N7 - Newlands Cross upgrade

Mrs Dempsey

grodge wrote: »

.......................... How many cars will head over the new bridge on the inside lane then jump across to the m50 lanes. I can see that causing issues

Who drives on the inside lane :-)
Jumping from the outside lane to access M50N will be a more likely scenario.

MJohnston

grodge wrote: »

At the moment the junction is a check on traffic into the city via the naas road.

I disagree here - there is probably someone with definite figures on this, but I would make the presumption that the majority of N7 traffic hits M50 north or south after Newland's Cross inbound. That said...

I think traffic from kylemore thru Inchicore could increase.

I don't agree with this either, purely because I think a smooth flow of traffic arriving further inbound is actually better than the massive bursts of traffic that happens right now. This smoother flow could also positively affect the outbound traffic also, but again, that's hard to predict.

However I do think that outbound could potentially be more affected by this junction changing. I'm not 100% familiar with the merging situation between N7 outbound traffic and traffic from M50N/S, but there will be a change in behaviour here, because whereas during peak hours you might have been merging with standstill traffic, you're going to be merging with traffic at speed. How drivers react to this change will only become apparent after it has opened. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent junction around Dublin to compare to.

omicron

MJohnston wrote: »

However I do think that outbound could potentially be more affected by this junction changing. I'm not 100% familiar with the merging situation between N7 outbound traffic and traffic from M50N/S, but there will be a change in behaviour here, because whereas during peak hours you might have been merging with standstill traffic, you're going to be merging with traffic at speed. How drivers react to this change will only become apparent after it has opened. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent junction around Dublin to compare to.

Shouldn't be an issue as thats the situation at the moment apart from an hour or two in the morning and a few hours in the evening.


I can imagine outbound in the evenings the M7 at Naas will become considerably worse where it goes to 2 lanes?

ukoda

omicron wrote: »

I can imagine outbound in the evenings the M7 at Naas will become considerably worse were it goes to 2 lanes?

i wouldn't think so tho, you'll have a much more even and steady flow of cars hitting that spot now, i doubt it will be any worse

omicron

ukoda wrote: »

i wouldn't think so tho, you'll have a much more even and steady flow of cars hitting that spot now, i doubt it will be any worse

It's always been a fairly steady flow though given the distance between the lights and Naas and the number of junctions in between. Sure we'll see next week anyway!

rameire

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/newlands-cross-junction-to-open-next-week-1.2000209#.VGWxMyIteIA.twitter

article advising that Newlands Cross is to open next Thursday morning

rameire

New signage over the N7 inbound

I have removed the image view, but is still an attachment, due to its size and Orientation.

Reuben1210

Given that this project seems to be finishing so far ahead of schedule, I wonder will some of the machinery and equipment be moved to the Arklow-Rathnew scheme to speed that project up too...

Hotblack Desiato

Tacit admission that nobody reads the Irish on signs, they didn't bother to cover it up.

dubhthach

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Tacit admission that nobody reads the Irish on signs, they didn't bother to cover it up.

I must be a total loner then as I tend to read the Irish part of sign by default.

paulbok

grodge wrote: »

I hate being cynical but what's everyones predictions of where the bottle necks will shift to?

At the moment the junction is a check on traffic into the city via the naas road. I think traffic from kylemore thru Inchicore could increase. Also with the works at the start of the M9 traffic will be very bad from start of M9 to Johnstown.

Also I think there should be more 'get in lane' signs on approach to the new flyover. How many cars will head over the new bridge on the inside lane then jump across to the m50 lanes. I can see that causing issues

It'll be the same volume of traffic for the Kylemore road, the only difference is that the traffic will now be hitting that junction quicker/constantly and there will be no gaps in traffic from the Newlands X lights which may hinder the merging of traffic from M50N&S inbound.

MJohnston wrote: »

I disagree here - there is probably someone with definite figures on this, but I would make the presumption that the majority of N7 traffic hits M50 north or south after Newland's Cross inbound. That said...

I don't agree with this either, purely because I think a smooth flow of traffic arriving further inbound is actually better than the massive bursts of traffic that happens right now. This smoother flow could also positively affect the outbound traffic also, but again, that's hard to predict.

However I do think that outbound could potentially be more affected by this junction changing. I'm not 100% familiar with the merging situation between N7 outbound traffic and traffic from M50N/S, but there will be a change in behaviour here, because whereas during peak hours you might have been merging with standstill traffic, you're going to be merging with traffic at speed. How drivers react to this change will only become apparent after it has opened. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent junction around Dublin to compare to.

