N6 - Athlone Bypass Upgrade works

Wild Bill

Bit like the White House and Casino in Two-Mile-Borris then? :rolleyes:

billbond4

I don't think all the halls will get built but I would say they will build one or two. Its a good idea as it would save businesses a lot of money by not going to China.
not like like stupid casino in Tipperary.

Sponge Bob

Don't tell me they are installing Traffic Lights for Wrong Kong ?????

billbond4

billbond4 wrote: »

I don't think all the halls will get built but I would say they will build one or two. Its a good idea as it would save businesses a lot of money by not going to China.
not like like stupid casino in Tipperary.

Way OT, but we should be building factories to manufacture the stuff rather than a showcase venue to help export even more jobs! :mad:
/OT

billbond4

Yeah I agree but Ireland is still an expensive place to manufacture, but having Chinatown may boost exports to China as the Chinese become more aware of Ireland.
I'm an optimist :-D

Wild Bill

Good debate guys, now back to the Athlone Bypass, eh?

(Practicing to be a Mod)

billbond4

ok back on topic, how will all the people going to the Athlone Chinatown get there?
Also for possible Chinese investors watch this clip 17minutes and 50 seconds in, on some helpful Athlone phrases
http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1125402

dubhthach

billbond4 wrote: »

ok back on topic, how will all the people going to the Athlone Chinatown get there?
Also for possible Chinese investors watch this clip 17minutes and 50 seconds in, on some helpful Athlone phrases
http://www.rte.ie/player/#!v=1125402

Hardly back on topic now is it?

What's the current status of the upgrade? I'm assuming it's finished as I didn't see any more work on the route last time I went down to Gaillimh. As a result it might be worth locking the thread, unless of course there are other parts still ongoing ?(junctions etc.)

dubhthach

dubhthach wrote: »

Hardly back on topic now is it?

What's the current status of the upgrade? I'm assuming it's finished as I didn't see any more work on the route last time I went down to Gaillimh. As a result it might be worth locking the thread, unless of course there are other parts still ongoing ?(junctions etc.)

From what I can see is that apart from the junction upgrades which haven’t started yet, the mainline work is complete.

Sponge Bob

Are the junction upgrades fully funded in the €7-8m odd total funds allocated to this in 2010/2011 or do they require more wongas ????

veryangryman

Can we rename this thread from "upgrade" to "maintenance"

Not one inch of the road has been "upgraded" since the early 90s. barring the M6 connection parts at either end. Obviously i do now enjoy driving on the smoother surface, but that goes down as maintenance to me.

As for the traffic light plan, sure thats basically offline so doesnt REALLY count (in any case, as a guy who dont like to stop :cool: I consider it a downgrade)

Tremolo, what do you think?

Wild Bill

veryangryman wrote: »

Obviously i do now enjoy driving on the smoother surface, but that goes down as maintenance to me.

Nope. That is definitely an upgrade.

Nice job too. :cool:

More roadworks on the N6 Athlone bypass!

Looks like they've now decided to replace the new signs with gantries, why the hell didn't they do this at the same time as the upgrade works. :rolleyes:

Fortunately, there should not be much disruption to traffic.

billbond4

ah now, that would involve some sort of forward planning and communication between council departments, something which is sadly lacking from county councils.

flazio

East bound on the bridge over J11 (Coosan/Applegreen) there appears to be this square bit of debris on the overtaking lane that's been there for months, looks like a bit of MDF.

billbond4

yeah seen that, kept meaning to ring the Co.Co or the cops

etchyed

Deleted User wrote: »

Looks like they've now decided to replace the new signs with gantries,

Is that really necessary? The NRA seem to have gone into overkill with all these gantries, they've put up a few on the N11 south of Bray too.

Criteria for when a gantry is actually required are a lot more stringent in the UK. I don't know about other countries tbh, but those gantries can't come cheap. It it seems like roadside signs would be perfectly adequate on the Athlone bypass.

L1011

Sure they aren't just installing VMSs? There's VMS bases all across the DC/M network now, awaiting the units.

Wild Bill

etchyed wrote: »

Is that really necessary? The NRA seem to have gone into overkill with all these gantries, they've put up a few on the N11 south of Bray too.

Criteria for when a gantry is actually required are a lot more stringent in the UK. I don't know about other countries tbh, but those gantries can't come cheap. It it seems like roadside signs would be perfectly adequate on the Athlone bypass.

Yeah, let's spend our money on bailing out the German banks; or put it into the Black Hole of Anglo.

God forbid we'd actually establish best practice in terms of grade-separated junction exit signage.

We are only Paddies after all :mad:

etchyed

Wild Bill wrote: »

Yeah, let's spend our money on bailing out the German banks; or put it into the Black Hole of Anglo.

God forbid we'd actually establish best practice in terms of grade-separated junction exit signage.

Surely best practice would be balancing cost with necessity.

We are only Paddies after all :mad:

What do you mean by this? I think I can guess but I'm not sure.

