M7-N18 Limerick South Ring Road thread

RandomAccess

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/ireland-business-blog-with-lisa-ocarroll/2011/may/31/standard-and-poors-downgrade-limerick-tunnel

Yet another noose around our neck.

Amtmann

Emergency phones are now installed along the SRR.

Mc Love

Dont think they are working yet Tremelo

CerebralCortex

Anyone know why the road labelled Ballykeefe/Dock Rd here is so neglected?

Zoney

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Anyone know why the road labelled Ballykeefe/Dock Rd here is so neglected?

It's a country laneway that the city has grown out to meet. Given it's location and how the main road network has grown, there are only two options, do nothing with it (don't encourage anyone to use it) or convert it at huge expense and for poor traffic results, into an urban link.

No doubt with Celtic-tiger style development it would eventually have had estates plonked along it and been crudely upgraded piecemeal in the usual fashion.

CerebralCortex

Zoney wrote: »

It's a country laneway that the city has grown out to meet. Given it's location and how the main road network has grown, there are only two options, do nothing with it (don't encourage anyone to use it) or convert it at huge expense and for poor traffic results, into an urban link.

No doubt with Celtic-tiger style development it would eventually have had estates plonked along it and been crudely upgraded piecemeal in the usual fashion.

How much would a road like that cost to upgrade? From what I can tell the thing it needs most is widening. Of course you're right there are houses and developments plonked along side it.

highlydebased

Leave it, nothing wrong with it. Handy shortcut for going over to the crescent though. Lack of signposting for same will only see locals know about it.

Red Silurian

If too many people start using it then it'll take longer to get to the crescent.... I say leave well-enough alone

CerebralCortex

highlydebased wrote: »

Leave it, nothing wrong with it. Handy shortcut for going over to the crescent though. Lack of signposting for same will only see locals know about it.

colmtheperson wrote: »

If too many people start using it then it'll take longer to get to the crescent.... I say leave well-enough alone

So more and wider roads in an area that has pathetic roads means higher congestion? How do you figure?

veryangryman

CerebralCortex wrote: »

So more and wider roads in an area that has pathetic roads means higher congestion? How do you figure?

The better the road, the more people will use it instead of other routes. Ergo, can lead to congestion

Club orange...Thank you for asking...

Cookiemunster

CerebralCortex wrote: »

So more and wider roads in an area that has pathetic roads means higher congestion? How do you figure?

This area does not have pathetic roads. It's a residential area which has adequate roads for residential traffic. There is already a route between the Dock Rd. (N69) and St Nessans Rd. (R526). The R510. There is already a rat run from the roundabout at the junction of the R510 and Fr Russell Road, along Fr Russell Road to the R526 and widening this road would only make this rat run worse.

CerebralCortex

Cookiemunster wrote: »

This area does not have pathetic roads. It's a residential area which has adequate roads for residential traffic. There is already a route between the Dock Rd. (N69) and St Nessans Rd. (R526). The R510. There is already a rat run from the roundabout at the junction of the R510 and Fr Russell Road, along Fr Russell Road to the R526 and widening this road would only make this rat run worse.

What about the Crescent shopping centre? Very difficult to get to at peak times.

highlydebased

Part of the problem with the crescent is the traffic lights at the entrance/exit. Similarly having the entrances/exits all on the one road doesnt help.

CerebralCortex

highlydebased wrote: »

Part of the problem with the crescent is the traffic lights at the entrance/exit. Similarly having the entrances/exits all on the one road doesnt help.

And the fact that Dooradoyle is so cramped. But what's new with Irish suburbs?

Cookiemunster

CerebralCortex wrote: »

What about the Crescent shopping centre? Very difficult to get to at peak times.

What about it? Extra traffic shouldn't be routed through a residential area just so people can get to the Crescent.
As said by another poster the issue with the Crescent is the Entrances/Exits being on the same traffic light ravaged road within 200m of each other. Creating another rat run onto Fr Russell Road won't change this.

