Road Conditions Nth Co Dublin

Dr Galen

Just so you know, and maybe your thinking of heading out anytime soon, leave a good bit more time to get around.

The M1 is in bits, some stretches are grand-ish and others really slippy. There are a few numbnuts still flying up and down it, but most people are just chilling out and taking it easy.

Roads from the M1 into Swords are pretty dicey, so again take your time and leave plenty of stopping room.




This is MM for AA Roadwatch......Happy New Year......Now back to the studio

AEH1984

Just drove into Swords myself and I can honestly say in five years of driveng that's the worst I've ever driven on

macroman

Drove the back road from Bewleys to Airport and it was frightening to say the least. N32 treacherous and M50 early this morning was an ice-rink.

nosnagaoithe

Roads in Malahide very bad - Yellow Walls Road really dangerous with a lot of compacted ice....avoid if you can

sneem-man

Where are the Gritters ?

Auvers

sneem-man wrote: »

Where are the Gritters ?

where are the Goverment

Paulw

Auvers wrote: »

where are the Goverment

On holidays.

robpurf

have to say driving from stamullen into balbriggan today once i crossed the county boundry the old n1 was nice and clear and right the way up the town to the church.meath cc could learn from their fingal counterparts roads out here are in terrible nick

The Muppet

sneem-man wrote: »

Where are the Gritters ?

The gritters were out yesterday, i saw 2 returning to their swords depot. They appear to be focusing on the main roads, The estates are all ice rinks. I'm driving since the early eighties and conditions are the worst I remember apart form the 1981 snow which also occured around this time of year.

LeoB

I drove up to Carlingford on 28th and 29th Dec and all was fine. Plenty of snow/Ice on the hills between Lordship and Omeath and through Gap of North but the roads were fine.

Have to head up again tomorrow so hope its ok. A bit of common sense, slow down and keep your distance.

At the moment some of the back roads around Rush are bad enough. You also have the added problem of mud from Tractors which is lethal without frost

Eoineo

Be careful if you're travelling on the M1, particularly under the bridge at the Airport flyover. I can't believe it's been gritted. The N32 is slushy and wouldn't be too bad apart from the lunatics speeding up the buslane.

All of the smaller roads around Malahide are slippy. The railway bridge between Portmarnock/Malahide (flyunder) make sure you press on through. "Fortune favours the brave", if you falter you won't make it up the hill.

Pretty slushy on the Swords bypass but manageable. The hill in Balrothery is lethal. If you're visiting the Apple Green off the M1, be careful departing the garage as they've not gritted their property and it's very slippery around the back of the building and leading onto the roundabout.

There was a bit of a thaw earlier on in Balbriggan but it seems to have gotten colder now and iced up again.

Who knows, we might have some more snow tonight!

RobFowl

Eoineo wrote: »

Be careful if you're travelling on the M1, particularly under the bridge at the Airport flyover. I can't believe it's been gritted.

It was !!

I followed the gritter from the M50 interchange last night all the was to Balbriggan.

Was the first time I've seen a gritter since moving back fron Norn Iron in 2002 :eek:

Eoineo

I know it was gritted, but the road was so bad you'd believe it wasn't!

The Hill Billy

Blackhills to Balrothery is like an ice rink this morning. Then M1 to airport has a lot of black ice.

Bluetonic

Eoineo wrote: »

The N32 is slushy and wouldn't be too bad apart from the lunatics speeding up the buslane.

Just so you know theres no bus lane on the N32. It's been decommissioned over a year now, maybe more. The signs are long since gone and the road markings are on the way too, almost faded.

Always keep left on that road when not overtaking and treat it like any two lane road, that way you won't have undertaking.

Beasty

Bluetonic wrote: »

Just so you know theres no bus lane on the N32. It's been decommissioned over a year now, maybe more. The signs are long since gone and the road markings are on the way too, almost faded.

Always keep left on that road when not overtaking and treat it like any two lane road, that way you won't have undertaking.

It's actually been like that for over 2 years - there were some "Bus lane not in use" signs, but they have disappeared over time.

It's definitely not a bus lane (apparently there has been no regular bus route along there for 3-4 years!)

Bluetonic

Beasty wrote: »

It's definitely not a bus lane (apparently there has been no regular bus route along there for 3-4 years!)

Yes, since Aerdart ended its service I believe.

Eoineo

Bus lane or not; the left hand lane wan't gritted yesterday which is why cars speeding up and down was an annoyance.

Wishbone Ash

I got stuck in Naul village on new year's morning. I made numerous attempts to get up the hill towards Ballyboughal but kept losing it as I neared the summit (rear wheel drive car - disaster in snow/ice). I then tried the Balbriggan road but couldn't get any momentum going. I then decided to reverse up the Ballyboughal road and was doing well but someone came over the brow of the hill so I had to pull up and abandon it. I eventually managed to reverse up the Balbriggan road and got turned around and headed for the M1. It's the worst I've seen since '81. I couldn't believe it when I got back to Rush as there was very little sign of any snow. I was like a different country.