I would have guessed the morning traffic inbound would be roughly split 3 ways to north, south and inbound, maybe a little less inbound but still 25-30%%.
The outbound traffic will still be held up with lights at the M50 interchange so it won't have any positive effect until it clears those.
The N7 outbound & merging traffic from the M50 will probably be a mess at peak times for a week or so until everyone gets used to it, after that it'll only suffer from those drivers who just HAVE TO change lane 1mm after the broken white lines allows them to, same as many merges onto the M50, otherwise the evening outbound traffic will see a huge difference.

omicron wrote: »

Shouldn't be an issue as thats the situation at the moment apart from an hour or two in the morning and a few hours in the evening.
I can imagine outbound in the evenings the M7 at Naas will become considerably worse where it goes to 2 lanes?

I wouldn't see it having any negative affect on the traffic heading that far out the N7/M7. Same volume of traffic, but not it'll just be moving more constantly. The gap caused by the lights at Newlands X has a shorter distance inbound to Kylemore (~2Km), so the gap is currently noticable. Outbound there is a far longer strect of road (~15Km) to where it becomes 2 lanes, so the traffic currently stretches out to a fairly constant flow at Naas. Even withe the traffic outbound now moving quicker, it'll still stretch out comfortably. Any slowdown there now is just sheer volume, Newlands won't add to that.

paulbok

Reuben1210 wrote: »

Given that this project seems to be finishing so far ahead of schedule, I wonder will some of the machinery and equipment be moved to the Arklow-Rathnew scheme to speed that project up too...

Not a huge amount left of heavy machinery left at Newlands at this stage, 2 or 3 rubber ducks and a dumper or two. They still have works to complete to the sides of the main flyover so are still scheduled to be on site until Xmas and realistically until the end of Jan.

I wouldn't be depending on whats left at Newlands at this stage to give the Rathnew project a major push.

renofan

rameire wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/newlands-cross-junction-to-open-next-week-1.2000209#.VGWxMyIteIA.twitter

article advising that Newlands Cross is to open next Thursday morning

I know what I'll be doing after work on Thursday so! :pac:

omicron

paulbok wrote: »

It'll be the same volume of traffic for the Kylemore road, the only difference is that the traffic will now be hitting that junction quicker/constantly and there will be no gaps in traffic from the Newlands X lights which may hinder the merging of traffic from M50N&S inbound.



I would have guessed the morning traffic inbound would be roughly split 3 ways to north, south and inbound, maybe a little less inbound but still 25-30%%.
The outbound traffic will still be held up with lights at the M50 interchange so it won't have any positive effect until it clears those.
The N7 outbound & merging traffic from the M50 will probably be a mess at peak times for a week or so until everyone gets used to it, after that it'll only suffer from those drivers who just HAVE TO change lane 1mm after the broken white lines allows them to, same as many merges onto the M50, otherwise the evening outbound traffic will see a huge difference.



I wouldn't see it having any negative affect on the traffic heading that far out the N7/M7. Same volume of traffic, but not it'll just be moving more constantly. The gap caused by the lights at Newlands X has a shorter distance inbound to Kylemore (~2Km), so the gap is currently noticable. Outbound there is a far longer strect of road (~15Km) to where it becomes 2 lanes, so the traffic currently stretches out to a fairly constant flow at Naas. Even withe the traffic outbound now moving quicker, it'll still stretch out comfortably. Any slowdown there now is just sheer volume, Newlands won't add to that.

There will be more volume in the n7 outbound though because there won't be huge numbers stuck behind the lights when it gets busy, so there will be nothing limiting the flow of traffic outbound, and also lots of people who previously wouldn't travel at peak time because of the delay at newlands may now do so.

paulbok

omicron wrote: »

There will be more volume in the n7 outbound though because there won't be huge numbers stuck behind the lights when it gets busy, so there will be nothing limiting the flow of traffic outbound, and also lots of people who previously wouldn't travel at peak time because of the delay at newlands may now do so.

But it's still the same volume, the freeflow will mean the rate of travel will increase alright, but with or without the lights, the same number of vehicles will be moving. It will be heavier just after Newlands once open, thats true, but by the time it hits the lane reductions at Naas it will have stretched out. It's like that after Lucan on the N4 now since it's upgrade. The 3 lanes reduce to 2 on the Motorway, only about 3Km form the underpass and it is heavier there, but after another 5KM or so it levels out.
The peak traffic lasts about 1.5 hours so I can't see enough people putting off their journey because of that to now make a significant difference.

Time will tell I suppose.

greenbicycle

I had a look through some posts on this thread and couldnt find an answer to my question so apologies if this has been discussed/answered. I am going to the Louis Fitzgerald next week. I will be coming off the M50 and you used to just go up to the crossroads and then do a U turn onto the other side of the road (heading back towards the M50) and then turn left into the hotel.

Can anyone tell me how it currently works, is it still possible to do this Uturn there or do you have to travel further out the road road now to turn back on yourself?

