Bodkin / Headford Road roundabout replacement [Lights are on!]

joeKel73

antoobrien wrote: »

You're not.

In fact you're not supposed to be this side of the sign at all (especially since the path was closed off near the back of currys).

From the other side you are supposed to go through the (unlighted) path through terryland forest park, which looks like it's about here.

And what if you're not coming from the Curry's direction and coming off the roundabout?

(I haven't seen the junction today but will be cycling through later, going from photos above...)

antoobrien

J o e wrote: »

And what if you're not coming from the Curry's direction and coming off the roundabout?

(I haven't seen the junction today but will be cycling through later, going from photos above...)

If you mean going eastbound, well you shouldn't be on that side of the road/bridge. Otherwise you'll have to explain what you mean.

I didn't come to work that way this morning, so I don't know if it's been reopened.

snubbleste

antoobrien wrote: »

If you mean going eastbound, well you shouldn't be on that side of the road/bridge. Otherwise you'll have to explain what you mean.
I didn't come to work that way this morning, so I don't know if it's been reopened.

As I pointed out last week, the eastbound bike path has been closed also. There is an electronic sign blocking the footpath, someone decided to close the bike path to facilitate pedestrians going around it.

the next day it looked like this

galwaycyclist

antoobrien wrote: »

If you mean going eastbound, well you shouldn't be on that side of the road/bridge. Otherwise you'll have to explain what you mean.

I didn't come to work that way this morning, so I don't know if it's been reopened.

Ok I will try to keep this simple for you.

1. In this country we drive on the left

2. The bridge and the associated road from the Bodkin roundabout to Newcastle runs roughly East-West.

3. This means that if you are travelling west (eg westbound) you should be on the southern side of the bridge and road = left-most traffic lanes and/or cycle path.

4. There are even arrows on the cycle paths showing the correct direction of travel - they point west on the cycle paths on the south side and they point east on the cycle paths on the north side.

5. The cycle path running west from the roundabout on the south side of the road/bridge has been blocked just before the bridge.

6. It has been blocked for no apparent reason - there are no road works taking place between the bridge and the traffic lights at Newcastle.

joeKel73

antoobrien wrote: »

If you mean going eastbound, well you shouldn't be on that side of the road/bridge. Otherwise you'll have to explain what you mean.

I didn't come to work that way this morning, so I don't know if it's been reopened.

No I mean for example if you're coming from Dunnes and want to cross the bridge after going through the roundabout. Is there any facility to mount the cycle path, the previous dropped kerb seems to be enclosed within that closed off section now.

irisheddie85

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Ok I will try to keep this simple for you.

1. In this country we drive on the left

2. The bridge and the associated road from the Bodkin roundabout to Newcastle runs roughly East-West.

3. This means that if you are travelling west (eg westbound) you should be on the southern side of the bridge and road = left-most traffic lanes and/or cycle path.

4. There are even arrows on the cycle paths showing the correct direction of travel - they point west on the cycle paths on the south side and they point east on the cycle paths on the north side.

5. The cycle path running west from the roundabout on the south side of the road/bridge has been blocked just before the bridge.

6. It has been blocked for no apparent reason - there are no road works taking place between the bridge and the traffic lights at Newcastle.

Where is the start of this cycle path? Is it in the middle of roadworks? To get on the cycle path did you have to go up a kerb? Or through a lot of road cones. Perhaps the idea was that people would use the path right beside this fence and not the cycle path. Arrows on cycle path as far as I have seen mean nothing as you are as likely to see cyclists going either way on them.

antoobrien

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Ok I will try to keep this simple for you.

Are you for real? Do you even know where the cycle lane was closed from? Or did you even read the post you quoted?

galwaycyclist wrote: »

6. It has been blocked for no apparent reason - there are no road works taking place between the bridge and the traffic lights at Newcastle.

No apparent reason? Time to change your glasses, there was a generator powering overhead lights blocking the entire path Monday to Friday. There is also a need to rebuild some of the path as there will be slight realignments to the path direction, so expect it to be dug up (if it hasn't been done already).

antoobrien

J o e wrote: »

No I mean for example if you're coming from Dunnes and want to cross the bridge after going through the roundabout. Is there any facility to mount the cycle path, the previous dropped kerb seems to be enclosed within that closed off section now.

