Roadworks: Font & Morris Roundabouts

Mrs OBumble

pepe00 wrote: »

I am waiting for a feedback if its better for people

I use the Morris junction twice a day, either as a pedestrian or on a bus.

It's out-of-sight better as the former, and about the same for the latter.

thesandeman

Sorry people if this is wrong thread. I don't know the roundabouts/junctions real names but: Radio1 just said there will be major delays from Oranmore to the Briarhill Roundabout for roadworks if it's any help to anyone today.

MargeS

I wonder do they need to make the right turning lane from the dual carriageway onto the Carnmore road, longer?
People are turning the dual carriageway into three lanes much further back from the lights towards the roundabout at the end of the M6/N6.
It leads to people jumping between lanes alot.

what_traffic

JustMary wrote: »

I use the Morris junction twice a day, either as a pedestrian or on a bus.

It's out-of-sight better as the former, and about the same for the latter.

Does the bus(403 or 405) go across the junction and turn at the "jug handle" turn yet?

Mr_A

I don't think so. I come up that road every day and haven't see a bus there yet.

antoobrien

what_traffic wrote: »

Does the bus(403 or 405) go across the junction and turn at the "jug handle" turn yet?

AFAIK the 405 is the only bus supposed to use the bus turn. As planned originally there was supposed to be a "Bus Gate" coming from Mervue to allow the 403 turn right to get across to the Monivea Rd. Don't know if/how this is working though, haven't got the 403 in years.

Back to the junctions, anybody else finding the right turn onto the Tuam Rd (when coming from Mervue/Ballybane) a bit tight?

what_traffic

antoobrien wrote: »

AFAIK the 405 is the only bus supposed to use the bus turn. As planned originally there was supposed to be a "Bus Gate" coming from Mervue to allow the 403 turn right to get across to the Monivea Rd. Don't know if/how this is working though, haven't got the 403 in years.

Was not sure which one it was - the 405 or 403.
NO BUS Gate marked so all traffic can take this right turn now - have not seen the 403 bus make this turn but presume it does.
So anybody know if the 405 use's the Jug Handle Turn (North of the junction)?

paulgalway

antoobrien wrote: »

Back to the junctions, anybody else finding the right turn onto the Tuam Rd (when coming from Mervue/Ballybane) a bit tight?

.
Just gone through it in a car, it is tight, very hard not to go on the cycle lane, God only knows how lorries/buses manage it. Dangerous for anyone on the cyclelane

Mrs OBumble

what_traffic wrote: »

Was not sure which one it was - the 405 or 403.
NO BUS Gate marked so all traffic can take this right turn now - have not seen the 403 bus make this turn but presume it does.
So anybody know if the 405 use's the Jug Handle Turn (North of the junction)?

I've seen the 403 making the right turn.

Haven't spotted the 405 going up to the jug handle yet. But I remain hopeful, it would be good to cut a few minutes off the walk on wet days.

GekkePrutser

Just be aware: The new intersection at Ballybrit is undergoing some kind of surfacing at the moment so there are delays again (about 15 mins extra at the moment).

From what I could see they were laying that anti-skid stuff. Doesn't look like a big job though so I'd say it will be done tomorrow.

Iwannahurl

I presume the anti-skid material is a well-intentioned feature.

However, in my experience it also allows motorists to approach junctions too fast, and then either brake hard or turn at speed. Mind you, I see that occurring mostly at roundabouts. Not sure whether it will also occur at these newly signalised junctions.

paulgalway

Noticed yesterday that a line of traffic waiting to turn left into the Ballybrit industrial estate (coming from the Tuam road) were all on the cycle lane.:mad:

Iwannahurl

Can you link to the approximate location on StreetView? I'm having trouble visualising the spot you mean. I know SV will be out of date, but it'll help me remember...

GekkePrutser

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I presume the anti-skid material is a well-intentioned feature.
However, in my experience it also allows motorists to approach junctions too fast, and then either brake hard or turn at speed. Mind you, I see that occurring mostly at roundabouts. Not sure whether it will also occur at these newly signalised junctions.

As a motorist myself I can't imagine it really promotes that behaviour. The material is only on the lanes leading up to the intersection so it's not available at the point where you actually turn (so if you intend to turn the corner fast you're going to lose the extra grip just when you really need it to make the turn).

It's also pretty uncomfortable when you go over it fast (even at 50km/h), similar to the 'bumpy lines' they have in some places to force people to slow down (like on the dual carriageway between the tuam & headford roads). So for me personally it makes me slow down rather than speed up.

Iwannahurl

GekkePrutser wrote: »

As a motorist myself I can't imagine it really promotes that behaviour. The material is only on the lanes leading up to the intersection so it's not available at the point where you actually turn (so if you intend to turn the corner fast you're going to lose the extra grip just when you really need it to make the turn).

It's also pretty uncomfortable when you go over it fast (even at 50km/h), similar to the 'bumpy lines' they have in some places to force people to slow down (like on the dual carriageway between the tuam & headford roads). So for me personally it makes me slow down rather than speed up.

It's coarse when freshly applied, then gets less rough in time. It's function is anti-skid, therefore there may be a risk compensation effect.

As a motorist I don't drive like that either. However, as a pedestrian I regularly see drivers approaching roundabouts at 60-70kph, braking hard on the anti-skid surface, then traversing the roundabout at close to the speed limit for the road itself (40-50 km/h). The effect on pedestrians, particularly those with children in tow, is not pleasant.

