N7 - Newlands Cross upgrade

janedoe75

screamer wrote: »

What an absolute joke it was last night. I travel that road every evening, and I've never witnessed anything like it. What a joke. Of course we can judge it, no traffic lights = no barrier, combined with bad conditions and thousands of cars is GRIDLOCK. We took a diversion via the N81 to get away from the N7.

Guest used to it people, it's gonna get worse before it gets better.

I'll wait til there's a nite without a crash before I judge. Crash on n4 ramp had m50 northbound backed up, crash on m7 had it backed up and meant everybody reached naas later hence gridlock. I'm blaming idiot drivers and not the new flyover for now. Without a crash, I should be past naas for 5pm which I think will make a huge difference. M9 works should stop creating so much hassle from next weekend I believe. Let's see what it's like then.

Aard

RichardoKhan wrote: »

Hope it doesn't become a victim of its own success.........

I think that's inevitable really.

15-20 minute time saving > suddenly moving to Naas seems reasonable (especially given expensive Dublin housing) > more people commuting to Dublin from Kildare > congestion returns

regedit

N7 is 3 lanes all the way from Newlands Cross to the ball in Naas. People still manage to cause accidents almost every day of the week. I said earlier and will reiterate again, our driving culture is poor. People driving and texting, driving and using phone without hands-free devices is the routine. Garda only concerned with speed and motor tax. Every third car either misisng a bulb or driving with fog-lamps just because it makes their car look nicer (in their view). On the other hand, the N7 is probably up-to-capacity. Tens of thousands of cars use it every. Coupled with what I said above, accidents will happen and we'll get stuck more and more on long traffic Q. Yesterday was rainy but one would think that Ireland is a desert country and people not used driving in rain. Really frustrating. Had to get home (Newbridge) using N81 and emerged back on N7 when traffic Watch said it had eased completely. This, of course was not the case.

paulbok

Crash inbound on N7 around the M50 this morning, tailbacks to Kingswood around 8:45.
Serious amount of bad drivers around.

AndyBoBandy

paulbok wrote: »

Serious amount of bad drivers around.

Give us the roads, and we will crash

nlgbbbblth

Very slow inbound this morning.
Hit the flyover at 8.20am. Didn't get over the other side until 8.45am. Total crawl. Quite a few cars were using the old road and trying to merge in at the bottom.

Star Spangler

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Very slow inbound this morning.
Hit the flyover at 8.20am. Didn't get over the other side until 8.45am. Total crawl. Quite a few cars were using the old road and trying to merge in at the bottom.

There was an accident blocking the M50 south exit this morning.

Deedsie

The M7/N7 and the M50 are the busiest roads in the country. Surely these roads need to be policed more efficiently by the Gardaí?

They should nail people for any kind of mobile phone use, dangerous driving, vehicle performance, speeding etc etc. the only way to get people to cop on and stop crashing. The amount of incidents in the last few days is shocking.

GavMan

regedit wrote: »

N7 is 3 lanes all the way from Newlands Cross to the ball in Naas. People still manage to cause accidents almost every day of the week. I said earlier and will reiterate again, our driving culture is poor. People driving and texting, driving and using phone without hands-free devices is the routine. Garda only concerned with speed and motor tax. Every third car either misisng a bulb or driving with fog-lamps just because it makes their car look nicer (in their view). On the other hand, the N7 is probably up-to-capacity. Tens of thousands of cars use it every. Coupled with what I said above, accidents will happen and we'll get stuck more and more on long traffic Q. Yesterday was rainy but one would think that Ireland is a desert country and people not used driving in rain. Really frustrating. Had to get home (Newbridge) using N81 and emerged back on N7 when traffic Watch said it had eased completely. This, of course was not the case.

This. So much this.

I live in Newbridge also and some of things you see heading back down from Dublin is shocking. In addition to the above, drivers merging onto the N7/M7 at insufficient speeds and middle lane hoggers. We all know these idiots who thing the over taking lane(s) are the "Fast lanes". A special breed of sub human IMO. Scant disregard given to the fact that they are completely ****ing up the flow of the motorway.

Also, last night at exit 12, I took the bend before the slip road at about 90/100KPH as usual and had to jam on the breaks and change lane quickly because some nutter was literally driving about 40KPH on the motorway while text.

nlgbbbblth

Somebody else suggested a one year driving ban for anybody who causes a crash on the M50 / M7 / N7.

Although said in jest it has some merit. If you're caught drink driving you'll get a one year ban at the very least. And that's usually discovered at a checkpoint so you haven't (yet) caused an accident or created long delays and frustration for all other road users.

Middle Man

Deedsie wrote: »

The M7/N7 and the M50 are the busiest roads in the country. Surely these roads need to be policed more efficiently by the Gardaí?

They should nail people for any kind of mobile phone use, dangerous driving, vehicle performance, speeding etc etc. the only way to get people to cop on and stop crashing. The amount of incidents in the last few days is shocking.

