as the Kilkenny trumpet junction. I suspect they are as far as Bennettsbridge now if not further. After that I reckon they will start laying the northboud carriageway. Lineage will follow this afterwhich sighns have to be erected.

The bridge at Bennetsbridge which required breaking up of the concrete deck due to using the wrong concrete spec is nearing recompletion.

The Kilkenny link has seen huge prgress in the last 6 weeks and looks like it will open along with the motorway now. It has has had the first layer of tarmac layed.

I suppose if Roadbridge had any other projects to go on to then this project could have been finished much earlier but as I said at the start, progress is seems ral slow now.

Good bit of the lining seems to be done on the southbound carriageway already, from Powerstown to Gowran(flyover near Gowran that is) anyway and a bit further

C.

johnbk

Went for cycle today (forgot the camera) on the M9. Lining complete southbound as far as Bennestsbridge. So what remains is the wear surface southbound from Bennestsbridge and lining as far as Dansford and all of the northbound carriageway. The signs have to be fitted to the sign posts. and a fw more crash barriers. The link road to Kilkenny needs final surface too. 6 weeks should see in complete???

Silverado

johnbk wrote: »

Went for cycle today (forgot the camera) on the M9. Lining complete southbound as far as Bennestsbridge. So what remains is the wear surface southbound from Bennestsbridge and lining as far as Dansford and all of the northbound carriageway. The signs have to be fitted to the sign posts. and a fw more crash barriers. The link road to Kilkenny needs final surface too. 6 weeks should see in complete???

What about the wear coat on the northbound carriageway?

Joey leBlanc

With the final section of the M8 (cork-dublin) due to open Friday (cullahill-portlaoise) is there anyway you could join the motorway say via kilkenny direction to shorten the Wfd-Dublin journey or is the present route the quickest?

Joey Joe-Joe Jr

Joey leBlanc wrote: »

With the final section of the M8 (cork-dublin) due to open Friday (cullahill-portlaoise) is there anyway you could join the motorway say via kilkenny direction to shorten the Wfd-Dublin journey or is the present route the quickest?

I think that would be pointless TBH.
I've driven Newlands Cross to the Suir Bridge three times in the last few weeks, it only takes a little over an hour and a half. Can't imagine you'd save yerself any time using the M8. And sure the M9 will be complete in a couple of months anyway