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

El_Dangeroso

Iwannahurl wrote: »

A salmon cyclist nearly crashed into me on the QB several months ago, as she bombed along towards the university with her head down and her earphones in. I was transporting a child at the time. She didn't hear my bell and only took notice when I roared at her to wake up. She then flew into a road rage when I insisted that she should be on the opposite side of the road or else cycling much more carefully when going in the 'wrong' direction.

Whatever about the rules of direction, having headphones on and being unobservant is totally irresponsible behaviour. Your hearing being impaired as a cyclist is like driving without being able to see.

joeKel73

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Your hearing being impaired as a cyclist is like driving without being able to see.

Ah now... :pac:

El_Dangeroso

J o e wrote: »

Ah now... :pac:

Do you not think? I know if I were a cyclist I'd consider not being able to hear cars behind me an impediment, wouldn't you? I think because the roads are so poorly designed for cyclists it's all the more reason to have all your senses.

I'd feel really vulnerable as cyclist if I had earphones in, but then again I'm a newbie.

snubbleste

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Your hearing being impaired as a cyclist is like driving without being able to see.

Oh Iiii know, that's why we have laws on deaf persons using bicycles.

El_Dangeroso

Hmm, I seem to have upset a lot of headphone wearing cyclists it seems. :pac:

joeKel73

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Do you not think? I know if I were a cyclist I'd consider not being able to hear cars behind me an impediment, wouldn't you? I think because the roads are so poorly designed for cyclists it's all the more reason to have all your senses.

I'd feel really vulnerable as cyclist if I had earphones in, but then again I'm a newbie.

I agree it's very dangerous and idiotic, but not as bad as "driving without being able to see"... that would be total carnage!

zarquon

Bad accident on the bridge westbound just after the junction which is causing backed up traffic and another car broken down 200m further down on the bridge. Loads of a-hole drivers driving onto the junction and stopped in the middle of it trying to head westbound even though the exit is blocked for them and by doing so blocking traffic through the junction for other drivers. They can clearly see their exit is blocked before proceeding into the junction but do so anyway. The problem is causing traffic buildup on all approaches.

El_Dangeroso

zarquon wrote: »

Bad accident on the bridge westbound just after the junction which is causing backed up traffic and another car broken down 200m further down on the bridge. Loads of a-hole drivers driving onto the junction and stopped in the middle of it trying to head westbound even though the exit is blocked for them and by doing so blocking traffic through the junction for other drivers. They can clearly see their exit is blocked before proceeding into the junction but do so anyway. The problem is causing traffic buildup on all approaches.

Yes was just there, three car collision one into the back of another by the looks of it, the cars seem not that badly damaged but ambulance and gardai on the scene.

Loads of cars seem to be blocking off the junction going west over the bridge, luckily I was going east and turning right but saw two cars nearly get there bonnets taken off by sticking their nose out too far after clearly trying to jump a yellow light.

Iwannahurl

J o e wrote: »

I agree it's very dangerous and idiotic, but not as bad as "driving without being able to see"... that would be total carnage!

The drivers that can see perfectly well and still drive dangerously around cyclists and pedestrians are the ones I worry about.

KevR

Passed through Eastbound today at lunchtime, traffic flowing very well.

Return journey Westbound at 4:15, again, flowing very well.

joeKel73

10 collisions so far this week on the "Bodkin Junction";
http://galwayindependent.com/20131106/news/smashing-start-for-new-city-junction-S27192.html

swiftman

J o e wrote: »

10 collisions so far this week on the "Bodkin Junction";
http://galwayindependent.com/20131106/news/smashing-start-for-new-city-junction-S27192.html

2 of the 3 pictures there are shocking, no excuse about its new and need to get used to it. galway indo should pass them on to the gardai with the reg plates

Redhairedguy

It ain't exactly rocket science. Left most lane if you're turning left. Right most lane if you're turning right. Anything inbetween is for going straight on... :rolleyes:

spiritcrusher

Redhairedguy wrote: »

It ain't exactly rocket science. Left most lane if you're turning left. Right most lane if you're turning right. Anything inbetween is for going straight on... :rolleyes:

That's not quite the case here. Coming from Headford road there are actually two lanes for turning right and from the bridge there are two lanes off the sliproad for turning left. It's still not that difficult to navigate though, there are arrows in each lane signalling what it's to be used for but some people are genuinely stupid or panic and can't understand simple instructions.

gordongekko

spiritcrusher wrote: »

That's not quite the case here. Coming from Headford road there are actually two lanes for turning right and from the bridge there are two lanes off the sliproad for turning left. It's still not that difficult to navigate though, there are arrows in each lane signalling what it's to be used for but some people are genuinely stupid or panic and can't understand simple instructions.

there is a need for improved signage around the area.

WallyGUFC

It's frankly amazing that an 18 year old can complete their driving test and never have to do a test again in their lifetime, potentially more than 60 years with no skills updates. No wonder so many drivers havn't a bloody clue.

Birroc

Have been through the new junction twice now. At first I was impressed but today (Saturday) was a different story. Coming from the Headford Road towards town, the "straight on" lane was backed up all the way back to the Menlo Park Hotel roundabout. The right hand lane was backed up to the lights. It wasn't that easy to see the lane markings with all the cars and MANY cars were in the "right turn onto bridge" lanes but were trying to go straight on. There was mayhem with all these cars in the 1st of the "right turn onto bridge" lanes trying to turn into the 1 "straight on" lane which wasn't even moving ahead on the other side due to lots of cars trying to get into Currys/Smyths/Aldi. There will be blood (accidents!).

More road signs needed bigtime.

