Who's with me, close m1 slip j3 PERMANENTLY

Kumsheen

Swords is a very big town so it needs multiple exits.
The first exit is also shared with Airport traffic.
The second is shared with some Malahide traffic.
And the third is shared with Skerries,Portrane,Donabate,Lusk,Rush etc.

There would be massive delays if this exit was removed.

There is an issue with the way the 3rd lane on the M1 comes to an end on the outside lane, which i don't think was the safest way to design it. But hopefully this will be changed to a more common layout when the 3 lanes are extended next year.
This should cut down on some late lane changing around the Holywell exit.

celticbest

Could the Hard Shoulder between Junctions 2 & 3 not be changed into an Auxiliary lane?

This would give traffic a much longer distance in which to merge.

Kumsheen wrote: »

There is an issue with the way the 3rd lane on the M1 comes to an end on the outside lane, which i don't think was the safest way to design it. But hopefully this will be changed to a more common layout when the 3 lanes are extended next year.
This should cut down on some late lane changing around the Holywell exit.

Is there an update on when works are due to begin on the Third lane being added as far as Lissenhall? Works were originally due to start by the end of November ?

Squeaksoutloud

works are due to start in the new year on the 3 lanes to Lissenhall in new year.will prob be start of Jan.hopefully will slow down all those bad drivers speeding in the 3rd lane who merge dangerously where it goes to 2.the road layout is correct there as per international standard.It is the drivers who are at fault.anyway it will all change in new year with Lissenhall to be upgraded too.

Bluetonic

I see drivers here every day purposely trying to block drivers from the third lane merge into the second lane.

I really wish they would all do us all a favour and stop trying to police the roads. The third lane is there to be used (when over taking) and it's pretty pointless trying to block other cars at 80+ kph merging. What exactly do you achieve by stopping a merging car merge? A responsible driver in lane two would anticipate their surroundings and adjust their road position to avoid accidents, not create them.

This driver finds it quite relaxing sitting in lane one from the M50 to J4 and travelling at a constant speed, rather than getting caught up in to 1) trying defend some piece of tarmac I think I own, or, 2) trying to get 20 meters further up the road.

PaulD77

Simple as this. People in Ireland dont know how to use lanes in a motorway anyway, thats the crux of the problem, not the slip road.

They have even started add campaigns to try and get people to cop on, but you still end up sitting behind someone in the overtaking lane because they dont know that thats what it is for

celticbest

PaulD77 wrote: »

Simple as this. People in Ireland dont know how to use lanes in a motorway anyway, thats the crux of the problem, not the slip road.

They have even started add campaigns to try and get people to cop on, but you still end up sitting behind someone in the overtaking lane because they dont know that thats what it is for

Yeah, I been flashed a few times because of peoples lack of knowledge on lane usage.

Example : I'm cruising down lane one when I come across someone going slower then me so I have to overtake, however someone else is hogging Lane 2 doing the same speed as the person in Lane 1, as a result I have to go from lane one to lane three & then back across to lane one & on a few occasions after completing this manoeuvre I've have been flashed by the muppet in lane 2.

If the muppet was in the correct lane in the first place I would have just had to go from lane one to lane two and back to lane one. It's only on a rare occasion that lane three should be used and even then it should only be for a short distance, if only people in this country knew how to drive properly.

Drive in the left lane unless overtaking and once your overtaking manoeuvre has been completed return to lane 1

Cardinal Richelieu

I would just like to add apart from Irish drivers poor lack of driving ability detailed here some haven't a clue about breaking distance leading to the multiple car pile ups that the OP highlighted. A certain section of Irish society likes to blame everything else rather than take responsibility for their own actions. We had the same argument about the Blakes Cross Junction after a serious of accidents last year.

Rather than change the exit it would be more practical if the garda could impose on the spot fines on offending car users with the money going into that police district funds the same as the UK. More incentative for the Garda to put extra resources into policing and the extra revenue should provide the Garda with extra resources. Half the problem with that section of the M1 is that drivers drive above the speed limits which are designed to gradually speed up or slow down traffic in each direction.