MYOB

MYOB wrote: »

Sure they aren't just installing VMSs? There's VMS bases all across the DC/M network now, awaiting the units.

No, the position of the works is right at the start of the slip lanes , exactly the same place as when they were installing gantries along other sections of the M6 last year.

But I have seen a couple of bases for VMS signs appear along the M6 near Kilbeggan.

KevR

Deleted User wrote: »

But I have seen a couple of bases for VMS signs appear along the M6 near Kilbeggan.

Apologies for going a bit off-topic but a VMS was installed on the M4 Westbound near Kinnegead quite some time ago but I have never seen it turned on. Anyone know if it is used at all?

Wild Bill

etchyed wrote: »

What do you mean by this? I think I can guess but I'm not sure.

I was being :rolleyes:.

The very idea that our NRA could actually have a better signage system than UK/Germany/France is unfathomable to many Irish folk of the chattering classes

I judge these things on what, as someone who has driven 1.5 million miles throughout Ireland, the UK and the Continent, judge things by what I see - not based on "what they do in Germany/France/UK"

A lot of folk seem to think if it's not done in Country X, then it is wrong/wasteful/daft/whatever.

This view is itself wrong/wasteful/daft/whatever.

etchyed

Wild Bill wrote: »

I was being :rolleyes:.

The very idea that our NRA could actually have a better signage system than UK/Germany/France is unfathomable to many Irish folk of the chattering classes

I judge these things on what, as someone who has driven 1.5 million miles throughout Ireland, the UK and the Continent, judge things by what I see - not based on "what they do in Germany/France/UK"

A lot of folk seem to think if it's not done in Country X, then it is wrong/wasteful/daft/whatever.

This view is itself wrong/wasteful/daft/whatever.

Ah, so you were accusing me of exactly what I thought you were. Didn't want to jump the gun. I think it undermines your argument somewhat to have to paint me/anyone else with this opinion as a certain type of person.

I disagree with you fundamentally on this. It is not smallminded or unambitious to look at other countries for examples of what to do. Governments look at the conclusions other countries have reached all the time on a wide variety of issues.

So, judging things by what you see, and having driven 1.5 million miles, do you actually really think it's necessary to have expensive gantry signs on roads like the Athlone bypass? Or are you just arguing because you're irritated by me bringing up what other countries do?

antoobrien

KevR wrote: »

Apologies for going a bit off-topic but a VMS was installed on the M4 Westbound near Kinnegead quite some time ago but I have never seen it turned on. Anyone know if it is used at all?

I think it is on now, with speed kills or slow down it's wet (despite the windscreen being dry) messages.

The ones on the M50 have Journey times and occasionally instructions on how to use the 2nd and 3rd lane (still doesn't stop people thinking the middle lane is the driving lane).

Wild Bill

etchyed wrote: »

So, judging things by what you see, and having driven 1.5 million miles, do you actually really think it's necessary to have expensive gantry signs on roads like the Athlone bypass? Or are you just arguing because you're irritated by me bringing up what other countries do?

(1) I am irritated by the presumption that "what other countries do" is taken as the arbiter of good/bad practice in Ireland.
Rather than an actual assessment of the practice.

(2) I think the gantry signs are extremely useful and an important safety feature.
The only necessary thing in human existence are food, shelter and air. :cool:

Wild Bill

antoobrien wrote: »

The ones on the M50 have Journey times and occasionally instructions on how to use the 2nd and 3rd lane (still doesn't stop people thinking the middle lane is the driving lane).

When they have nothing exceptional to report they should have all those signs telling clowns to drive in the left lane unless overtaking. :mad:

etchyed

Wild Bill wrote: »

(1) I am irritated by the presumption that "what other countries do" is taken as the arbiter of good/bad practice in Ireland.
Rather than an actual assessment of the practice.

In assessing practice, it is sometimes useful, as I've already pointed out, to refer to conclusions that others have already come to. NOT as an "arbiter", but as a useful tool in decision making. The idea that a country the size of ours can reinvent the wheel for every aspect of its governance is ludicrous.

Drawing comparison to what our European neighbours have done is entirely valid, as there should be little reason why their cost-benefit analysis on gantry signage (for example) would be materially different from ours.

It's a completely sensible thing to do and your finding it irritating does nothing to change that.

(2) I think the gantry signs are extremely useful and an important safety feature.
The only necessary thing in human existence are food, shelter and air. :cool:

Fair enough if you personally think they're worth the money. Obviously I disagree.

Wild Bill

etchyed wrote: »

The idea that a country the size of ours can reinvent the wheel for every aspect of its governance is ludicrous.

The idea that we can't invent anything is equally ludicrous. That was the point I was trying to make.

L1011

KevR wrote: »

Apologies for going a bit off-topic but a VMS was installed on the M4 Westbound near Kinnegead quite some time ago but I have never seen it turned on. Anyone know if it is used at all?

the new ones generally have a red light in the top corner to indicate they're alive. If its not there, its not wired up.

However, it is on the NRA system:
http://www.nratraffic.ie/vms/default.asp