M7 - Nenagh to Limerick

Deedsie

trellheim wrote: »

i'd sat the nra are watching that chunk of expenditure like hawks so i'd say probably sooner than not. What happens if she sinks again ?

Hopefully there will be no one injured and the road will be closed until a permanent solution is found. Are these works not at the contractors expense? Why would te NRA be watching the expenditure any more prudently than when it was the tax payers of Irelands money being spent?

trellheim

Are these works not at the contractors expense?

you would assume.......

Stark

At the rate things are going, the contractor could easily go bust leaving the NRA with the future repair bills.

Deedsie

trellheim wrote: »

you would assume.......

In post 1877 on this thread, I provided an email from Michael Lowry TD in which he stated the contractor was bearing the full cost of repairs.

Deedsie

I just walked the bog section. Looks great, road is basically finished. They have the painting started, the broken White line is completed on both sides of the median. I don't know how long it takes to lay cats eyes and the continuos yellow line. But it can't take more than a couple of days? I took pictures, will try upload them later.

trellheim

In post 1877 on this thread, I provided an email from Michael Lowry TD in which he stated the contractor was bearing the full cost of repairs.

ta for that, it's not you or Michael Lowry I'm getting at. I'm only getting rumours myself which is why I'm being obtuse, but there's no denial being heard from the usual voices here [ not you Deedsie ]

Amtmann

Deedsie wrote: »

I just walked the bog section. Looks great, road is basically finished. They have the painting started, the broken White line is completed on both sides of the median. I don't know how long it takes to lay cats eyes and the continuos yellow line. But it can't take more than a couple of days?

Hours even.

Deedsie

Furet wrote: »

Hours even.

It's such a short section, it could feasibly be complete tomorrow evening. Hang 50 metres of barrier on the north bound side, lay 300 metres of cats eyes north and south bound lanes 300 metres tops. And 300 metres of continuos yellow line on the hard shoulder north and south bound lanes. And 300 metres of continuos White line on the verge of the median barrier north and south bound.

And to my uneducated opinion that's the bog of doom successfully finished. After that it's the ancillary works to be carried out on the rest of the road. 35 days to September 30th. I'd be very disappointed if it takes another five weeks before the road opens!

ItHurtsWhenIP

Deedsie wrote: »

And to my uneducated opinion that's the bog of doom successfully finished. After that it's the ancillary works to be carried out on the rest of the road. 35 days to September 30th. I'd be very disappointed if it takes another five weeks before the road opens!

Wasn't there an ass load of paperwork to be completed in triplicate, filed, lost, found, filed again, sent back for corrections :rolleyes: and finally signed, sealed and delivered before the NRA allowed the Limerick Tunnel to open?

Could be a similiar situation here and of course we would need to have some FF Minister available to open it (cos the Greens sure as hell wouldn't open it:D). When are they off their holidays?

Deedsie

MMFITWGDV wrote: »

Wasn't there an ass load of paperwork to be completed in triplicate, filed, lost, found, filed again, sent back for corrections :rolleyes: and finally signed, sealed and delivered before the NRA allowed the Limerick Tunnel to open?

Could be a similiar situation here and of course we would need to have some FF Minister available to open it (cos the Greens sure as hell wouldn't open it:D). When are they off their holidays?

The Shannon Tunnel was opening to new European standards in tunnel building, there was extra bureaucracy as a result. This is 300 metres of a motorway that half of the project is already open. Hopefully the cie don't have to approve any bridges. This can take a while apparently.

bacon&cabbage

Deedsie wrote: »

It's such a short section, it could feasibly be complete tomorrow evening. Hang 50 metres of barrier on the north bound side, lay 300 metres of cats eyes north and south bound lanes 300 metres tops. And 300 metres of continuos yellow line on the hard shoulder north and south bound lanes. And 300 metres of continuos White line on the verge of the median barrier north and south bound.

There's probably a days work left at the tie in with SRR I.
- Still a gap in the barrier between the two schemes
- Some Line painting still to be completed at the Newport roundabout exit (28) going north

Thats it then I think

L1011

Deedsie wrote: »

The Shannon Tunnel was opening to new European standards in tunnel building, there was extra bureaucracy as a result. This is 300 metres of a motorway that half of the project is already open. Hopefully the cie don't have to approve any bridges. This can take a while apparently.

There is a rail bridge.

I would assume it was signed off on at the same time as the other bridge between Birdhill and Nenagh (same scheme) was.

gryff

Deedsie wrote: »

It's such a short section, it could feasibly be complete tomorrow evening. Hang 50 metres of barrier on the north bound side, lay 300 metres of cats eyes north and south bound lanes 300 metres tops. And 300 metres of continuos yellow line on the hard shoulder north and south bound lanes. And 300 metres of continuos White line on the verge of the median barrier north and south bound.

