New motorway signs up already...

KevR

KevR wrote: »

A couple of pictures appoaching the Tuam Rd exit on the Athlone Bypass. Sorry for the poor quality - the strong sunshine made it impossible to get good pictures.

Click for full size images.

I noticed today that the eastbound signs at this junction are blue as well (just before the N6 athlone bypass).

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

I noticed today that the eastbound signs at this junction are blue as well (just before the N6 athlone bypass).

Noticed that aswell today. It looks like the NRA definitely had the signs made before the redesignation decision.

100kmh speed limit signs on the Athlone-Ballinasloe HQDC/Motorway which is due to open on Thursday.

Typewriter

I just went for a late night spin from Dunkettle to Watergrasshill and back.

There are now blue M8 signs southbound from the Watergrasshill on-ramp to the Glanmire exit.

(The 'motorway ahead' signs on the Watergrasshill on-ramp were greyed out)

Sorry no pics.

glineli

Was on the N18 last night, still no signs.

D'Peoples Voice

glineli wrote: »

Was on the N18 last night, still no signs.

:eek:

KevR

Thanks to whoever (if it was someone from here) put the M2 section on OpenStreet map. Only when the map is zoomed out so far, will probably take a few more days for the zoomed in version to be updated.

BluntGuy

green_jesus wrote: »

(The 'motorway ahead' signs on the Watergrasshill on-ramp were greyed out)

:mad::mad::mad:

Well, I'll get a few snaps if I can on Friday then.

Was there anything done at Dunkettle? That's the most crucial place for re-signing to be done properly.

Typewriter

BluntGuy wrote: »

Was there anything done at Dunkettle? That's the most crucial place for re-signing to be done properly.

Nope, nothing on the south ring or around Dunkettle today anyway.

glineli

New blue signs on the M18 southbound this evening. They have a few of the new signs up just as you get on the Ennis Bypass.

Tech3

glineli wrote: »

New blue signs on the M18 southbound this evening. They have a few of the new signs up just as you get on the Ennis Bypass.

Excellent will go up that way for a few snaps next week.

KevR

Blue ADS sign on the Athlone Bypass after the Tuam Rd junction Eastbound this morning.

KevR

KevR wrote: »

Blue ADS sign on the Athlone Bypass after the Tuam Rd junction Eastbound this morning.

Looks like the contractors are convinced this section will be a motorway.

ManAboutCouch

KevR wrote: »

Thanks to whoever (if it was someone from here) put the M2 section on OpenStreet map. Only when the map is zoomed out so far, will probably take a few more days for the zoomed in version to be updated.

That was done by Mackerski, I believe.

Keep an eye on OpenStreetMap on the 28th of August - the redesignation should happen almost instantly, although it will take a day or two for the tiles to get re-drawn with the new data. It will be interesting to see how long it takes the likes of TeleAtlas (i.e. Google Maps) to update their mapping to reflect the changes.

As always OpenStreetMap is always on the lookout for contributors, even if it's just adding in the name of the street your house is on.

Skyhater

Article on rte.ie

Lack of M6 motorway signs criticised
Thursday, 23 July 2009 08:50

Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten has criticised the Government for not having motorway signs ready for today's official opening of a new section of the M6 Dublin to Galway road.

The new dual carriageway between Athlone and Ballinasloe is being opened by Taoiseach Brian Cowen today.

Deputy Naughten said the road will be re-designated as a motorway in 36 days, on 28 August, when all its speed limit signs will have to be changed from 100km/h to 120km/h.
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He described the situation as yet another screw up that will cost public money and which could have been avoided.

The road has been finished five weeks ahead of schedule and on budget, with construction costs of €100m.

It is expected to take around 15 minutes off the journey time between the two towns.

He has a point.... All these roads should have been designated M in the first place and save double spending on signage.

JayeL

They had an engineer from the project on Morning Ireland and he said that it's literally just the speed limit signs that will be changing as of 28 August; directional signage etc. will be blue, not green.

Skyhater

JayeL wrote: »

They had an engineer from the project on Morning Ireland and he said that it's literally just the speed limit signs that will be changing as of 28 August; directional signage etc. will be blue, not green.