Carawaystick

I think there is a fault with the design of the junction as it is ( since the 3 lanes)

until the next 3 lane section is built, there should be a lane drop at J3, so the 2 lanes continue onto the mainline, and the left lane leaves to Holywell

The signage indicating 3 lanes on the mainline should be changed to only 2 carrying on and one lane going to Holywell.


Until the next 3 lane section is built

T-Maxx

EPIC THREAD FAIL

rpurfield

glad to read the third lane is being extended its a nightmare with the aforementioned clueless drivers.i hate coming out along there at busy times people would nearly drive in the grass instead of merging properly.if you ask me the whole m1 shouldve been built as a three lane motorway from the start

SeaSide

Carawaystick wrote: »

I think there is a fault with the design of the junction as it is ( since the 3 lanes)

until the next 3 lane section is built, there should be a lane drop at J3, so the 2 lanes continue onto the mainline, and the left lane leaves to Holywell

The signage indicating 3 lanes on the mainline should be changed to only 2 carrying on and one lane going to Holywell.


Until the next 3 lane section is built

I would add that there is an interaction between the traffic entering at J2, and J3. The double merge at J2 is overkill. There should be one lane down the slip and allow an extra distance for a car coming onto the M1 to match speeds.

Madpaddy79

T-Maxx wrote: »

EPIC THREAD FAIL

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2055451327?page=1#post_58427199

Emmhhhh!!

The Hill Billy

What relevance does a 3 year old thread have to this issue?

LeoB

One of the biggest problems on this stretch of road is people lack of lnowledge on what the lanes are for. All to often we see people in the outside lane trying to get accross to exit in to Airside and this is seriously dangerous. Cars move to outside lane at M.50 slip road and then forget to move back in.

I also think the junctions are too close together with the volume of trafic the road gets. Mind you a little courtsey on the road would aalso help

The Muppet

Madpaddy79 wrote: »

I completely argee with your bad driving side, but you do not expect to stop on a motorway. It's just extremely badly designed and closing the exit northbound will eventually save a life.

Closing the junction would be lunacy , The third lane just disappearing after the junction is bad design imo, I'd agree with Carawaystick's solution until the third lane is extended if that is going to happen.

celticbest

The Muppet wrote: »

Closing the junction would be lunacy , The third lane just disappearing after the junction is bad design imo, I'd agree with Carawaystick's solution until the third lane is extended if that is going to happen.

Yeah, this was talked about here, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055910504&page=7

celticbest wrote: »

100% agree, the current layout is a pile up just waiting to happen.

Current Layout,



My Proposed alternative layout,



I really thought that my proposed layout above would have been how they would have actually finished the 3rd lane NB & SB, why would any planner have lane 3 merging into lane 2 on a motorway? I would have thought that standard procedure is that lanes are started and dropped at junctions

bcmf

Looks like there was another smash there this morn. Was going southbound and a sudden slow down in speed due to rubber necking.
The lane layout with the 3rd lane merge is a disaster. Couple that with a very bright low sun made rear view visiblity crap which doeasnt help.

bernyh

I haven't read all the replies, but it seems to me if this was posted 2 years ago I may have agreed, but as a four times daily user of this stretch of the M1, I don't think the airside cut off is the problem. My personal experience of this particular stretch is more detrimental due to the "3 lanes to 2 lanes" there are so many idiots who think that they "must" get infront of you before it cuts down to 2 lanes... I have been often driving in traffic which is even moving (morning time after school drop off and afternoon after school pick up), overtaking vehicles on my left.... when suddenly some eejit has sped up and overtaken me just as the 3 lane ends, there has been a number of times I have had to hit the brakes to let someone in who has not been in my line of vision 30 seconds ago.

sgarvan

Have tried to read all of the thread.

