N3-M50 interchange

Jip

If it's the northbound slip I don't think it would affect as many people as they'd expect. I expect that most people from the Mulhuddart area would not go near the N3/M50 junction anyway as they can just cut down onto the N2 which avoids the congestion on the N3. And again anyone coming from Clonee outwards would also got that way to avoid the N3 congestion, they would cut through via part of the N2-N3 link road through Damastown/Damonstown? (can never remember what the place is called) and out by Tyrrelstown onto the N2 again.

brownbinman

is it only at night it will be closed or for the whole 5 months, day and night?

ofjames

it will be day and night.

basically they need to close it to do the following:

1) knock a big hole in the ramp at the point where the new N3 bridge has been built over the M50

2) excavate down through the ramp so to allow the joining up of the section of carriageway currently being built behind the Total Fitness to the new bridge over the M50.

3) construct a bridge over this new dual carriage way to reinstate the ramp from the existing N3 roundabout to the M50 northbound.

they have been in the process of doing this with the southbound off-ramp for several months now (nearly finished the bridge now to reinstate the ramp). however they didnt need to close the whole off-ramp on that side because the terrain beside it was such that they were able to lay a new section of road right alongside to divert traffic on the ramp around the section that is now being bridged.

brownbinman

Nuts to that!!

Im screwed getting to work in mornings now!!

Heroditas

It'll also affect anyone heading out the N3 from the city centre wishing to go north. Does that mean the traffic will be forced up towards the N2 interchange or will all the traffic funnel southbound to the N4 interchange and then scoot back up the M50?
That'll create an awful snarl-up for traffic heading out the N4

Davy

Have to say it would really p*ss me off. Hopefully it will be worth it in the long run, and they better be working 24/7 on it!

ofjames

Heroditas

Does that mean the traffic will be forced up towards the N2 interchange or will all the traffic funnel southbound to the N4 interchange and then scoot back up the M50?

cant see too many people taking the N4 option seeing that you would have to pay 2 tolls for the privilege!!

also given it's current free-flow-ish design i dont think there is an easy turnback to be done there (correct me if i'm wrong people)

just to warn people as well. the southbound on-ramp at blanch is on borrowed time also. they will be tearing that up to link in the new N3 carriageway within a matter of months I would think. perhaps they will wait to do it until they reinstate the northbound ramp however.

this area is going to be an absolute nightmare for the next year or two

Carawaystick

would it be too difficult to build the new on ramps first??? then you can use them and remove the old ones...

Maldini2706

Jip wrote: »

If it's the northbound slip I don't think it would affect as many people as they'd expect. I expect that most people from the Mulhuddart area would not go near the N3/M50 junction anyway as they can just cut down onto the N2 which avoids the congestion on the N3. And again anyone coming from Clonee outwards would also got that way to avoid the N3 congestion, they would cut through via part of the N2-N3 link road through Damastown/Damonstown? (can never remember what the place is called) and out by Tyrrelstown onto the N2 again.

Nah, it will cause HUGE problems. In the morning, if your suggestion happens then all those back roads you talk about will be rammed solid, they're not designed to take the amount of traffic the N3 motorway is.

In the evening you tend to have traffic from the N3 inbound AND outbound accessing the M50 northbound, where will all that outbound traffic go? They've only a couple of options, loop around via Palmerstown/Liffey Valley and through the toll or head up to the N2 via River Road/Dunsink Lane which again isn't designed to take that much traffic.

If they are going to do it then they should do it ASAP while the schools are off and the traffic is lighter because come September it could be a complete clusterf*uck.

Heroditas

ofjames wrote: »

cant see too many people taking the N4 option seeing that you would have to pay 2 tolls for the privilege!!

also given it's current free-flow-ish design i dont think there is an easy turnback to be done there (correct me if i'm wrong people)

just to warn people as well. the southbound on-ramp at blanch is on borrowed time also. they will be tearing that up to link in the new N3 carriageway within a matter of months I would think. perhaps they will wait to do it until they reinstate the northbound ramp however.

this area is going to be an absolute nightmare for the next year or two

Ouch! True, sound slike they'll have to head up towards the N2.

Also, it is possible to head south on the M50, join the N4 and then loop back north but you have to cut across two lanes once you get onto the N4 junction to make it onto the M50 ramp going northbound - and yes, you need to do it at speed in the space of about 300m.

IIMII

Ouch. Lucan village and Finglas will take the brunt of this. I can see commuters deviating north from Blanchardstown through Ratoath to N2 to avoid this. Kilshane cross and the Ward cross will be disasterous

chewed

Why is there nothing on the M50.ie website about these proposed closures? I emailed them the other day on their contact section to try and get more information. I'm still waiting!!!

L1011

Heroditas wrote: »

Ouch! True, sound slike they'll have to head up towards the N2.

Also, it is possible to head south on the M50, join the N4 and then loop back north but you have to cut across two lanes once you get onto the N4 junction to make it onto the M50 ramp going northbound - and yes, you need to do it at speed in the space of about 300m.

No, thats not possible - the Northbound ramp leaves before the Southbound one joins...

Next junction south its possible at is Ballymount!

Heroditas

MYOB wrote: »

No, thats not possible - the Northbound ramp leaves before the Southbound one joins...

Next junction south its possible at is Ballymount!

Ah of course.
How the heck are they going to manage this? Is Strawberry Beds going to be a nightmare for a few months?

