N40 - Cork South Ring Bandon & Sarsfield Flyovers

Carawaystick

spacetweek wrote: »

120 is never needed on urban motorways, journeys are too short. 120 is a cruising speed for when you're travelling long distances through rural areas.

So travelling from Wicklow to Meath, with a120 limit on the m11,m50,m1-2-3 where is the journey too short exactly?

The northern m11 is only a few km long but has a 120 limit, passing the end of back gardens in Shankill, hardly rural

The 120 bits of the m50 are crossed by a tram line, hardly rural


Regarding junctions being close together, the m1 has very close junctions at Drogheda and at the n33 junction

M11 loughlinstown and little Bray,

Hunterbiker

Is it because it is designated as a 'Motorway' so the standard limit of 120KPH would apply generally?

Whereas in this case it is not a Motorway but a Dual Carriageway (and an elevated one) and therefore would not attract a 120 as a standard - especially in a built up area.

Don't get me wrong I would like to think that this would be a 120 KPH zone but I suspect that the volume of traffic accessing and exiting at the on / off ramps and the need to manage the flow of traffic down towards Dunkettle interchange (especially if / when they start the improvement project there) is going to mean a reduced speed limit (in my unscientific opinion based on no real facts just a gut feeling...).

moyners

"Bandon/Sarsfield Interchange Upgrade - Progress Update No.74

Progress Update
Friday 14th June 2013

All of the major sign gantries have now been erected throughout the Bandon/Sarsfield Interchanges Scheme
site. Signage will be erected on a number of these gantries during week commencing Monday 17th June
2013. These works will necessitate lane closures and localised diversions. However, the works are being
carried out under night time working in order to ensure that there will be no significant disruption to traffic
flow.
The only night time works area at present is at the Sarsfield Road flyover. We expect that the new bridge
structure at the Sarsfield Road Roundabout will reach substantial completion before the end of this month.
Installation of the new surface water drainage network should also reach substantial completion before the
end of this month. Surfacing works, erection of public lighting, installation of sound barriers etc will then
be progressed and it is still hoped that both the Bandon and Sarsfield Road flyovers will be opened to traffic
by the due date of July 2013."

antoobrien

Hunterbiker wrote: »

Is it because it is designated as a 'Motorway' so the standard limit of 120KPH would apply generally?

No, the NRA have a set of criteria that they use to decide if lower speed limits should apply, one of which is lane width e.g. the three lane parts of the new M50 has narrower lanes (3m instead of 3.5m).

Leonard Hofstadter

moyners wrote: »

"Bandon/Sarsfield Interchange Upgrade - Progress Update No.74

Progress Update
Friday 14th June 2013

All of the major sign gantries have now been erected throughout the Bandon/Sarsfield Interchanges Scheme
site. Signage will be erected on a number of these gantries during week commencing Monday 17th June
2013. These works will necessitate lane closures and localised diversions. However, the works are being
carried out under night time working in order to ensure that there will be no significant disruption to traffic
flow.
The only night time works area at present is at the Sarsfield Road flyover. We expect that the new bridge
structure at the Sarsfield Road Roundabout will reach substantial completion before the end of this month.
Installation of the new surface water drainage network should also reach substantial completion before the
end of this month. Surfacing works, erection of public lighting, installation of sound barriers etc will then
be progressed and it is still hoped that both the Bandon and Sarsfield Road flyovers will be opened to traffic
by the due date of July 2013."

Forgive my ignorance, but what day in July is this road scheduled to be open?

Outkast_IRE

captainspeed wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance, but what day in July is this road scheduled to be open?

I didn't think they released a specific day yet. Nearer the time they will probably see what waste of space from the dail is free and tie in with their schedule.

xabi

Spotted one of the new signs tonight but i think its wrong, its gives the impression that lane 1 in the picture drops off but in fact it continues straight over the Kinsale Road flyover as lane one and doesn't drop at all until after the flyover.

becost

xabi wrote: »

Spotted one of the new signs tonight but i think its wrong, its gives the impression that lane 1 in the picture drops off but in fact it continues straight over the Kinsale Road flyover as lane one and doesn't drop at all until after the flyover.

There's another sign further on that makes it more clear which lane you need to be in...

Ludo

Meh...I tells people to get into lane 1 now to get to the airport or Kinsale which is correct. True that the lane itself does continue on over the flyover and that is why there is no down arrow at the bottom but a left arrow at the top...i.e....turn off at next exit. I can see why you think it is wrong but that is kinda nitpicking a bit...no perfect way to show it I imagine without causing some confusion if it is over-analysed.

