M7 - Naas/Newbridge Bypass Upgrade [Junction 9a now open]

Hotblack Desiato

Think you need to get your speedo checked

BuzzFish

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Think you need to get your speedo checked

GPS based on my head-unit (WAZE Mapping)

Emme

2 crashes on that road today so far.

MaceFace

Before the naysayers come in, I've been woken up numerous times overnight with the sound of the bridge roadworks. Lots of activity.
I also heard a chap on the news yesterday saying the machine they are using is only here for the weekend. If they don't get all they need to get done or will be 6 or 7 weeks before they can get the machine back.

Sully

Any pics would be great, out of the country this weekend.

In the past week or so there's been considerable work done along the verges including the installation of lighting polls, so hopefully they'll be able to get this tidied up and open as planned

ZX7R

Coming home south bound the dirverson up the slip today it's very very narrow.
I am on a motorbike and I felt the artic beside me had no room for error.
For some reason they had cones along the curve right side along the temporary barrier make it even tighter

Hotblack Desiato

Possibly storing those cones there so they could easily bring it down to one lane overnight, to do... something.. to one edge of the slip road overnight.

BTW do you find the N7/M7 very exposed on a bike on windy days? I only go as far as the Red Cow but even the stretch between Long Mile and Red Cow is very exposed imho. (Luckily it goes pretty much straight into the prevailing wind outbound on that stretch, but gusty crosswinds there aren't funny.)


As for lighting polls, I vote to have lights

pad199207

M7 bridge demolition works were expedited through Friday night and all day Saturday without any issues or delays encountered. Motorway now to be reopened by 6am Sunday morning and well in advance of the original scheduled timeframe.

jmkennedyie

Bridge gone. The new lanes go across the new roundabouts at 9A so a bit faster than going around them. Maybe they had tidied up the cones by the time I made it.
And I didn't spot any light poles ... but there are the beginnings of signage gantries installed in a few locations.

Video should appear here later this evening...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vcHpfo8zu8

WishUWereHere

jmkennedyie wrote: »

Bridge gone. The new lanes go across the new roundabouts at 9A so a bit faster than going around them. Maybe they had tidied up the cones by the time I made it.
And I didn't spot any light poles ... but there are the beginnings of signage gantries installed in a few locations.

Video should appear here later this evening...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vcHpfo8zu8

Is it my pc or what? This video has already been thanked, but when I try to watch it, it tells me that 'video should appear later this evening'.

ZX7R

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Possibly storing those cones there so they could easily bring it down to one lane overnight, to do... something.. to one edge of the slip road overnight.

BTW do you find the N7/M7 very exposed on a bike on windy days? I only go as far as the Red Cow but even the stretch between Long Mile and Red Cow is very exposed imho. (Luckily it goes pretty much straight into the prevailing wind outbound on that stretch, but gusty crosswinds there aren't funny.)


As for lighting polls, I vote to have lights

Between junction 9 and 10 the new concrete barriers in the middle seem to funnel the wind more causing more buffeting other than that I don't get much problems with the wind.
The flyover after newbrige can be tricky in very strong winds.

NedNew2

Some great drone photos in the link below. Click on the images in the article to see them in full size.

https://www.kildarenow.com/news/photos-first-pictures-m7-bridge-demolished-good-progress-made/273052

tnegun

The bridge that was knocked. Was it just a farm/access bridge?

Cookiemunster

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Is it my pc or what? This video has already been thanked, but when I try to watch it, it tells me that 'video should appear later this evening'.

Yeah, the video's not working for me either. Same error message

jmkennedyie

tnegun wrote: »

The bridge that was knocked. Was it just a farm/access bridge?

Yep.

Sorry about the vid. Took forever to upload & process. I assumed it would be done after an hour or two. A bit loud but working now...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vcHpfo8zu8

WishUWereHere

jmkennedyie wrote: »

Yep.

Sorry about the vid. Took forever to upload & process. I assumed it would be done after an hour or two. A bit loud but working now...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vcHpfo8zu8

I was worried that my old PC was packing it up, not complaining about the video working or not. Sorry if my question came across as a complaint.

Thanks for the effort in uploading the video JM - much appreciated.

I'd be one of those very negative about this upgrade, but credit where it is due, demolishing that bridge 24 hours ahead of schedule is some going.

Now, when is the replacement going up? I would guess the M7 will have to be closed again for the erection, no? Perhaps only one side at a time?

jmkennedyie

No worries WUWH. Problem was the upload speed, then the YouTube processing time.

I wonder if some of those 13 beams at Clane end are for the M7 bridge. Wherever they are for they will have to be retrailered and driven to install site.

I see some new demolition pics at http://www.m7upgrade.com/ and a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu4GjqfP5Rw

SoupyNorman

Looks like quite a bit to do ahead of the proposed opening of the extra lanes on Easter weekend.