Then you'd either be coming around the rab (where you'd have no entrance to the cycle path) or you'd be being dropped off at the point of the westbound closure (same effect).

As I said I didn't come that way this morning, so I don't know if the cycle path is still closed.

Can you let us know if it is?

galwaycyclist

antoobrien wrote: »

You're not.

In fact you're not supposed to be this side of the sign at all (especially since the path was closed off near the back of currys).

From the other side you are supposed to go through the (unlighted) path through terryland forest park, which looks like it's about here.

So can you show us where the signs are at the roundabout telling the westbound cyclists that their access to the bridge is closed ahead? e.g. Cyclists coming from Sean Mulvoy Rd?

Can you also please explain for the "safety evangelists" (your words) why anyone would close access to the bridge when there are no road works taking place on the bridge or anywhere other than in the immediate area of the roundabout itself?

irisheddie85

galwaycyclist wrote: »

So can you show us where the signs are at the roundabout telling the westbound cyclists that their access to the bridge is closed ahead? e.g. Cyclists coming from Sean Mulvoy Rd?

Can you also please explain for the "safety evangelists" (your words) why anyone would close access to the bridge when there are no road works taking place on the bridge or anywhere other than in the immediate area of the roundabout itself?

Their access to the bridge isn't closed. They can use the roundabout and road lanes like any other vehicle. Or dismount and walk around using the (admittedly bad) detour through terryland forest Park

joeKel73

antoobrien wrote: »

Then you'd either be coming around the rab (where you'd have no entrance to the cycle path) or you'd be being dropped off at the point of the westbound closure (same effect).

Yeah this was what I was wondering - a simple small temporary ramp up onto the cycle lane should really be in place. Will have a look later, if I risk the RAB...!

galwaycyclist

irisheddie85 wrote: »

Their access to the bridge isn't closed. They can use the roundabout and road lanes like any other vehicle. Or dismount and walk around using the (admittedly bad) detour through terryland forest Park

Really? Whats all this then? An optical illusion?

snubbleste wrote: »

Exactly, how are you supposed to go around this? If you are in a wheelchair, how are you supposed to navigate the gravel park path? Are you supposed to cross the four lane road?
Noticed the obscured speed limit sign

zarquon

irisheddie85 wrote: »

Their access to the bridge isn't closed. They can use the roundabout and road lanes like any other vehicle. Or dismount and walk around using the (admittedly bad) detour through terryland forest Park

+1. Quite a few bikes using the road here at the moment. Normally bikes on road when there is an empty bike lane is quite annoying but due to the exceptional road works i have no issue with bikes on the road heading westbound over the bridge. It just means extra care needs to be taken due to on road cyclists.

joeKel73

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Really? Whats all this then? An optical illusion?

He means their access to the bridge using the road, not the cycle path... so technically true.

zarquon wrote: »

It just means extra care needs to be taken due to on road cyclists.

In which case there should really be a sign to warn motorists to be aware of cyclists along that stretch of road where they'd normally not expect to meet one. Maybe they do have a sign up?

irisheddie85

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Really? Whats all this then? An optical illusion?

This is the back of a sign at the end/start of a detour if you are looking at this side of the sign you somehow ended up somewhere you shouldn't have been able to. How about a picture of how you got on to this closed section of road? If you looked slightly to the right you will see 2 Road lanes which as a cyclist you are perfectly entitled to use. But I'm sure you know this already. But no everything in Galway is anti cyclist

Iwannahurl

I'm afraid such entitlement does not obviate the serious problem of speeding across the bridge. Also, there is a cohort of cyclists who prefer to be on the QB bike paths. I'm not one of them, btw, which is why I avoid cycling the QB if at all possible. I may reconsider this route when the new junction is complete, and the inevitable glitches are ironed out.

galwaycyclist

irisheddie85 wrote: »

This is the back of a sign at the end/start of a detour if you are looking at this side of the sign you somehow ended up somewhere you shouldn't have been able to. How about a picture of how you got on to this closed section of road? If you looked slightly to the right you will see 2 Road lanes which as a cyclist you are perfectly entitled to use. But I'm sure you know this already. But no everything in Galway is anti cyclist

If you have come through the roundabout and are clear of the advertised roadworks why would you not end up at this place?