...and a cheap way to increase overall road capacity is to get rid of all the clown drivers - just load them with points and premiums thereby forcing them off the road gradually. It's frequently that ilk that screws up the whole thing on busy roads - their impatience deprives traffic of orderly momentum - this is particularly true at merge points. Also, speeding clowns on radials overload the ring roads they approach. Obviously, road deaths would plummet too in the absence of such clowns.

Middle Man

GavMan wrote: »

This. So much this.

I live in Newbridge also and some of things you see heading back down from Dublin is shocking. In addition to the above, drivers merging onto the N7/M7 at insufficient speeds and middle lane hoggers. We all know these idiots who thing the over taking lane(s) are the "Fast lanes". A special breed of sub human IMO. Scant disregard given to the fact that they are completely ****ing up the flow of the motorway.

Also, last night at exit 12, I took the bend before the slip road at about 90/100KPH as usual and had to jam on the breaks and change lane quickly because some nutter was literally driving about 40KPH on the motorway while text.

We need strictly enforced minimum and maximum speed limits on major roads. Obviously, the minimum speed limit would apply to normal road conditions - in any case, both limits could be variable to take account of the road conditions - obviously, this requires a traffic control system (something like the one in Glasgow) which is now needed on the M50 and the approaches to same.

regedit

I agree with some suggestions. What would help in my view is a big brother approach. Not sure if it is implemented anywhere but if there were cameras on gantries that would capture erratic driving, texting, shaving, make-up, middle-lane or outer lane hugging, this would give the operator (Garda) the right to fine these time of behaviors instantly (by issuing penalty points and a material fine). I know it may sound crazy but that will instill some common sense.

Middle Man

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Somebody else suggested a one year driving ban for anybody who causes a crash on the M50 / M7 / N7.

Although said in jest it has some merit. If you're caught drink driving you'll get a one year ban at the very least. And that's usually discovered at a checkpoint so you haven't (yet) caused an accident or created long delays and frustration for all other road users.

I think that if you crash and screw up the flow of traffic as a result of recklessnes and total negligence - you should be banned for 10 years with the driving licence completely expunged.

Middle Man

regedit wrote: »

I agree with some suggestions. What would help in my view is a big brother approach. Not sure if it is implemented anywhere but if there were cameras on gantries that would capture erratic driving, texting, shaving, make-up, middle-lane or outer lane hugging, this would give the operator (Garda) the right to fine these time of behaviors instantly (by issuing penalty points and a material fine). I know it may sound crazy but that will instill some common sense.

It's not pleasant, but this electronic style of traffic management needs to be considered. The traditional approach of physical traffic calming and management does not change driver attitudes - if fact, such physical measures can psychologically absolve motorists of their responsibilities. Ultimately, motorists must take responsibility for the proper use of their vehicles while in a public place - it's the law!

spacetweek

All motorway driving will be automated in the next couple of decades anyway.

AndyBoBandy

spacetweek wrote: »

All motorway driving will be automated in the next couple of decades anyway.

the sooner the better

ciarsd

Interesting commute this morning. Passed Kingswood at 815ish am. Moments before the wall of red brake lights, I was cut up by a woman in a 10-D E class Merc - turns out she didnt see me as she was putting the oul war paint on. If that wasn't enough, she proceeded to continue with the war paint application after cutting me up. Unbelieveable. Then onto the traffic jam, stop-start, until we get up and over Newlands Cross. Upon entering the right most lane for city bound traffic, there is was, the incident causing the pain (which the radio was now reporting as backed up to Rathcoole). A van and a lorry, both drivers just standing there. In fairness to them, it could be that their vehicles were immovable. This needs patrolling or more cameras to best direct the Gardai and/or emergency services. Only last Friday at a similar time, there was a crash at the exact same spot with one car. It is at the 'V' right where the 2 city bound lanes split from the M50S lanes.

Maybe tomorrow I'll finally get a more accurate/fair judgement of how well this overpass has improved morning journey times.

Star Spangler

ciarsd wrote: »

Interesting commute this morning. Passed Kingswood at 815ish am. Moments before the wall of red brake lights, I was cut up by a woman in a 10-D E class Merc - turns out she didnt see me as she was putting the oul war paint on. If that wasn't enough, she proceeded to continue with the war paint application after cutting me up. Unbelieveable. Then onto the traffic jam, stop-start, until we get up and over Newlands Cross. Upon entering the right most lane for city bound traffic, there is was, the incident causing the pain (which the radio was now reporting as backed up to Rathcoole). A van and a lorry, both drivers just standing there. In fairness to them, it could be that their vehicles were immovable. This needs patrolling or more cameras to best direct the Gardai and/or emergency services. Only last Friday at a similar time, there was a crash at the exact same spot with one car. It is at the 'V' right where the 2 city bound lanes split from the M50S lanes.

Maybe tomorrow I'll finally get a more accurate/fair judgement of how well this overpass has improved morning journey times.