And to my uneducated opinion that's the bog of doom successfully finished. After that it's the ancillary works to be carried out on the rest of the road. 35 days to September 30th. I'd be very disappointed if it takes another five weeks before the road opens!

couple of pics from Saturday... one looking south

gryff

and one looking north..agreed - waiting for another month for it to open would be a drag.. someone mentioned that it needs to be tested with HGVs running up and down it for awhile -- Id believe anything at this stage !.. Thing is if its going to fail now its going to be catastrophic... no little subsidence sections along the side..theres a big continuous slab of concrete that has to sink now...

cozzie55

gryff wrote: »

and one looking north..agreed - waiting for another month for it to open would be a drag.. someone mentioned that it needs to be tested with HGVs running up and down it for awhile -- Id believe anything at this stage !.. Thing is if its going to fail now its going to be catastrophic... no little subsidence sections along the side..theres a big continuous slab of concrete that has to sink now...

dam have to drive to dublin next week, any chance of it being opened in time. Its doubtful i'd say.

Being an engineering student I'd imagine the best way they can test the road at this stage is to open it to the public and monitor the subsidence as a result. Not sure if HGV's story is true but it is possible cause if its going to subside then its going to happen with trucks on it.

There is bound to be some subsidence no matter how good the footing under the road is. And by the way, it could be happening for years to come. They just have to make sure that the subsidence is less than the maximum set out in the design, or else the road can't be classed as motorway as there are specifications to be met in order to be motorway standard roadway.

Tragedy

Which section is most likely to be the next to open, Borris to Nenagh or Birdhill to M7 SRR?

Stark

Probably Birdhill-SRR. From the sounds of it, Nenagh-Castletown won't be open till around Christmas.

bacon&cabbage

bacon&cabbage wrote: »

There's probably a days work left at the tie in with SRR I.
- Still a gap in the barrier between the two schemes
- Some Line painting still to be completed at the Newport roundabout exit (28) going north

Thats it then I think

Looks like they have completed the gap in the barrier today

Tragedy

Stark wrote: »

Probably Birdhill-SRR. From the sounds of it, Nenagh-Castletown won't be open till around Christmas.

I've been trying to keep up with the thread, but I must have missed a lot as I don't remember seeing a reason why that section would take so long to complete?

Chris_5339762

Seems to be because the contractors are pissing about.

slinky2000

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Seems to be because the contractors are pissing about.

Typical

Deedsie

Tragedy wrote: »

I've been trying to keep up with the thread, but I must have missed a lot as I don't remember seeing a reason why that section would take so long to complete?

It's bloody head wrecking... I drive passed this route everyday. I can't fathom how it's taking so long. Why are there no official updates for this scheme?

limklad

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Seems to be because the contractors are pissing about.

slinky2000 wrote: »

Typical

Well, They have to test the water flow on the road

Amtmann

A SECTION of a major new motorway which collapsed into a bog looks finally set to open, road authorities have confirmed.

A massive operation has been under way for several months to finish part of the M7 Limerick to Nenagh bypass, which was due for completion in May 2009.

The €425 million road will link Limerick Southern Ring Road with the existing Nenagh bypass.

The project consisted of 28km of dual carriageway built to motorway standard, with a single carriageway link to the main road at Birdhill, and the upgrading of 10km of the Nenagh bypass to motorway standard. About 25km of this project has been completed and is open to traffic, including a 16km length of road between Nenagh and Birdhill.

The construction of the project was contracted to Bothar Hibernian four years ago, but the contractors ran into serious difficulties when a section of road collapsed earlier this year.

The difficulties arose at Anaholty bog, about midway between Birdhill and Annacotty, where the road – which was almost complete by the end of last year – unexpectedly started to sink into the bog.

The new M7 between the Birdhill Intersection and Five Alley (Nenagh) was opened to traffic at Easter, and the upgraded Nenagh bypass had already reopened.

However, motorists have had to use the old N7 between Birdhill and Annacotty due to the delay caused by the difficulties at Anaholty bog.

Tens of thousands of steel reinforced concrete piles were initially driven into the bog in an effort to support the road, and a concrete and steel bridge has also been constructed to establish a stable base for the road. It was confirmed yesterday that the section of road will finally open to traffic in October.

“From all reports from the contractor, we are confident that this will be completed in October and opened in October,” said Sean O’Neill of the National Roads Authority.

“It is a long time coming and obviously it has been significantly delayed, but we are confident that the contractor has found a good solution to the issues and they have done a good job wrapping up the contract,” he added.

Mr O’Neill also confirmed yesterday the last section of the project from Nenagh to Castletown is on schedule and is due for completion in November.

This project starts at the most easterly junction of the Nenagh bypass and finishes at the Borris-in-Ossory interchange. It is being constructed as part of the M7/M8 scheme.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0831/1224277910300.html

Tragedy

October?

I just want the tie in with the M7 S.R.R. as once you start approaching the railway crossing inbound to Limerick, you hit traffic all the way.

lukejr

Thanks for the Irish Times link.

ki

At least we will have Limerick Dublin completed not too long after. (4- 8 weeks):D

trellheim

anyone taking bets she'll sink again ?

mossym

Tragedy wrote: »

October?

I just want the tie in with the M7 S.R.R. as once you start approaching the railway crossing inbound to Limerick, you hit traffic all the way.

not a big help, but leave a bit earlier, hit that spot every morning at 8.15/8.20 and you get to the roundabout with no traffic, didn't even have to stop this morning

limklad

trellheim wrote: »

anyone taking bets she'll sink again ?

I have no doubt it will sink as the road will continue to settle, the question really is: By how much will it sink?