Are things looking better to the trained eye?

Kevtherev1

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Looks like quite a bit to do ahead of the proposed opening of the extra lanes on Easter weekend. Are things looking better to the trained eye?

Indeed good point, three weeks from now is when they hoped to have the three lanes open. Lots of works still to do. As has been already stated, lots of time last summer was wasted doing sweet F all. But at least we can see now progress has been made.

Mantis Toboggan

SoupyNorman wrote: »

Looks like quite a bit to do ahead of the proposed opening of the extra lanes on Easter weekend.

Are things looking better to the trained eye?

Think easter weekend is no longer and its been pushed back to the end of the month.

Sully

Whatever about the speed drivers go on this road, trying to merge into the N7 from Naas is ridiculous since they repositioned the lanes. Despite numerous signs about merging, drivers seem oblivious/ignorant and dont move over to allow the merge.

Damien360

Sully wrote: »

Whatever about the speed drivers go on this road, trying to merge into the N7 from Naas is ridiculous since they repositioned the lanes. Despite numerous signs about merging, drivers seem oblivious/ignorant and dont move over to allow the merge.

There is nowhere to merge into. Exiting from Naas northbound, you have about 200m to merge. The people in that lane can't go out to next lane as it's already packed. I've started going through Johnstown and entering at that one. Much safer.

VonZan

Geffni wrote: »

Two questions:

1. WHY are they not extending the three-lane M7 to Junction 8 on the M50 as part of these works? The existing N7 could be re-designated the R445 from Junction 9.

2. Why does the M9 come first from Dublin southbound on the M7 and the M8 second? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

1. Junction 8 will never be built. A lot of the land has been rezoned.

2. No, national roads are named chronologically. The N8 was built before the N9.

Hotblack Desiato

VonZan wrote: »

2. No, national roads are named chronologically. The N8 was built before the N9.

Nope, starting at Dublin with the Belfast road and going anticlockwise. The N10 to Kilkenny is a bit of an anomaly, only a spur really but someone decided it needed a low number in the national primary route series.

VonZan

Geffni wrote: »

1. Isn't building around the rezoned land an idea?
2. For the benefit of drivers that should change, as with the M4, the M6 should be renamed the M5 and the N5 the N6.

1. I don't think it's feasible. The costs massively outweigh the benefits. I believe it's a dead duck at this stage.

2. Renaming those roads would cost a huge amount of money. I don't think the M9 meeting the M7 earlier than the M8 going West is an issue that needs to be fixed.

Hotblack Desiato

Geffni wrote: »

In a United Ireland scenario, will we have to detrunk a lot of the national primary roads and secondary roads to R roads?

No. (wtf???)

How are we going to number the 6 counties roads when we are short of road numbers as it is?

Numbers go up to infinity, so we'll be grand :rolleyes:

_Kaiser_

Geffni wrote: »

In a United Ireland scenario, will we have to detrunk a lot of the national primary roads and secondary roads to R roads? How are we going to number the 6 counties roads when we are short of road numbers as it is?

Despite what certain political parties and barstool romantics might think, a United Ireland is a LONG way away and would be disastrous from an economic perspective for the Republic as things stand now.

But, even if it DID happen, renumbering roads would be the least of the concerns.

BelfastVanMan

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Geffni wrote: »

In a United Ireland scenario, will we have to detrunk a lot of the national primary roads and secondary roads to R roads? How are we going to number the 6 counties roads when we are short of road numbers as it is?

Despite what certain political parties and barstool romantics might think, a United Ireland is a LONG way away and would be disastrous from an economic perspective for the Republic as things stand now.

But, even if it DID happen, renumbering roads would be the least of the concerns.

Damn right.

AugustusMinimus

I’ve stayed away from any moaning about apparent inactivity on sight during long summer months. However it will be quite frustrating if the new lanes are a month overdue.

I hope penalties are built into the agreement with the main contractor for late delivery.

_Kaiser_

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

I’ve stayed away from any moaning about apparent inactivity on sight during long summer months. However it will be quite frustrating if the new lanes are a month overdue.

I hope penalties are built into the agreement with the main contractor for late delivery.

Did I miss an announcement? (possible, I haven't been on much the last few days). Are they still not planned to open at the end of this month?

What I find most interesting lately as I pass through the roadworks every day is the sudden flurry of activity in the last 2/3 weeks. You'd have to wonder how this didn't happen LAST year

And no, I'm not an engineer, nor do I particularly care about the issues. Just like every customer all I care about is the delivery of the end product. Internal issues are the supplier's to overcome. The fact that things have significantly ramped up where they were previously idle (J10-J11 specifically) just tells me that there was a LOT of padding built into the timelines.