Mars Bar

I went through it today for the first time in heavy-ish traffic. I came from QB and turned left at the slip road not long after 3p.m and the traffic was pretty backed up. Once the lights went green at Dún na Coiribe, it moved fairly quickly.

I'd say a load of people don't realise that there are two lanes to turn right on to QB and as Birroc just alluded to, there is people going in to that right hand lane thinking they can go straight. My Dad told me it was there before I left the house this morning so I was expecting it and was able to skip a good line of traffic by going in to the left-most lane for turning right.

KevR

Birroc wrote: »

Have been through the new junction twice now. At first I was impressed but today (Saturday) was a different story. Coming from the Headford Road towards town, the "straight on" lane was backed up all the way back to the Menlo Park Hotel roundabout. The right hand lane was backed up to the lights. It wasn't that easy to see the lane markings with all the cars and MANY cars were in the "right turn onto bridge" lanes but were trying to go straight on. There was mayhem with all these cars in the 1st of the "right turn onto bridge" lanes trying to turn into the 1 "straight on" lane which wasn't even moving ahead on the other side due to lots of cars trying to get into Currys/Smyths/Aldi. There will be blood (accidents!).

More road signs needed bigtime.

Agree that signage could be improved.

I passed through a few times at peak times during the week and it seemed be flowing well on all occasions.

Maybe it was worse on Saturday with more out of towners around the place. This is as opposed to regular commuters during the week who became familiar with the changes after the first day or so.

dilallio

I spotted a car on Fri night coming from town turning right onto Sean Mulvoy rd. He turned right but ended up on the wrong side of Sean Mulvoy rd.
You wouldn't make that mistake during daylight but I could see how someone unfamiliar with the new or previous layout could make that mistake.

Birroc

KevR wrote: »

Maybe it was worse on Saturday with more out of towners around the place.

Its wasn't really out-of-towners, it was more eager shoppers. Only one lane to get into Currys/Aldi/Omniplex shopping centre will be problematic especially now that the Christmas shopping has started. In the old roundabout, there were 2 lanes heading towards town even if one of those lanes closed soon after -I think they should have done something similar, 2 lanes heading towards town for as long as possible preferably past the two shopping centre entrances/exits. I predict a riot. But lets face it, I don't think anyone expected our council to get it right, they rarely do first time!

Fozzie Bear

Came out of dunnes terryland heading to aldi today at 3pm. Mother of god what monkey came up with the light sequencing? It was green for 8 seconds coming out of dunnes. 8! Two cars got out. Not that people took any heed of the lights in the end. They just jumped the red and edged out onto the massively backed up headford road. Them two lanes going right onto the QB and one straight on! One lane Straight on to two of the biggest shopping parks in galway! And a useless bus lane thats about 300m long. It should be a feeder lane into tesco carpark instead of a bloody ridiculous bus lane.

Christ above a pack of monkies with pencils between their teeth would have designed it better. Chrismas is going to be absolutely traffic bedlam. Bedlam....

joeKel73

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

And a useless bus lane thats about 300m long. It should be a feeder lane into tesco carpark instead of a bloody ridiculous bus lane.

Not useless, explained above...

J o e

J o e wrote: »

Not useless, explained above...

Well some of us have different definitions of useless....

Patrickheg

J o e wrote: »

Not useless, explained above...

He has a point, current situation is that traffic wanting to enter tesco can't do so until a few hundreds meters after the junction and in the process hold up bus lane traffic. Take them out of the equation and it will free up traffic trying to to access the wood quay road(including bus lane traffic)

On another note the main beneficiaries of the bus lanes are taxis(as there are do few buses on that route). There are so many in the city that the bus lanes might as well not be there as the buses gain very little

connemara man

On a night like tonight the signage is awful. The road markings are hard to see because of the wet road and the lights reflecting if it. I was coming from dunnes terryland heading to woodquay and if it wasnt for the fact I knew what lane to be in I could of easily of taken the wrong lane

Birroc

Fozzie Bear wrote: »

Came out of dunnes terryland heading to aldi today at 3pm. Mother of god what monkey came up with the light sequencing? It was green for 8 seconds coming out of dunnes. 8! Two cars got out. Not that people took any heed of the lights in the end. They just jumped the red and edged out onto the massively backed up headford road. Them two lanes going right onto the QB and one straight on! One lane Straight on to two of the biggest shopping parks in galway! And a useless bus lane thats about 300m long. It should be a feeder lane into tesco carpark instead of a bloody ridiculous bus lane.

Christ above a pack of monkies with pencils between their teeth would have designed it better. Christmas is going to be absolutely traffic bedlam. Bedlam....

Yeah this was a problem with the roundabout too (headford road into town backing up) and they utterly failed to address it. One exit lane is not going to cut it. Christmas will be crazy alright.

spurscormac

What does this country have against overhead lane signage ?
Its not like the area is one of scenic beauty that will be affected by them.

A few large overhead signs on the approach to indicate what lanes you can/should be in would help a lot.

dr.bollocko

spurscormac wrote: »

What does this country have against overhead lane signage ?
Its not like the area is one of scenic beauty that will be affected by them.

A few large overhead signs on the approach to indicate what lanes you can/should be in would help a lot.

It's rather annoying that they wrote the lane directions on the road which tends to be covered by cars.

antoobrien

dilallio wrote: »

I spotted a car on Fri night coming from town turning right onto Sean Mulvoy rd. He turned right but ended up on the wrong side of Sean Mulvoy rd.

I still see this happening at both Briarhill (to get onto the Monivea Rd from the N6) and also (rather weirdly) at Ballybane to get from the N6 to the Ballybane Rd.