What road works are taking place to the west of this obstruction that justify closing the cycle path but do not justify closing any of the other road lanes?

Why are westbound cycle path users being obstructed when cars are not?

antoobrien

galwaycyclist wrote: »

If you have come through the roundabout and are clear of the advertised roadworks why would you not end up at this place?

Because the path was* blocked before it.

* can't say if it still is.

irisheddie85

galwaycyclist wrote: »

If you have come through the roundabout and are clear of the advertised roadworks why would you not end up at this place?

What road works are taking place to the west of this obstruction that justify closing the cycle path but do not justify closing any of the other road lanes?

Why are westbound cycle path users being obstructed when cars are not?

You would end up at this place on the road unless you stepped up over a kerb to get on the cycle Lane. If you are just after stepping up on to a kerb how is one more going to stop you making the rest of your journey.

Cars are being obstructed where there is a reduction in the number of lanes coming in from headford and coming out from town. For at least a week there were signs saying that a slip road was open to turn from dunnes to Sean Mulvoy but it never actually opened. The slip road from the bridge to headford Road is regularly closed off with no pre warning to facilitate parking for a truck for the road works.

These are on going roadworks and you seem to have major problems whenever anything affects one cycle path. There is only a week or so of works left to hopefully make this a safer junction for all Road users.

The sign is there for roadworks East of it. And you have ignored my point that cyclists often cycle the wrong way over the bridge

El_Dangeroso

Is it still the case that the lights are going live next Monday? Has there been any change on that front?

antoobrien

galwaycyclist wrote: »

So can you show us where the signs are at the roundabout telling the westbound cyclists that their access to the bridge is closed ahead? e.g. Cyclists coming from Sean Mulvoy Rd?

Don't know if there were any. The big, obvious blockage, covering the whole foot & cycle path just where one would expect to be able to continue on at the back of curries (there was a generator taking up both somewhere about here) would have been the first hint. Did you get a photo of that? No?

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Can you also please explain for the "safety evangelists" (your words) why anyone would close access to the bridge when there are no road works taking place on the bridge or anywhere other than in the immediate area of the roundabout itself?

Quite simple really there was an alternative route* though the forest park. So there was no need for signs to suggest that the entire path was closed for cyclists and pedestrians.

So I'll ask why our "safety evangelists" are ignoring what I wrote this morning:

antoobrien wrote: »

In fact you're not supposed to be this side of the sign at all (especially since the path was closed off near the back of currys).

* I will admit didn't spot this route until Friday afternoon while I was stopped eastbound waiting to access the rab. When travelling west over the bridge, one doesn't have much of a chance to look as one, and it was dark every day I used it westbound last week.

joeKel73

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Is it still the case that the lights are going live next Monday? Has there been any change on that front?

They just posted an update;
http://www.galwaycity.ie/GeneralNews/291013_02.html

On Monday November 4th, Galway City Council intends to switch on the new traffic lights at the Headford Road / Sean Mulvoy Road Junction (former Bodkin Roundabout). This new junction will have multiple lanes and motorists are asked to familiarise themselves with the junction prior to use. To this end, a drawing of the junction is available above.

In addition, on the same day Galway City Council intends to switch on the traffic signals at the revised Dún na Coiribe / Dunnes Stores exit. This revised junction will permit motorists to turn right into Dún na Coiribe and right out of Dunnes Stores. Again, motorists are asked to familiarise themselves with the layout of this new junction prior to November 4th.

