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

Avatar MIA

KBurke85 wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/motorists-face-more-m7-misery-with-roadworks-to-last-until-july-38019534.html

According to the article the stretch between J8 and J10 will open at some point next month

In fairness if that happens it becomes a lot less of an issue.

From RTE:

The council said night works are being carried out to speed up the construction process,

So much schadenfreude.

WishUWereHere

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

So now we're out to July-ish... Fully expect that to slip to the August Bank Holiday at this stage what with summer holidays and all.

I've been driving through this mess twice a day since it started, and it was very obvious even 2 months ago that it was nowhere near being finished. People aren't blind - they can see the changes (or lack thereof) from week to week as they crawl through it.

The most ridiculous part of this lately is how the date is getting pushed further out each time, without any apparent backlash from local or even national TDs - the usual "ah shure it'll be grand!" approach that infests every project in this country.

They must have read Your post, Kaiser:-)

https://www.kildarenow.com/news/275231/275231

WishUWereHere

KBurke85 wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/motorists-face-more-m7-misery-with-roadworks-to-last-until-july-38019534.html

According to the article the stretch between J8 and J10 will open at some point next month

I'm no expert, but this evening crawled ( again) from Kill to J10. I have to question this assertment because from where the works start - opposite Johnstown Garden Centre almost to KG the roadside looks like a disaster. Also I notice the old top layer of tarmac is level with the new tar, surely all that old stuff will have to be dug up & new tar laid? And remember 2 days to Builders holidays ( though am not sure if this site is working through or not).

road_high

WishUWereHere wrote: »

I'm no expert, but this evening crawled ( again) from Kill to J10. I have to question this assertment because from where the works start - opposite Johnstown Garden Centre almost to KG the roadside looks like a disaster. Also I notice the old top layer of tarmac is level with the new tar, surely all that old stuff will have to be dug up & new tar laid? And remember 2 days to Builders holidays ( though am not sure if this site is working through or not).

Passed it twice today and there looks to be a ton of work to finalise still. I don’t know how people tolerate this daily, I couldn’t. I think it comes from the top down where we have a total space cadet as Transport minister and won’t take control of situations like this which in my humble opinion are frankly intolerable. I think it’s a shambles considering the sheer volume of traffic- even going beyond this we are really going to have to look at alternatives like park-and-ride and improving parallel access routes- far too much of the country’s feeder traffic are corralled onto this one motorway and it’s a failure.

I left Kilkenny at 5.30 and the traffic on the M7 works after 6.00 am is unbelievable, I think everyone starting earlier to try ahead of this rubbish. Peoples quality of life is really undermined. Needless to say not a digger movement in sight despite the fine weather at that hour.

marno21

road_high wrote: »

Passed it twice today and there looks to be a ton of work to finalise still. I don’t know how people tolerate this daily, I couldn’t. I think it comes from the top down where we have a total space cadet as Transport minister and won’t take control of situations like this which in my humble opinion are frankly intolerable. I think it’s a shambles considering the sheer volume of traffic- even going beyond this we are really going to have to look at alternatives like park-and-ride and improving parallel access routes- far too much of the country’s feeder traffic are corralled onto this one motorway and it’s a failure.

I left Kilkenny at 5.30 and the traffic on the M7 works after 6.00 am is unbelievable, I think everyone starting earlier to try ahead of this rubbish. Peoples quality of life is really undermined. Needless to say not a digger movement in sight despite the fine weather at that hour.

People wouldn't have the appetite for this ****e if you could get a DART into Dublin city centre rather than having to drive.

If Transport21 had been build you could get a train from Portlaoise or a DART from Celbridge in (change at Hazelhatch for the DART), then into the city centre and if the city centre isn't where you want you could get a Metro or Luas.

The complete lack of viable public transport solutions is why people are suffering the M7. Until that changes it's only going to get worse.

road_high

marno21 wrote: »

People wouldn't have the appetite for this ****e if you could get a DART into Dublin city centre rather than having to drive.

If Transport21 had been build you could get a train from Portlaoise or a DART from Celbridge in (change at Hazelhatch for the DART), then into the city centre and if the city centre isn't where you want you could get a Metro or Luas.

The complete lack of viable public transport solutions is why people are suffering the M7. Until that changes it's only going to get worse.