PS - there was a gritter on the M1 in front of me (southbound at approx 8.45am).

Jonathan

Yellow Walls Road in Malahide has been gritted and driving conditions are somewhat improved.

LeoB

Maybe the apparent lack of gritters is to get as many as possible back on bus and trains!! The main road from Rush has been gritted each night. I was on the road at 5.45 2 mornings last week and they were o.k. but where there is water lying it freezes over again even after been gritted.

Dont forget to look in on elderly neighbours. A lot wont go out in the frost. They might need a few little bits in the shops.

Morpheus

My mates dads in the council, gritting has been outsourced by fingal county council only recently, Ive heard the council workers themselves werent happy about it and they've been out to check on the private operator gritters and found that they've been cutting corners with the job and doing it very innefficiently.

Have also heard that the reason for the lack of grit is not down to the resaons being reported in the media. but because of some idiot in the head offices ordering the wrong amount.

Yet again, this govt has shown an inherrent lack of coordination and ability when it comes to looking after its citizens and economy by keeping major arteries open and the cash flowing through a combination of outsourcing what should be a job done by the govt roads or coucil departments AND cutting corners. Where will this end, how many have been or could be injured or killed because some bean counter couldnt do their job right?

Eoineo

Pretty bad out there again this morning.

Dr Galen

apparently we can expect a lot more of the same later on today, starting from about 3pm. It might be a bit early to say it, but heading home from work a bit earlier might be an idea for some of ye

The Hill Billy

No need to dash off home just yet. You can use this link to see if there's any serious precipitation heading your way:
http://www.met.ie/latest/rainfall_radar.asp?ani=y

Wishbone Ash

Morphéus wrote: »

My mates dads in the council, gritting has been outsourced by fingal county council only recently

Are you sure about that? Any truck I've seen out gritting has been in FCC livery. A neighbour who is a FCC employee drives a gritting truck in FCC livery. He takes it home early evening and seems to head out around 2am if heavy frost in forecast.

but because of some idiot in the head offices ordering the wrong amount.

In fairness, it's a no-win situation. If enough was ordered a once in 40 year event and it didn't happen, they'd be severely critizised for wasting money.

Yet again, this govt has shown an inherrent lack of coordination and ability when it comes to looking after its citizens and economy by keeping major arteries open and the cash flowing through a combination of outsourcing what should be a job done by the govt roads or coucil departments AND cutting corners.

It's refreshing to hear people supporting the work of public servants. We're accustomed to hearing people saying that our work should be outsourced to the 'better' private sector.

Where will this end, how many have been or could be injured or killed because some bean counter couldnt do their job right?

The death rate on roads usually plummets during very poor driving conditions. AFAIK, the lowest ever period was during the big freeze of 1981.

Morpheus

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Are you sure about that? Any truck I've seen out gritting has been in FCC livery. A neighbour who is a FCC employee drives a gritting truck in FCC livery. He takes it home early evening and seems to head out around 2am if heavy frost in forecast.

Not all of them have been outsourced but some of the service is so that the council now has fewer of its own gritters than in years past, he should know as he drives a gritter truck - i should have pointed out that he drives for FCC and not made it seem as if he is a council member!

In fairness, it's a no-win situation. If enough was ordered a once in 40 year event and it didn't happen, they'd be severely critizised for wasting money.

Surely this could be properly covered and stored in a depot and left there for a number of years until needed?

It's refreshing to hear people supporting the work of public servants. We're accustomed to hearing people saying that our work should be outsourced to the 'better' private sector.
1981.

you're welcome, im a firm believer that the govt is outsourcing all of the wrong operations, coastguard heli service being one of them, the CHC guys do a sterling job but the reality is that as an island nation we should not be dependent on a private company to provide helicopters and service personel when we already had the capability in the past. thats another days work....

LeoB

It does need a bit of thought this gritting of roads. Its an absoulate joke the mess at the moment Is there any joined up thinking at all? We knew this was coming and I agree with morpheus is there not a depot where this can be stored? Saw 5 lads planting shrubs before christmas in neighbouring town and half the country under water!!!

The conditions today lasted longer than previous days. It got mild around 6.15 when I parked my van but the windows were frozen at 8.
Below is North Hill about 1p.m. It was lethal as were a few spots on Whitestown Road
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The Black Oil

Anyone know how things are around the airport? My sister is collecting someone at around 6 this evening. Will check the AA site anyway.

Morpheus

have heard road conditions on motorways have deteriorated so bad that councils are gritting only ONE lane in either direction. Anyone know what the M1 northbound between city and balbriggan is like now?

Kiera

Morphéus wrote: »

have heard road conditions on motorways have deteriorated so bad that councils are gritting only ONE lane in either direction. Anyone know what the M1 northbound between city and balbriggan is like now?

I'm looking onto it and it looks fine. Cars using both lanes.