Storm in a teacup then...... political points scoring!!!

KevR

ManAboutCouch wrote: »

That was done by Mackerski, I believe.

Keep an eye on OpenStreetMap on the 28th of August - the redesignation should happen almost instantly, although it will take a day or two for the tiles to get re-drawn with the new data. It will be interesting to see how long it takes the likes of TeleAtlas (i.e. Google Maps) to update their mapping to reflect the changes.

As always OpenStreetMap is always on the lookout for contributors, even if it's just adding in the name of the street your house is on.

Anyone here planning on tracing the Athlone-Ballinasloe motorway which is opening today? I would but I don't have a sat nav.

Skyhater

Can anyone point me in the right direction on how to update Open Street Maps. Do you need a specific model of sat nave. I have a basic Gamin sat nav. How do i record/download the traces, etc.
Thanks!!!

ManAboutCouch

Skyhater wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the right direction on how to update Open Street Maps. Do you need a specific model of sat nave. I have a basic Gamin sat nav. How do i record/download the traces, etc.
Thanks!!!

Thanks to you too - any and all offers of help are very much appreciated!

The basic users guide is on the OSM wiki here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners'_Guide

There is a guide to making GPX files (standard format used by OSM) with a GPS unit here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Making_GPX_Tracks

Garmin units are very well supported - they're pretty much the weapon of choice among OSM mappers worldwide. There is a wiki page for almost all Garmin units on the wiki here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Garmin

If you need any help or have any questions feel free to ask away - There are a number of intrepid mappers here on boards.ie

mackerski

KevR wrote: »

Thanks to whoever (if it was someone from here) put the M2 section on OpenStreet map. Only when the map is zoomed out so far, will probably take a few more days for the zoomed in version to be updated.

'twas I. And yes, not all zoom levels render immediately, it will sort itself out before too long. Amusingly, I chose to do it now on the basis that the signs were already up. that they have been covered again is amusing, but it's still probably best to leave the map that way.

mackerski

Skyhater wrote: »

Can anyone point me in the right direction on how to update Open Street Maps. Do you need a specific model of sat nave. I have a basic Gamin sat nav. How do i record/download the traces, etc.
Thanks!!!

I'll add a few particulars to what ManAboutCouch has mentioned. Even if you aren't planning to update the map yourself (and motorway junctions are a big ask for a new mapper anyway), here are some things well worth doing:

• Set your GPS device to log every second. This will capture a useful level of detail to allow smooth mapping.
• Drive a full 360 around all roundabouts. Yes, you'll look like an eejit, but by doing so you make it clear that there is a roundabout at that location and you also capture its diameter.
• Where you can, drive all possible ramps, as these all need to be mapped so that routing applications will work
• Take careful note of cases where roads cross at different levels. Which road is on the bridge/tunnel?
• You can sign up for an account on OSM. Even if you are only contributing gpx traces you should do so as there is an upload tool for these and the traces are made visible to other mappers in the area
• If your device supports WAAS, turn it on for more accurate position data
• If your device has a power saving mode, turn it off

I had intentions to drive the new section of road over the weekend, but if others here intend to do so and are prepared to log at the level of detail identified above then please say so. I'd be happy to map from somebody else's trace.

Edit: M6 now mapped.

csd

Are ya sure it's the M2? Better put it on twice, just in case.

csd

csd wrote: »

Are ya sure it's the M2? Better put it on twice, just in case.

It's the M2+2=4

Actually it makes sense to put the M# onto the sign itself rather than on a "flag" above it, these seem an unnecessary waste of money.

Skyhater

What is it about signs in this country!!! They are all total idiots!!!

Tech3

csd wrote: »

Are ya sure it's the M2? Better put it on twice, just in case.

If I see mistakes like that on the M7,M18 and M20 I'll be flooding the NRA with emails :mad:

BrianD

Skyhater wrote: »

He has a point.... All these roads should have been designated M in the first place and save double spending on signage.

It's amazing that this particular TD could be so badly informed. According to the NRA chap that was on Morning Ireland this morning, it's only 6 speed limit signs that need to be changed. I presume that these signs can be reused anywhere else on the road network.