I think the whole thing is at breaking point. They’re solutions we needed a decade ago.

benny79

Great posts Road high & marno21 my sentiments exactly. but like every government in this country they are to busy lining their pockets to care about improving the Country! Boils my blood.. Children's hospital is another example what a joke that is and what a mess it will be when finished traffic wise!

d4v1d

I took the bike in this morning, with the newer lanes opened and wider than the temporary ones that were in place, it means filtering is an option once more. I took the car over winter and until now. Between the cold and with no way to pass traffic being on the bike was only extra discomfort.

J12 (M7) to Sandyford in 50min leaving at 6:30am. So with that, I will say goodbye to all my fellow early morning commuters as I am back to sleeping in until 7am

The new surface is a pleasure on the bike. The state of the roads around both Naas exits in the past was awful.

Avatar MIA

d4v1d wrote: »

I will say goodbye to all my fellow early morning commuters as I am back to sleeping in until 7am

It's okay, we never liked you anyway :pac:;)

road_high

benny79 wrote: »

Great posts Road high & marno21 my sentiments exactly. but like every government in this country they are to busy lining their pockets to care about improving the Country! Boils my blood.. Children's hospital is another example what a joke that is and what a mess it will be when finished traffic wise!

We had a slight Golden Age about 2003-2010 where we were hugely ambitious delivering major infrastructure well ahead of schedule. Seems to have died a death as the volume and pace of delivery is noticeably slower

Sam Russell

road_high wrote: »

We had a slight Golden Age about 2003-2010 where we were hugely ambitious delivering major infrastructure well ahead of schedule. Seems to have died a death as the volume and pace of delivery is noticeably slower

I think that the huge public debt caused by Anglo etc is the cause of that. We have a hard limit on the amount of debt the state can support.

NedNew2

First indication that the speed limit will indeed be restored to 120 km/h.

https://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/naas/377080/kildare-m7-motorway-n7-roadworks-finish-delayed-until-july.html

While the expected completion is now July, KCC says that a section of the new motorway will open before then from Junction 8 (Johnstown) to Naas South within the next six to eight weeks and will be fully operational with a speed limit of 120kph.

yrreg0850

Don't think they are in any hurry to open it .

They are making a mint in speeding fines , special courts are even being set up to cope with the matter.
So if the opening is delayed long enough, the cost of the work may even be recovered in speeding fines.


On occasions when I used this road there was even an "entrapment" speed van at the very end where most motorists would assume the restriction had ended.

llebpmac

yrreg0850 wrote: »

Don't think they are in any hurry to open it .

They are making a mint in speeding fines , special courts are even being set up to cope with the matter.
So if the opening is delayed long enough, the cost of the work may even be recovered in speeding fines.


On occasions when I used this road there was even an "entrapment" speed van at the very end where most motorists would assume the restriction had ended.

How many people have been caught speeding? 14,000 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/almost-14-000-speeding-fines-issued-as-m7-roadworks-continue-1.3858533
What is the fine for speeding? €80
What is the cost of the road? €120 million https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/m7-motorway-set-to-be-widened-to-three-lanes-at-naas-1.3229645

Total fines collected €1,120,000 (minus the costs it takes to run these special courts)
Only another €118,880,000 to go....

Do some math before you post such cynical nonsense.

yrreg0850

llebpmac wrote: »

How many people have been caught speeding?
What is the fine for speeding?
What is the cost of the road?

Do some math before you post such cynical nonsense.

My Friend


You seem to lack a sense of humour.!

road_high

Sam Russell wrote: »

I think that the huge public debt caused by Anglo etc is the cause of that. We have a hard limit on the amount of debt the state can support.

But can we really afford not to invest is the question?
The losses in opportunities from our inadequate infrastructure must be enormous

Sam Russell

road_high wrote: »

But can we really afford not to invest is the question?
The losses in opportunities from our inadequate infrastructure must be enormous

Well, the Gov could look for Eropean Investment Bank loans, they would help.

Thy could issue a public subscription bond that carried a tax fee yield that would be attractive to those who have savings they can afford to tie up for a few years. There are many billions in bank accounts geting half nothing at the moment.

Then there is the 13 billion Apple money. The Gov could use it and issue Sovreign Debt bonds if they have to return it. That would go a long way - The M20, the Metrolink, DU, Dart Extension. Yes a long way.