I dont think that the junstion should close. Driver behaviour needs to change. I have recently changed jobs and am driving to and from work. The way people drive, to save themselves 10 seconds, is ridiculous. The three lane merge is dangerous. I think these three lanes should be in place all the way to the toll bridge at Drogheda.

Is an upgrade due to happen on the three lanes?

celticbest

sgarvan wrote: »

Is an upgrade due to happen on the three lanes?

There is an upgrade to/from Lissenhall Junction 4 due to begin early in the new year, as far as I'm aware this is as far as the D3 is currently planned.

The lane drop will be much better when this upgrade is complete.

neris

How come they never put in a slip road onto the northbound lane for people to exit airside onto m1 and also a slip off the m1 southbound to get into airside?

dcr22B

neris wrote: »

How come they never put in a slip road onto the northbound lane for people to exit airside onto m1 and also a slip off the m1 southbound to get into airside?

Blame the planners and developer of Drynam for that one, I'd say

celticbest

neris wrote: »

How come they never put in a slip road onto the northbound lane for people to exit airside onto m1 and also a slip off the m1 southbound to get into airside?

dcr22B wrote: »

Blame the planners and developer of Drynam for that one, I'd say

That Junction was not in the original plan (*) and was only added to alleviate traffic in the rush hours - inbound in the Morning(Slip SB) and Outbound in the evening (Slip NB).

(*) As this junction was not Planned, planning permission was given to build on the Swords & Kinsealy sides of the M1.

dcr22B

celticbest wrote: »

That Junction was not in the original plan (*) and was only added to alleviate traffic in the rush hours - inbound in the Morning(Slip SB) and Outbound in the evening (Slip NB).

(*) As this junction was not Planned, planning permission was given to build on the Swords & Kinsealy sides of the M1.

I understand that celticbest, I just find it incredible that when the M1 was being extended beyond the airport that they weren't considering that Swords was massivly expanding and that the airport/Lissenhall exits would be sufficient to service such a wide area.

celticbest

dcr22B wrote: »

I understand that celticbest, I just find it incredible that when the M1 was being extended beyond the airport that they weren't considering that Swords was massivly expanding and that the airport/Lissenhall exits would be sufficient to service such a wide area.

If Junction 4 Lissenhall was planned & built as a free flow junction when the M1 was opened & the Junction at Boroimhe/Airside was not allowed as per the origianl plan, we would not be having this discussion as the traffic flow into both sides of Swords would be good.

Also traffic to Lusk, Rush, Donabate & Skerries would flow as there would be no stopping at lights on R/A's as is now the case.

Madpaddy79

[/QUOTE]

If Junction 4 Lissenhall was planned & built as a free flow junction when the M1 was opened & the Junction at Boroimhe/Airside was not allowed as per the origianl plan, we would not be having this discussion as the traffic flow into both sides of Swords would be good.

Also traffic to Lusk, Rush, Donabate & Skerries would flow as there would be no stopping at lights on R/A's as is now the case.[/Quote]

How true. Now wouldn't it be so much more beneficial to spend cash on free flow lanes at J4 to facilitate north swords, lusk, rush, and skerries, rather than add another lane from J3 to J4. But CLEARLY J3 north would have to CLOSE to make J4 any use. After all Swords is one town. The M1 is for travel to the north, servicing all the other towns along the way to Belfast, and not for the exclusive use of swords residents.

Stheno

I've used this junction for over three years, with no problems at all, even when it was two lane, then three lane.

It's bad driver behaviour as far as I am concerned that causes issues

SeaSide

The gantry just beyond the junction is now the proud owner of a big red X over lane 3. Looking very festive. Didnt note it yesterday so must be brand new.

Brian?

There is nothing wrong with the slip road at all. The problem is the 3 lanes going into 2 at the same time!

Why didn't they just extend the 3 lanes another 3-400 metres or even better all the way to the Donabate roundabout?

dcr22B

briankeating wrote: »

Why didn't they just extend the 3 lanes another 3-400 metres or even better all the way to the Donabate roundabout?

They're starting construction of the exact thing in the New Year.