Actually, the level of knowledge by the Morning Ireland presenter was pretty dismal. He asked the NRA engineer if a blind eye could be turned for speeding offences between 100 and 120 km/h on the road between now and redesignation. How stupid was that? Also there was also some other ridiculous statements about all this road was going to do was create a bottleneck at Ballinasloe or closer to Galway. I think even the NRA guy was taken aback on how stupid the statements and questions from the interviewer were.

icdg

Deleted User wrote: »

It's the M2+2=4

Actually it makes sense to put the M# onto the sign itself rather than on a "flag" above it, these seem an unnecessary waste of money.

That was seemingly the intention on the original 1977 route confirmation signs, but even by the early 1980s they were using a seperate panel for the number, only including the number on the main panel where there was only one destination which remains the case today.

And still no signs on the M3! In fairness with the M3 we are talking about replacing 2 ADS northbound and erecting two new signs (Motorway Ahead and Start of Motorway Regulations). Southbound is a building site I'm not sure what they'll erect if anything. The M3 will be a definite "pathetic motorway" as until the main scheme opens it will only be 1km long with no intermediate junctions.

Colm R

The 2km advance sign went up for junction 3 on the M2 northbound today.
Swords, Ratoath and Ashbourne.
Its not going to be Ashbourne South as hoped. Ah well!

xabi

Spotted from a distance blue signs on the M8 just north of Dunkettle roundabout. I thought the motorway wasnt starting until 400M after the roundabout.

X.

mackerski

xabi wrote: »

Spotted from a distance blue signs on the M8 just north of Dunkettle roundabout. I thought the motorway wasnt starting until 400M after the roundabout.

X.

In the northbound direction, the motorway is inescapable, so the only sane thing to do is sign the entire northbound stretch as motorway. 400m of theoretical all-purpose road isn't any use to anybody if they are stuck on it.

Typewriter

xabi wrote: »

Spotted from a distance blue signs on the M8 just north of Dunkettle roundabout. I thought the motorway wasnt starting until 400M after the roundabout.

X.

Northbound the M8 will start at Dunkettle.

Southbound the M8 will end 400m from Dunkettle (Because there is an on-ramp from a local road at this point.

KevR

On the N18 Southbound at the moment (passenger in a car) and there are blue motorway signs up towards the Crusheen end of the DC. Got a couple of snaps on my phone but the quality is pretty poor. Will post later anyway.

KevR

PS - M18 will have junction numbers. I think the 2nd junction Southbound from the start of the DC at Crusheen will be junction 13. I presume they will count down to Shannon and up to Rathmorrisey (when it gets completed/built)

Chris_533976

Yay Was hoping to see junction numbers and not "GORT JUNCTION" as shown on the reclassification documents.

nordydan

KevR wrote: »

PS - M18 will have junction numbers. I think the 2nd junction Southbound from the start of the DC at Crusheen will be junction 13. I presume they will count down to Shannon and up to Rathmorrisey (when it gets completed/built)

Good news but no idea why they just didn't start the numbering from rathmorrissey, would have been easier with regards to future upgrades to the Shannon-Limerick section. At least there are numbers, there's no point having numbers on some of the motorways and not others.

Zoney

The junction numbering for the M18 is undoubtedly part of a complete numbering for the N18 including non-motorway. With J13 at Crusheen, it would seem the numbering begins at the Limerick end of N18 (there are about 10 junctions between Limerick and Crusheen, albeit Bunratty exits are spread out and there is a LILO for Shannon Town on the northbound that might be numbered). I'd imagine either the initial junction with N7, or Cratloe junction (Setrights) would be J1. I'm guessing when N7 SRR phase 2 opens, N18 into Limerick will be reclassified as R road. Would be good to see junction numbers added to signs even on the non-motorway N18 DC.

nordydan: there would be no extra junctions required between Limerick and Shannon to upgrade. It is GSJed at present despite at-grade local accesses onto individual carriageways. Upgrade would require parallel routes - not more junctions. Most awkward would be a need to link Bunratty via non-motorway alternative - probably upgrade of Old Cratloe Road, and then a new R-road extension of that from Setrights junction to Bunratty (about 4 km), and 1 km from Bunratty/former N18 to Hurler's Cross GSJ (R458/former N18 already extended as local access road between N19 junction and here).