Sam Russell

Sam Russell wrote: »

Then there is the 13 billion Apple money.

Large amounts of the Apple money will go to the EU countries where it was earned, if Apple/Ireland's appeal is unsuccessful.

Sam Russell

Deleted User wrote: »

Large amounts of the Apple money will go to the EU countries where it was earned, if Apple/Ireland's appeal is unsuccessful.

That would be a different battle. What basis would Ireland be a tax collector for other EU states?

And even then it would be a decade before the cash would be paid over.

Sam Russell

Sam Russell wrote: »

That would be a different battle. What basis would Ireland be a tax collector for other EU states?

And even then it would be a decade before the cash would be paid over.

It was mentioned by Vestager/the Commission in the ruling.

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT says the European Commission’s claim that other countries may be able to seize a slice of Apple’s €13 billion tax bill for illegal state aid is ”entirely unprecedented”.

A briefing document prepared by the Department of Finance and circulated to all TDs last night ahead of a Dáil debate today on the Apple tax controversy reiterates the government’s decision to appeal the ruling.

The paper mostly repeated the coalition’s position on the ruling, which is that no illegal aid was provided by the Irish state and that the commission’s decision is based on shaky ground.

One key aspect of this which was highlighted in the document is the fact that other jurisdictions may be able to claim some of the €13 billion the European Commission has ordered Apple to pay Ireland.

In its finding, the commission said that the amount of unpaid taxes to be recovered by the Irish authorities “would be reduced if other countries were to require Apple to pay more taxes on the profits recorded by Apple Sales International and Apple Operations Europe”.

Apple Sales International and Apple Operations Europe were the two key companies at the centre of the commission’s investigation.

The commission said that other countries may have a case to claim some of the potential fine “if they consider that Apple’s commercial risks, sales and other activities should have been recorded in their jurisdictions”.

It added: “The amount of unpaid taxes to be recovered by the Irish authorities would also be reduced if the US authorities were to require Apple to pay larger amounts of money to their US parent company for this period to finance research and development efforts.”

Also, the Apple money is being held in an escrow account. It can't exactly be drawn down.

marno21

Two words

Fine Gael

Case closed


This is a minor project in the grand scheme of things. Similar projects to be advanced on the M1/N3/M4/M11. Before you consider serious investment such as the M20 or other big road projects

Avatar MIA

marno21 wrote: »

Two words

Fine Gael

Case closed

Mantis Toboggan

yrreg0850 wrote: »

My Friend


You seem to lack a sense of humour.!

Hold on, what your qualifications for making such jokes?

Sam Russell

Mod: Can we get back on topic please.

Franz Von Peppercorn

road_high wrote: »

It’s blatantly obvious to anyone passing it how slow “progress” has been. Despite the PR spin from various quarters, this project has been dreadful considering the traffic volume and critical nature of the route. People are rightly very annoyed.
April me arse- which one?

I never ever see anybody working on it. I’ve been travelling down that route every two to four weekends for a long while now. There’s clearly no overtime going on. No penalty for lateness.

Cookiemunster

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

I never ever see anybody working on it. I’ve been travelling down that route every two to four weekends for a long while now. There’s clearly no overtime going on. No penalty for lateness.

They're not late. Even if it opens in July it'll still be ahead of the original projected timeline.

WishUWereHere

Cookiemunster wrote: »

They're not late. Even if it opens in July it'll still be ahead of the original projected timeline.

So, no matter how good the weather is, it's okay as long as they finish the project on time? Sorry, that doesn't wash. The site stood last summer ( one of the warmest on record ) after 17h00. And now as long as it's finished on time it's the same story this year?

Can I ask, when is the original projected timeline? I am from the catchment area, and we had our TD's & councillors saying last winter that it was to finish by the end of March, then end of April, now it's July. And remember buliders are on holidays next week, though am not sure if SIAC are.

Are there no incentives to finish ahead of time?

Mrs Dempsey

WishUWereHere wrote: »

.........The site stood last summer ( one of the warmest on record ) after 17h00. .........

Still banging on about last year - it's SO LAST YEAR DEAR

They are operating to a timeline that the Government agreed to. They obviously built in Ryanair levels of slack into the completion date, but that's a fault that lies with the TII and their staff - not with the contractors.

I have zero criticism for the contractors or how they've conducted the project, all my criticism falls at the door of the manifestly inept TII.