CerebralCortex

Cookiemunster wrote: »

What about it? Extra traffic shouldn't be routed through a residential area just so people can get to the Crescent.
As said by another poster the issue with the Crescent is the Entrances/Exits being on the same traffic light ravaged road within 200m of each other. Creating another rat run onto Fr Russell Road won't change this.

I stand corrected thanks for your responses. What could be done to improve roads in the area?

Sponge Bob

The Annual Report from the Comptroller and Auditor General has this ( period 2011)

http://www.audgen.gov.ie/documents/annualreports/2011/report/en/Chapter6.pdf Page 5

This is a bit confusing as the M3 and the Tunnel are lumped together.

The Limerick Tunnel contract provides for a 6% increase in the 2012 level of traffic over 2011.
Subsequent increases are smaller but continue until 2035, after which the traffic guarantee will
remain unchanged.

On a similar basis, the projected traffic levels using the Limerick Tunnel will not reach the
guaranteed traffic levels and the State will make additional payments to the PPP company for the
whole duration of the contract (i.e. until 2041).

( Noted further that )

The traffic levels, which are well below the base case scenarios underpinning the PPP contracts, will also have
an impact on the PPP companies’ returns relative to those envisaged at contract signing.

H1 2011 Traffic was 12.5k per day.
H2 2011 Traffic was 15.5k per day.
H1 2012 Traffic was 14.5k per day

Average over next payout period to 06/12 was 15k a day....big improvement that.

starch4ser

i LOVE the way the tunnel warning signs have a " no horse and carts" symbol...ONLY in Limerick! lol

It's on the Jack Lynch tunnel as well

I always assumed that was for the benefit of the residents of Corks largest halting site which was located just before the southern entrance of the tunnel.

Limerick74

Article on RTE.ie regarding traffic guarantee on the Limerick Tunnel http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0402/606180-tolls/ where Minister Varadkar is quoted "He said that one way of bringing down the traffic guarantee payments would be to take away the toll for HGVs as the level of traffic going through would increase and reduce the traffic guarantee payment."

Surely the Toll Operators would be looking for state to cover the loss of tolls from the HGVs currently using the tunnel? This cost could exceed the reduction in traffic guarantee payments. Hopefully some mechanism can be agreed to take the extra trucks out of the city.

flyingsnail

surely a good way to increase the number of hgv going through the tunnel would be to decrease the cost for them but not necessarily make it free, it is currently €6 for a hgv to go through the tunnel.

Godge

Limerick74 wrote: »

Article on RTE.ie regarding traffic guarantee on the Limerick Tunnel http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0402/606180-tolls/ where Minister Varadkar is quoted "He said that one way of bringing down the traffic guarantee payments would be to take away the toll for HGVs as the level of traffic going through would increase and reduce the traffic guarantee payment."

Surely the Toll Operators would be looking for state to cover the loss of tolls from the HGVs currently using the tunnel? This cost could exceed the reduction in traffic guarantee payments. Hopefully some mechanism can be agreed to take the extra trucks out of the city.

flyingsnail wrote: »

surely a good way to increase the number of hgv going through the tunnel would be to decrease the cost for them but not necessarily make it free, it is currently €6 for a hgv to go through the tunnel.

Just ban HGVs from the city centre bridges. Sorted.

AugustusMinimus

Godge wrote: »

Just ban HGVs from the city centre bridges. Sorted.

So if a company wants to make a delivery from one side of the city centre over the Shannon to the other side using a HGV, they'll have to use the tunnel ?

Crazy stuff.

veryangryman

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

So if a company wants to make a delivery from one side of the city centre over the Shannon to the other side using a HGV, they'll have to use the tunnel ?

Crazy stuff.

And yet somehow it works in Dublin....

antoobrien

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

So if a company wants to make a delivery from one side of the city centre over the Shannon to the other side using a HGV, they'll have to use the tunnel ?