Davy

M50 southbound Off Ramp at N3 junction:




Further up the same ramp: bridge finished to the left, where the yellow geny is. Look back at the first pic to get overview




M50 nouthbound on ramp from N3 roundabout. Bridge over the river already finished.




Further down the same ramp: tarmac already laid

Davy

Carawaystick wrote: »

would it be too difficult to build the new on ramps first??? then you can use them and remove the old ones...

The Northbound on ramp will be closed from Monday, 13th July, 2009 to Friday, 4th December, to facilitate the upgrade works.

Its not going to be as bad as made out. Coming from navan a new temp lane will be in place taking you on the inside of total fitness.

Coming from the city and want to go northbound will be a bit more hassle. I think the traffic will have to go asfar as the blanch village roundabout to do a U-turn and then on to the same new temporary slip.

ofjames

Davy wrote: »

The Northbound on ramp will be closed from Monday, 13th July, 2009 to Friday, 4th December, to facilitate the upgrade works.

Its not going to be as bad as made out. Coming from navan a new temp lane will be in place taking you on the inside of total fitness.

Coming from the city and want to go northbound will be a bit more hassle. I think the traffic will have to go asfar as the blanch village roundabout to do a U-turn and then on to the same new temporary slip.

there's a lot of work to get done in two weeks so!

Davy

ofjames wrote: »

there's a lot of work to get done in two weeks so!

Their is indeed. I had a good look at it today, they will need to get the finger out but its going to have to be done!

They have signs on the M50north on ramp stating that 'This road will be closed from july 13th till dec 4th and diversions will be in place'

They were laying the tarmac at the bottom of the slip joining to the mainline. The concrete curbing is laid the whole way from before the blanch village roundabout and hardcore levelled.

Stark

Might be delayed for a day or so now due to the rain last night.

MrDerp

It's a very grainy picture, but on a diagram of the juntion (page 2 of the latest M50 concession bulletin), it appears that they've done away with the M50 South -> N3 West free-flow slip!

http://www.m50.ie/uploads/progress/M50ph2j09.pdf

I wonder if they're gonna build the minimum, then change it, then upgrade it here also.

Sure why not.

Skyhater

MrDerp wrote: »

It's a very grainy picture, but on a diagram of the juntion (page 2 of the latest M50 concession bulletin), it appears that they've done away with the M50 South -> N3 West free-flow slip!

http://www.m50.ie/uploads/progress/M50ph2j09.pdf

I wonder if they're gonna build the minimum, then change it, then upgrade it here also.

Sure why not.

It's there... you just have to zoom in close to see the very faint line.... You can see it better on this diagram:

daymobrew

The closing of the northbound ramp is mentioned in the current edition of the free Community Voice newspaper.
There is a reasonably clear image too.

Stark

It's going to be madness. The Blanchardstown village roundabout won't be able to handle the volumes of traffic looking to go from N3 outbound - M50 northbound.

They could alleviate it somewhat by turning the rightmost lane coming into the roundabout from the M50 roundabout into a dedicated right-turn lane (at the moment traffic can use it for going straight through the roundabout) and altering the light sequence to give less time to traffic on the N3 inbound and more time to traffic turning right to get onto the M50 north ramp without backing up too much and blocking the entire system. But that will cause massive tailbacks on the N3 inbound... It's bad enough when you have to facilitate the occasional car looking to get into the gym at the moment.

Jip

I agree that Scotts roundabout may become quite stuffed but I don't think it will be as bad as long as the lights are timed correctly. It only takes a couple of cars waiting to join the N3 outbound to block the right hand lane on the inbound side, or the regular idiot who insists on queueing behind cars at the roundabout thus blocking the inbound lane while there's a bloody empty lane beside them they can move into.

I use the N3 inbound at rush hour in the evening and there generally isn't a huge volume of traffic going onto the M50 northbound ramp anyway. But as you say, it the lights aren't reprogrammed it will be a mess.

Heroditas

Stark wrote: »

It's bad enough when you have to facilitate the occasional car looking to get into the gym at the moment.

They should have bought that gym and levelled it.

Carawaystick

Heroditas wrote: »

They should have bought that gym and levelled it.

or maybe not allowed it to be built at all.....

Davy

They are busy at the new slip today, going to working all weekend to get it done for monday. Most of the hardcore is down, and the curbs, but very little asphalt at this stage.

mysterious

it looks ridiculous and hazardous that's its still actually there, with the spaghetti type roads all around it.

It would of been costly to buy it out.
But if they did they could of made a much more efficient interchange and it would of costed at least 2/3 less than the original design now going ahead.

But sure its the nation we live in.

spacetweek

mysterious wrote: »

It would of been costly to buy it out.
But if they did they could of made a much more efficient interchange and it would of costed at least 2/3 less than the original design now going ahead.

But sure its the nation we live in.

It would have been costly.

I see you're making up statistics off the top of your head again. If they had bought the gym, how would that make the arrangement at the centre of the N3/M50 roundabout easier - you still need to avoid the railway, canal etc. You'd still need to loop the slips around to the north as they're currently building. The only improvement would be that to the northwest of the junction, with the gym out of the way, you could have had a little less road building there - but all of the rest of the junction would still have to be the same.

So why exactly would it be 2/3 cheaper?

Random

So, is it all set for tomorrow N3 inbound -> M50 Northbound?