What is happening is that you are getting traffic heading south on the M50 taking the left lane (because that's what the new signage is telling them to do) and then realising that they actually should be in the middle lane when they get to the junction. They (the truck) then cuts across to the southbound lane and in the meantime someone in the correct lane (in this case the van) is branching into the same lane at the same time. Crunch.

ukoda

Star Spangler wrote: »

What is happening is that you are getting traffic heading south on the M50 taking the left lane (because that's what the new signage is telling them to do) and then realising that they actually should be in the middle lane when they get to the junction. They (the truck) then cuts across to the southbound lane and in the meantime someone in the correct lane (in this case the van) is branching into the same lane at the same time. Crunch.

The signage says left M50N and Middle M50S, its stupid peoples fault not the signs, plus this has been the layout for a long time now

tonc76

Star Spangler wrote: »

What is happening is that you are getting traffic heading south on the M50 taking the left lane (because that's what the new signage is telling them to do) and then realising that they actually should be in the middle lane when they get to the junction. They (the truck) then cuts across to the southbound lane and in the meantime someone in the correct lane (in this case the van) is branching into the same lane at the same time. Crunch.

The three overhead signs on the N7 approach to the M50 should be followed instead of people thinking that they know which lane to be in. What is actually happening is that people are not looking at the signs!

jd

They need a gantry telling people to read the gantries and get in fecking lane!

paulbok

tonc76 wrote: »

The three overhead signs on the N7 approach to the M50 should be followed instead of people thinking that they know which lane to be in. What is actually happening is that people are not looking at the signs!

Yes, exactly. Those are perhaps the clearest, most informative signs anywhere in the city.

Alun

Maybe they've changed it now, but I seem to recall the final gantry showing downward arrows for 4 lanes is directly above a section that actually only has 3 lanes at that point. The left split of lane 2 for M50S occurs after the gantry and has people who were (correctly) in that lane heading for M50S suddenly panicking thinking they should be in the left most one.

Larbre34

Cookiemunster wrote: »

Where is all the extra traffic come from on Friday morning? The exact same amount of traffic as normal will arrive on the M50, except instead of arriving in clumps created by the lights, it will be a steady flow.

Steady flow or not, what I suspected would happen, has. Confirmed by Live Drive this morning.

The proximity of the J9 SB on-ramp and J10 off ramp has often been problematic, but the steady flow from the N7 has broken the camels back. A massive conflict point this morning.

M50 SB from M1/N32 to J12 Firhouse can now be assumed to be a 90 minute trip in the AM peak, every day. Added to that, the steady flow from the N7 over the M50 onto the R110 Naas Road inbound reduces the space for traffic coming from the M50 SB onto the Naas Road inbound, further congesting the M50 SB.



I join at Junction 6 N3 and I have seldom seen the SB freeflow on-ramp congested except in case of accident or ice, but it has been so 3 morning since the Newlands flyover opened.

Someone mentioned it would get worse before it gets better. It will only get worse, there are no additional capacity improvements available close enough to the M50 to make a difference.

End of days for M50 efficiency, only school holidays will bring any temporary relief.

realdanbreen

regedit wrote: »

I said earlier and will reiterate again, our driving culture is poor..

Don't mean to upset anyone'ssensibilities in this PC saturated world that we live in but have you any experience of eastern european drivers? Absolute headcases on the road-even the ones that are sober! And if they are bad, well I spent 12 months in Mumbai(formerly Bombat) one time, I still on occassion jump up in the middle of the night in a sweat!

Caliden

Larbre34 wrote: »

Someone mentioned it would get worse before it gets better. It will only get worse, there are no additional capacity improvements available close enough to the M50 to make a difference.

End of days for M50 efficiency, only school holidays will bring any temporary relief.

The m50 was already at capacity before the flyover opened. People who have been driving the m50 for years have been saying that something needs to be done but yet here we are.

The best long term solution is better public transport which has been cried out for. People on the m50 don't want to be there but public transport isn't their answer.
It wasn't mine when I had to endure the m50 for 1 exit. It was 40 minutes to do 20km via the m50 or 2 hours by public transport (1 way, which brought me into the city only to come back out again)

Idbatterim

Dublin needs dart underground asap, for a start...

jd

Larbre34 wrote: »

Steady flow or not, what I suspected would happen, has. Confirmed by Live Drive this morning.

The proximity of the J9 SB on-ramp and J10 off ramp has often been problematic, but the steady flow from the N7 has broken the camels back. A massive conflict point this morning.

More likely the problem is caused by more people using the N7
Take a look at the figures
73163 on Friday 14th, 96478 Friday 21st.
https://www.nratrafficdata.ie/c2/calendar_alt.asp?sgid=ZvyVmXU8jBt9PJE$c7UXt6&spid=NRA_000000001072

ItHurtsWhenIP

jd wrote: »

They need a gantry telling people to read the gantries and get in fecking lane!

Something like this???:D