It may be different at these new signalised junctions, such as the Font and Morris conversions.

snubbleste

Council close pedestrian thoroughfare again this year purely to facilitate motorists. No diversion signage or closed footpath signage visible. Back of sign says Flemming's roundabout from Headford Rd

dloob

Saw some interesting driving at the former morris one morning.
I was stopped at the lights coming up from ballybane road direction where there are three lanes for traffic coming up to the junction and tow for traffic coming off it heading down ballybane road.

The filter lights went green for traffic turning right from the dual carriageways.

The first car turning right from the tuam road direction some how decided to go down the right most of the three lanes coming up ballybane road instead of the two lanes going down the road. Lucky there wasn't any traffic approaching the junction from ballybane road at the time.

To cap it off every other car turning right followed them like lemmings and a car on the next light change coming from boston scientific direction did the same. :eek:
The one from boston scientific direction would have had to deliberately go right to avoid going the correct way as well. :rolleyes:

kippy

dloob wrote: »

Saw some interesting driving at the former morris one morning.
I was stopped at the lights coming up from ballybane road direction where there are three lanes for traffic coming up to the junction and tow for traffic coming off it heading down ballybane road.

The filter lights went green for traffic turning right from the dual carriageways.

The first car turning right from the tuam road direction some how decided to go down the right most of the three lanes coming up ballybane road instead of the two lanes going down the road. Lucky there wasn't any traffic approaching the junction from ballybane road at the time.

To cap it off every other car turning right followed them like lemmings and a car on the next light change coming from boston scientific direction did the same. :eek:
The one from boston scientific direction would have had to deliberately go right to avoid going the correct way as well. :rolleyes:

I've seen a couple of instances of drivers ignoring or not knowing what filter lights are.
Car waiting in the lane to go right down towards GMIT from tuam road side. Filter comes on for straight ahead and left, car goes right narrowly avoiding traffic from other side.
I suppose planners cannot allow too much for idiot drivers.....

On a general note I dont think the lights have improved traffic flow (coming in the tuam road anyway)
Although they may improve it at certain times.

Sponge Bob

More works on this project.

http://galwayindependent.com/stories/item/3728/2012-36/Council-to-re-examine-junction-markings

At present, the lane on the right hand side of the dual carriageway automatically segues into the lane for motorists wishing to turn right at the junction, without alerting drivers wishing to go straight ahead that they should switch to another lane.

For now they are watching the fun.

staff were currently monitoring the situation through CCTV cameras at the junction.

The spokesperson added that the local authority was planning to address the issue but has run into difficulty due to the short approach to the junction

Fozzie Bear spotted the story in the Independent first.

snubbleste

There was a traffic collision at both these roundabouts junctions this morning.

Storm 10

Not the first accident at these dangerous junctions, wonder can you claim against the corpo if you crash there, the whole set up of crossing traffic is crazy

rain on

The one on the Tuam road this morning looked as if they'd tried to turn right and just crashed into the barrier instead, there didn't seem to be a second car involved at all. I could be wrong though.

Mrs OBumble

Storm 10 wrote: »

the whole set up of crossing traffic is crazy

How do you mean?

Storm 10

JustMary wrote: »

How do you mean?

Coming from town on the Tuam road outbound turning right towards Ballybrit brings you close to traffic inbound from the Tuam road turning right, just today twice I saw two very near misses one was a truck and a bus with very little room between them.

zarquon

Storm 10 wrote: »

Not the first accident at these dangerous junctions, wonder can you claim against the corpo if you crash there, the whole set up of crossing traffic is crazy

Hardly! Most of the accidents are down to idiotic driving, not paying attention to lanes, signal, red lights etc. There was one private bus this morning blocking the junction after going through a red light and then forced to stop in the middle of the junction blocking lanes from the other direction. This is just one example of driver incompetence that i see daily. These same idiotic drivers would no doubt blame the junctions and traffic systems etc for there own failings.

Hennybug

I've taken to avoiding both of these in the evenings, you're either stuck in traffic coming from town since the lights to turn right let about 3 cars through before going red again or people don't realise you do go really close to the cars coming the opposite direction when turning right and then panic :rolleyes:

s_carnage

Storm 10 wrote: »

Coming from town on the Tuam road outbound turning right towards Ballybrit brings you close to traffic inbound from the Tuam road turning right, just today twice I saw two very near misses one was a truck and a bus with very little room between them.

No it doesn't. I go through that junction from the Tuam Rd turning right at least three times a day and if a driver can't turn right without coming close to the other cars opposite turning right then frankly they shouldn't be on the road. There is loads of room even for large vehicles and I have never saw any near misses with cars turning right on that junction.

desaparecidos

I suppose people might get confused by cars coming towards them on the left hand side of the road opposed to the right hand side of the road as normal.

Must be easy to confuse people.

gordongekko

The first time you travel through that Junction it does take you by surprise to find oncoming traffic also trying to turn right. I'm not sure why they don't let all lanes go in one direction at once instead of the way they do it now

what_traffic

gordongekko wrote: »

The first time you travel through that Junction it does take you by surprise to find oncoming traffic also trying to turn right. I'm not sure why they don't let all lanes go in one direction at once instead of the way they do it now

You would reduce overall throughput of vechiculars movements through the junction if you did it as proposed. If that is a bad or good thing? Thats up for debate.