Crazy stuff.

http://www.dublincity.ie/ROADSANDTRAFFIC/HGV/Pages/HGV%20Management%20Strategy.aspx

The Dublin City Council HGV Management Strategy was introduced on the 19 February 2007. The HGV Strategy provides for a ban on 5+ axle vehicles during the hours of 07.00-19.00 seven days a week from a designated cordon area and provides a limited permit scheme for 5+ axle vehicles that need to load/unload within the city centre area. In addition, as the HGV cordon is a closed cordon around the port area, Dublin City Council operates an Eastlink Rebate Scheme for affected vehicles.

Irish_rat

Thought I'd bump this thread. Daily traffic counters between M7 J29(Ballysimon) and J30(Rossbrien)



Possibly another D3M section in the country in a few years.

Auxillary lane from M7/J29 (Ballysimon) to M20/J2 (Dooradoyle)

Edit: 49,699 the figure today. Not far off the cap of 52,000 but obviously needs to be averaged.

Wont be long tipping over with big expansion plans out in Northern Trust, UL and Castletroy

Irish_rat

The cost of widening would be minimal though as the current DC can be expanded.

However relying on the tunnel can have it's drawbacks:

https://twitter.com/aaroadwatch/status/775034258008276992

Limerick Tunnel to remain closed northbound 'for a number of days'

Limerick tunnel closed northbound following accident The Limerick tunnel is closed northbound after an oversized tractor got stuck
THE northbound lane of the Limerick Tunnel is likely to remain closed for a number of days following an accident earlier today.

A two-way traffic system is going to be put in place on the southbound side of the link, with speed limits reduced to 50km, as repair works take place on the opposite side.

This came after an oversized agricultural vehicle carrying hay-bales became lodged in the tunnel.

Declan Cahill, the chief executive of DirectLink which runs the facility, said the five-metre high truck entered the tunnel at 8.30am this Sunday.

The maximum height of vehicles in the tunnel is 4.65m, and – Mr Cahill claimed – the driver ignored the warnings, driving through the barrier at the entrance.

“We have had quite a substantial amount of damage to signs, lights and electronic system,” he told Live95FM news.

In a statement, DirectRoute warned motorists travelling northbound on the N18 to expect delays.

The company confirmed equipment in the tunnel damaged is being removed by specialist contractors.

“Replacement of this equipment will take a period of time. An assessment is currently being undertaken,” a spokesperson said.

Mr Cahill confirmed work to repair the tunnel’s northbound lane will take “a number of days”, with vehicles sharing the southbound road for the time being.

The company added: “DirectRoute (Limerick) Ltd apologises for any inconvenience this unavoidable disruption has caused to our customers. We will send further updates when we have more information.”

Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler, who is based in Raheen, says traffic is “chronic” around the Mungret Cement factory roundabout.

He said traffic is even backing up onto the M7 motorway – and is concerned at the delays come Monday morning.

Link

This is going to be nightmare in the morning

lukejr

Irish_rat wrote: »

Thought I'd bump this thread. Daily traffic counters between M7 J29(Ballysimon) and J30(Rossbrien)

Thanks for the stats. Where can we view the road capacity numbers, are these on the tii.ie website?

Irish_rat

lukejr wrote: »

Thanks for the stats. Where can we view the road capacity numbers, are these on the tii.ie website?

https://www.nratrafficdata.ie

Some high figures again this last past week between J29 and J30.

43374 M
46742 T
46270 W
48188 T
49464 F

It's a great resource by TII and will be very important for projections of traffic into the future.

marno21

Best thing about this road is that they had the foresight to make J30 a proper freeflow junction for motorway-motorway interchanging instead of another roundabout.

Same with the M20 where the N20 and the N21 merge. These days that would be a roundabout.

Irish_rat

I think some improvements need to be made now to the bypass

Firstly the M20 ramp (J30) from the M7 southbound should really be two lanes. We have dead motorways in the middle of the country with two lanes splitting off. This road has nearly 45-50k cars a day. Every morning and evening cars breaking and weaving all over the place to get off at this junction.

Secondly and probably more importantly, N18 J2 has been a nightmare from the get go. Since its become absolute mayhem at peak time, I think they need to make a freeflow slip outbound done as the dumbell is jammed.

Oddly enough I think M7 J29 is pretty good now considering 20k cars a day come in from the N24 it functions pretty well