Galway Transportation Unit, Galway City Council wishes to take this opportunity to thank members of the public for their patience and cooperation, during the construction of these priority works for Galway City.

zarquon

There's a lot of complaining over these works. They are being implemented to better facilitate cyclist and pedestrians and will be beneficial in the long term. There is short term inconvenience to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists but will be rectified in due course. Many posters seem to be overlooking the massive inconvenience to motorists at the moment too and seem almost convinced that only cyclists and pedestrians are badly affected. In fact i would say that cyclists and motorists are equally affected, the worse off at the moment are pedestrians but thankfully the gains will be worth it as pedestrians will be able to safely cross that junction going forward unlike the current practice of darting across several lanes of traffic when there is a slight break in flow.

joeKel73

There's a good few changes in the updated drawing they've posted. But on first glance they appear to be fairly minor.

New lane splitting arrangement coming from Dunnes...

antoobrien

J o e wrote: »

There's a good few changes in the updated drawing they've posted. But on first glance they appear to be fairly minor.

New lane splitting arrangement coming from Dunnes...

http://omg.wthax.org/6QVMEb.png

There's a filter from Woodqauy to QB (wasn't in the original proposal), shorter filter on Sean Mulvoy Rd approach to the junction (by 30m-50m). The entrance to GSC is about 30m closer to the junction than the part 8 report suggested.

Not sure why they're splitting the N6 slip/left filter into two lanes without actually giving it two lanes in (which is not being done as it'd make the "straight on" dangerous for cyclists).

Also they should mark the approaches to all the splits in the cycle lanes (4 in total) with yellow boxes (not in either diagram), so as to prevent them from getting blocked by backed up motor traffic.

galwaycyclist

zarquon wrote: »

There's a lot of complaining over these works. They are being implemented to better facilitate cyclist and pedestrians and will be beneficial in the long term. There is short term inconvenience to cyclists, pedestrians and motorists but will be rectified in due course. Many posters seem to be overlooking the massive inconvenience to motorists at the moment too and seem almost convinced that only cyclists and pedestrians are badly affected. In fact i would say that cyclists and motorists are equally affected, the worse off at the moment are pedestrians but thankfully the gains will be worth it as pedestrians will be able to safely cross that junction going forward unlike the current practice of darting across several lanes of traffic when there is a slight break in flow.

I don't think anyone posting today has overlooked any inconvenience to anyone or has questioned the fact that these road works will result in a disruption of service to all road users at the site of the road works.

This does not change the fact that those overseeing these works have, without cause, selectively obstructed and endangered one group for no apparent reason associated with the roadworks.

galwaycyclist

antoobrien wrote: »

So I'll ask why our "safety evangelists" are ignoring what I wrote this morning:

I will restate it for you the answer is here.

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Ok I will try to keep this simple for you.

1. In this country we drive on the left

2. The bridge and the associated road from the Bodkin roundabout to Newcastle runs roughly East-West.

3. This means that if you are travelling west (eg westbound) you should be on the southern side of the bridge and road = left-most traffic lanes and/or cycle path.

4. There are even arrows on the cycle paths showing the correct direction of travel - they point west on the cycle paths on the south side and they point east on the cycle paths on the north side.

5. The cycle path running west from the roundabout on the south side of the road/bridge has been blocked just before the bridge.

6. It has been blocked for no apparent reason - there are no road works taking place between the bridge and the traffic lights at Newcastle.

antoobrien

galwaycyclist wrote: »

I will restate it for you the answer is here.

I'll restate my answer to that .....post

antoobrien wrote: »

Are you for real? Do you even know where the cycle lane was closed from?

It's not as if the only blockage was the one that you have shown pictures of, you've (conveniently) left out the diversion at the back of curries that would have prevented a cyclist or pedestrian from getting there in the first place.

antoobrien

J o e wrote: »

Yeah this was what I was wondering - a simple small temporary ramp up onto the cycle lane should really be in place. Will have a look later, if I risk the RAB...!

I Don't know if this is too late for you, but the path is closed from the pedestrain crossing as it's currently being resurfaced.

joeKel73

zarquon wrote: »

There's a lot of complaining over these works. They are being implemented to better facilitate cyclist and pedestrians and will be beneficial in the long term.

The new junction will be a huge improvement for cyclists, can't wait. And as a whole the project has been very well run and the updates from the council very good.

However pushing cyclists and pedestrians out into the line of traffic where they would not normally be expected by oncoming vehicles could have much much longer term implications than the short-term traffic inconvenience, so think it is worth mentioning.