Lando Griffin

xabi wrote: »

Spotted one of the new signs tonight but i think its wrong, its gives the impression that lane 1 in the picture drops off but in fact it continues straight over the Kinsale Road flyover as lane one and doesn't drop at all until after the flyover.

Are those two UFOs in the top right if the pic.

xabi

Ludo wrote: »

Meh...I tells people to get into lane 1 now to get to the airport or Kinsale which is correct. True that the lane itself does continue on over the flyover and that is why there is no down arrow at the bottom but a left arrow at the top...i.e....turn off at next exit. I can see why you think it is wrong but that is kinda nitpicking a bit...no perfect way to show it I imagine without causing some confusion if it is over-analysed.

I don't think its nitpicking, the sign could cause unnecessary lane changes if you're not familiar with the road. The next sign on the road is correct in that it has a down arrow for each mainline lane and a sign for the exit, what this does is force people into lane 2 thinking that lane one is only for exiting to the airport/city. Wasn't there a similar issue on the 3 lane section of the N7 and they ended up changing the signs.

becost

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Are those two UFOs in the top right if the pic.

We better forward this photo to Jim Corr immediately

Ludo

xabi wrote: »

I don't think its nitpicking, the sign could cause unnecessary lane changes if you're not familiar with the road.

Yeah nitpicking was too string a word...sorry couldn't think of anything better at the time. I do get what you mean but I just don't think it is confusing but that could well be due to knowing the road and using it all the time. You may be right about people who are not familiar with it.

xabi wrote: »

what this does is force people into lane 2 thinking that lane one is only for exiting to the airport/city. Wasn't there a similar issue on the 3 lane section of the N7 and they ended up changing the signs.

Don't know about that...the 95% of traffic which uses that road every day anyway will never be in that lane...it's always been empty and will remain so :-)

bg07

Went for a walk at 9:30 tonight and they were still busy at that stage. Signage and the concrete sides of the bridge were being installed at the Sarsfield roundabout.

AugustusMinimus

They were putting up signage on the gantry between the Pouladuff exit and Sarsfield Road Roundabout last night. Meant that the section of SRR between the two exits was closed going westbound.

xabi

becost wrote: »

There's another sign further on that makes it more clear which lane you need to be in...

There is, just don't know how they got this one wrong.

moyners

Ludo wrote: »

Yeah nitpicking was too string a word...sorry couldn't think of anything better at the time. I do get what you mean but I just don't think it is confusing but that could well be due to knowing the road and using it all the time. You may be right about people who are not familiar with it.



Don't know about that...the 95% of traffic which uses that road every day anyway will never be in that lane...it's always been empty and will remain so :-)

I see what Xabi is saying that it will make people who don't know the road move into Lane 2 unnecessarily but then most people who know the road do that anyway as Ludo has said. IMO it's more important to have the people who need to be in Lane 1 to take the upcoming exit for the airport/city to move over early as the I've often thought the sign where it's been for the last few years is far too late if you don't know the road. If someone has moved over to Lane 2 then no harm done they can move back over, if you're too late to take the exit then it's a bit harder to turn around for the airport!

xabi

moyners wrote: »

I see what Xabi is saying that it will make people who don't know the road move into Lane 2 unnecessarily but then most people who know the road do that anyway as Ludo has said. IMO it's more important to have the people who need to be in Lane 1 to take the upcoming exit for the airport/city to move over early as the I've often thought the sign where it's been for the last few years is far too late if you don't know the road. If someone has moved over to Lane 2 then no harm done they can move back over, if you're too late to take the exit then it's a bit harder to turn around for the airport!

Thats exactly what will happen but it doesn't excuse the fact that the sign is wrong and not consistent with standards. The whole, "ah sure it'll do attitude" is why Irish signage has been so bad over the years.

Ludo

xabi wrote: »

Thats exactly what will happen but it doesn't excuse the fact that the sign is wrong and not consistent with standards. The whole, "ah sure it'll do attitude" is why Irish signage has been so bad over the years.

But it is not wrong. There is no down arrow on it under that lane therefore it is correct...may not be perfectly ideal but it is not wrong.
It clearly indicates that you need to turn off at next exit for those destinations.

xabi

Ludo wrote: »

But it is not wrong. There is no down arrow on it under that lane therefore it is correct...may not be perfectly ideal but it is not wrong.
It clearly indicates that you need to turn off at next exit for those destinations.