Thanks All, I just wish there was an up to date google earth view I could look at as roads change...

cargo

greenbicycle wrote: »

I had a look through some posts on this thread and couldnt find an answer to my question so apologies if this has been discussed/answered. I am going to the Louis Fitzgerald next week. I will be coming off the M50 and you used to just go up to the crossroads and then do a U turn onto the other side of the road (heading back towards the M50) and then turn left into the hotel.

Can anyone tell me how it currently works, is it still possible to do this Uturn there or do you have to travel further out the road road now to turn back on yourself?

Thanks All, I just wish there was an up to date google earth view I could look at as roads change...

You still take the same route but now you go under the overpass at the lights. You will then be on the old route inbound. Just be careful as the entrance to the Louis Fitz could be moved up or down the road a wee bit as the works progress. Also worth checking back in here a day before you need to make the trip and ask the same question. i'm sure somebody will have been through it in the previous few hours and can give you a last minute update.

As the road is in the pre-opening stage a lot of changes will occur over the last day or so.

greenbicycle

Thats brilliant, thanks for replying Cargo, I was hoping it would still be similar but it was very hard to work out looking at pictures I could find on the internet. I will keep an eye out for the moving entrance!good tip about asking again in the next few days.

pad199207

Opening Next Thursday

all going well with the installation of a Gantry on the Flyover

maudgone

Travelling north on the M/N7, can I access the Green Isle Hotel from just before Newlands Cross, or do I have to exit at City West flyover?

ukoda

maudgone wrote: »

Travelling north on the M/N7, can I access the Green Isle Hotel from just before Newlands Cross, or do I have to exit at City West flyover?

you can access it from the normal spot, they haven't closed any access as far as I'm aware, so you can still turn down Boot Road and come back along to the Green Isle

maudgone

ukoda wrote: »

you can access it from the normal spot, they haven't closed any access as far as I'm aware, so you can still turn down Boot Road and come back along to the Green Isle

and not be be pedantic or anything...but you'll be traveling East on the M/N7 not North

Ah shtop. Jaysus don't be cunfusin ma anymore than I am.

ukoda

maudgone wrote: »

and not be be pedantic or anything...but you'll be traveling East on the M/N7 not North

Ah shtop. Jaysus don't be cunfusin ma anymore than I am.

sorry i actually removed that bit from my post. just do what you normally do to get there and you'll be fine

maudgone

ukoda wrote: »

sorry i actually removed that bit from my post. just do what you normally do to get there and you'll be fine

I normally get lost. ;)

ukoda

So the NRA have officially confirmed Thursday morning as the opening

http://www.thejournal.ie/newlands-cross-upgrade-1780267-Nov2014/

AstraMonti

The article is not fair to be honest, there was minimum disruption due to the works. The long queues have there for ever. Anyway I glad to see this done now, it will make life so much easier.

Chris_5339762

Really glad they are signing this before the flyover.. at least the GET IN LANE is being done well back and not just before the Red Cow.

Hopefully this will partially alleviate a mad scramble to get to the correct M50 lane.

Guy:Incognito

MJohnston wrote: »

I disagree here - there is probably someone with definite figures on this, but I would make the presumption that the majority of N7 traffic hits M50 north or south after Newland's Cross inbound. That said...



I don't agree with this either, purely because I think a smooth flow of traffic arriving further inbound is actually better than the massive bursts of traffic that happens right now. This smoother flow could also positively affect the outbound traffic also, but again, that's hard to predict.

However I do think that outbound could potentially be more affected by this junction changing. I'm not 100% familiar with the merging situation between N7 outbound traffic and traffic from M50N/S, but there will be a change in behaviour here, because whereas during peak hours you might have been merging with standstill traffic, you're going to be merging with traffic at speed. How drivers react to this change will only become apparent after it has opened. I'm not sure if there's an equivalent junction around Dublin to compare to.

The lucan junction is similar. It's very slow moving, despite being free flow, because of people's inability to drive properly in general and merge properly specifically. Everyone jamming on to make gaps just because someone has decided to stick an indicator on to change lanes, while also jamming on themselves. Why can people here not change lanes without breaking?

Then you've the people coming off the m50 northbound that are continuing on past the liffey valley exit but god forbid they just stay in the lane that takes them.up off the slip and leave a gap from traffic to merge in from the right. They all have to change lanes to the middle and outside lanes instead.

All this results in a free flow junction that doesn't really flow.

Well, the vehicles that brake are one thing it's the ones that break that cause the real problems. :pac:

As it is, lane discipline is something else :mad: :rolleyes:

MJohnston

I'd like to know if anyone has ever been in a country with discipline, because I'll be honest, I've never seen it in all my travels.