Chris_533976

Unfortunately it would require a full rebuild as some of the curves (especially one under a ped bridge) are nowhere near motorway standard. Also with the amount of houses next to the carriageways, non motorway roads would be needed on either side of the main carriageway, or a complete CPO of every house along the route.

Aint gonna happen anytime soon

nordydan

Thanks for the response. The point I had was that IF ithis upgrade were to happen, and say C/D links or parallel access routes built (or some intermediate junctions closed), then all of the junctions from say a point between Limerick/Shannon and Rathmorrisey would have to be renumbered.

Whereas, if the numbering was to start at Rathmorrissey, then only the junction numbers between a point between Limerick/Shannon and the N7 would have to be renumbered (i.e. Shannon-Rathmorrissey/Galway's route is finalised).

Regardless, I would agree its a very theoretical long term proposition at this stage.

KevR

Zoney wrote: »

The junction numbering for the M18 is undoubtedly part of a complete numbering for the N18 including non-motorway. With J13 at Crusheen, it would seem the numbering begins at the Limerick end of N18 (there are about 10 junctions between Limerick and Crusheen, albeit Bunratty exits are spread out and there is a LILO for Shannon Town on the northbound that might be numbered). I'd imagine either the initial junction with N7, or Cratloe junction (Setrights) would be J1. I'm guessing when N7 SRR phase 2 opens, N18 into Limerick will be reclassified as R road. Would be good to see junction numbers added to signs even on the non-motorway N18 DC.

Numbering the whole way to Limerick like you said sounds right. I do hope they also number the N18 Dual Carriageway (non-motorway) signs.

Here are the pictures I got, the quality is a bit better than I thought it would be.

Click thumbnails for full size images.

Typewriter

Yesterday (when i was heading up to U2 ) i saw that there is now blue M8 signs northbound just after Dunkettle and southbound untill about 2km from Dunkettle (there was only 3 green signs left on the way back at 3am last night).

They're probly all blue by now though.

BluntGuy

green_jesus wrote: »

They're probly all blue by now though.

Something makes me doubt they'll replace those.

In other bland M8 news: new signs have been erected for "welcome to Limerick", "welcome to Cork" and "welcome to South Tipp" near J12.

Tech3

No work done yet on the east and westbound carriageways of the N7 phase 1.

Heres a directional sign for the M20 J4? I think. Theres an exit 4 sign also before the slip.



A few countdown markers on the M20 northbound lane also

BluntGuy

Seems a pretty mixed bag at the moment. Plenty of green left up mixed in with blue.

Tech3

BluntGuy wrote: »

Seems a pretty mixed bag at the moment. Plenty of green left up mixed in with blue.

Yeah it seems that way, on the northbound carriageway of the N20/M20 only countdown markers have been erected, no signage just yet. I will head up to the N18/M18 in a few days to see if any more has been done since kevs pics.

murphaph

tech2 wrote: »

They are UK spec. (nicer than ours IMO but still technically wrong).

xabi

M8 just after Dunkettle.

26072009(001).jpg

26072009.jpg

2 Espressi

M18 signs starting to appear, loosk liek they've starting at the Barefield end, and are working their way south.

spacetweek

2 Espressi wrote: »

M18 signs starting to appear, loosk liek they've starting at the Barefield end, and are working their way south.

Pity the picture is so bad. Can't read it at all.

BluntGuy wrote: »

Something makes me doubt they'll replace those.

Why not? The last redesignation, they very consistently replaced everything else.

Amtmann

Do the new M8 signs southbound have the airport marked?

Also, any changes at Dunkettle?

icdg

All these redesignated signs seem to confirm that Motorway (well, Motorway with Transport's "R") will be used for all road numbers on motorway mainlines in future, and not just "M" numbers as has been the case from 1983 until recent. Wish that new TSM would appear at some point to let us know for certain...