It is wrong, there are 3 lanes there, the left lane doesn't drop off.

bg07

The sign pictured was changed over a year ago as part of the upgrading of the signage on the existing N40 and the redesignation from the N25. At the time there was only 2 lanes at yhis point. Presumably they will change it again to show 3 lanes continuing straight. Should have been done like that last year with possibly one of the arrows temporarily covered til the works are complete.

xabi

bg07 wrote: »

The sign pictured was changed over a year ago as part of the upgrading of the signage on the existing N40 and the redesignation from the N25. At the time there was only 2 lanes at yhis point. Presumably they will change it again to show 3 lanes continuing straight. Should have been done like that last year with possibly one of the arrows temporarily covered til the works are complete.

That explains it, i had just assumed it was new because they are working on the signs this week, lets hope they change it.

phatmanwc

Seems like all gantry signs at the Sarsfield Intersection and eastwards have been installed. Pretty exciting to see them up there! I agree on the misleading nature of the sign approaching the KR interchange, definitely put me off once or twice, so hopefull they'll rectify this.

Otherwise activity does seem to be kicking up a notch, with the concrete parapets on the overbridge being thrown in pretty quickly...I'm still dubious on the July opening date, there's a lot of elements to be tied up, but at this rate you never know...

Outkast_IRE

phatmanwc wrote: »

Seems like all gantry signs at the Sarsfield Intersection and eastwards have been installed. Pretty exciting to see them up there! I agree on the misleading nature of the sign approaching the KR interchange, definitely put me off once or twice, so hopefull they'll rectify this.

Otherwise activity does seem to be kicking up a notch, with the concrete parapets on the overbridge being thrown in pretty quickly...I'm still dubious on the July opening date, there's a lot of elements to be tied up, but at this rate you never know...

I would be fairly positive of them hitting the july date for the flyovers to be opened and functional.
However I would say the will be left with tidying off under the flyovers and especially sorting out roundabout under the sarsfield rd section. Decent bit of work to finish that off correctly.

AugustusMinimus

So. What benefits do people see coming from this scheme.

1. Obviously enough, people travelling on the SRR or having to go through either roundabout should see huge benefits.
2. I think this will take a lot of pressure off of the Wilton Roundabout. At peak time, a lot of people would avoid the SRR and use Wilton and Bishopstown as a rat run.
3. Point 3 will like see more traffic heading from Wilton Roundabout to Sarsfield Roundabout. People will want to use the SRR more due to the flyovers.

stiimpreza1984

Yes will be very interesting to see the tailbacks heading eastbound towards the tunnel now with the more free flowing traffic from the flyovers. That Dunkettle interchange will barely cope Id say another topic to talk about but we'll be waiting for to get that funding Id say.

kub

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

So. What benefits do people see coming from this scheme.

1. Obviously enough, people travelling on the SRR or having to go through either roundabout should see huge benefits.
2. I think this will take a lot of pressure off of the Wilton Roundabout. At peak time, a lot of people would avoid the SRR and use Wilton and Bishopstown as a rat run.
3. Point 3 will like see more traffic heading from Wilton Roundabout to Sarsfield Roundabout. People will want to use the SRR more due to the flyovers.

I believe the City Council are planning on doing away with the Wilton Roundabout and replacing it with traffic lights once the flyovers are in operation. These traffic lights seem to be a virus in Cork.

AugustusMinimus

kub wrote: »

I believe the City Council are planning on doing away with the Wilton Roundabout and replacing it with traffic lights once the flyovers are in operation. These traffic lights seem to be a virus in Cork.

In Midleton, there's a junction where there are two sets of traffic lights stacked one on top of the other. One a foot above the other. I **** you not.

There's an urban legend which says someone in Cork put down an extra zero on a traffic light order. That junction in Midleton ratifies this urban legend in my mind.

becost

stiimpreza1984 wrote: »

Yes will be very interesting to see the tailbacks heading eastbound towards the tunnel now with the more free flowing traffic from the flyovers. That Dunkettle interchange will barely cope Id say another topic to talk about but we'll be waiting for to get that funding Id say.

I'd imagine the NRA will be farting on about a toll on the tunnel before the Dunkettle interchange upgrade can go ahead.

AugustusMinimus

becost wrote: »

I'd imagine the NRA will be farting on about a toll on the tunnel before the Dunkettle interchange upgrade can go ahead.

That'll go to court considering the Tunnel received substantial EU funding.