Annacotty to Finnegans Roadworks

Berty

I left 20 minutes earlier today so the roundabout about 7:50am and it was getting bad already. I was already 15 cars back on the Newport road and starting to pile up towards the M7 exit onto the roundabout.

I've decided that in future I'm going North through Birdhill and onto the M7 because I take J29 Ballysimon exit anyway and this Mackey Roundabout thing is tedious.

um7y1h83ge06nx

This morning, there was a hold-up on the main road between the Vistakon roundabout and the turn-off to the Annacotty industrial estate due to a loose horse wandering. I was passing by around 0815-0820.

topper75

By my layman eyes, the key development so far is the addition of an ample footpath to FURTHER narrow the road. There are few enough walking on the existing path on the western side of the road so I was quite flummoxed to work out what they were thinking with that.

Though I'm a keen cyclist, I think it would be best if they did not restore the bike lanes for that stretch by Finnegan's pub.

Unless there is a followup with some very imaginative line painting (ideally redraw the bus lane going by Annacotty as a regular driving lane), I can't see how these works will actually increase capacity in the morning for citybound traffic. Or the similarly chaotic outbound evening traffic.

We may be doomed to suffer the Mackey roundabout gridlocks for all time!

I'd be happy to be re-educated on my pessimism if somebody knows more?

Berty

I did think it was ample wide enough even with footpath for two inbound lanes but i didn't think of the cycle lane so that could be that ideas undoing.

They did reduce the size of the traffic island at the roundabout which lead me to believe there must be two inbound lanes coming though.

Let's hope so these new smart lights they say they're doing help.

The Specialist

I really hope they don't have plans for a cycle lane on that stretch. It's bad enough watching the traffic trying to cram in to the road from M7 & Mackey R/A without throwing lycra clad **** in to the mix as well.

pigtown

Is it possible that more lycra-clad **** would mean fewer cars?

The Specialist

pigtown wrote: »

Is it possible that more lycra-clad **** would mean fewer cars?

No it would mean traffic chaos considering there are 2 motorway exit ramps feeding on to the roundabout there.

topper75

The R445 is no motorway in fairness so bikes have as much right as any other road user there. :-)

BUT, I would question the wisdom of a dedicated lane for them or for buses when the route is so congested.

Worth bearing in mind also that many of the motorists are travelling in quite a distance and biking is not a viable alternative. There is no commutable suburb worth speaking of beyond the Mackey roundabout.

pigtown

Anyone who uses this road, would you ever consider using a P&R if one was located near the roundabout and connected with the technology park/UL/city centre?

This is one of the main access routes to the city and seems like it could be a good location for a good quality bus route.

h3000

pigtown wrote: »

Anyone who uses this road, would you ever consider using a P&R if one was located near the roundabout and connected with the technology park/UL/city centre?

This is one of the main access routes to the city and seems like it could be a good location for a good quality bus route.

My wife would definitely use a park and ride from there. I believe there was talks to have one near the traffic lights a few years ago but planning was refused.

dashoonage

pigtown wrote: »

Anyone who uses this road, would you ever consider using a P&R if one was located near the roundabout and connected with the technology park/UL/city centre?

This is one of the main access routes to the city and seems like it could be a good location for a good quality bus route.

I work there and commute from the foynes side. For me to use a P&R facility id want the bus to have no delays, i can as easily sit in my car as i can on a bus, the park facility would also want to have direct access to the motorway, id prefer not to sit in a queue of cars trying to get out of the facility.

I would only use it if i made my commute shorter not longer.

I'd actually love to have the ability to cycle to work or use public transport...this would leave me with the ability to have a nice V8 for the weekends instead of a TDI

Mr E

Not sure what we happening there last night (about 11) but I was stuck in traffic at the Murroe junction for 15 minutes late night heading towards the Mackey roundabout. The lights changed about 20 times at least and nothing was moving. Ended up doing a u-turn and going out to Mount Shannon Road.

Berty

Saw a load of guys on the road today wearing clean hard hats and clean Hi ViZ jackets marking out the road for future lines and the like.

There is a turning lane in the middle for Finnegans meaning there could NOT be 2 lanes inbound at all. Strange then as it seems like they are just resurfacing and thanking a long time to do it. (lights look the same)

There are some new poles erected near the traffic lights but they don't look like poles for traffic lights because they're only on the inbound side.

Mc Love

Berty wrote: »

Saw a load of guys on the road today wearing clean hard hats and clean Hi ViZ jackets marking out the road for future lines and the like.

There is a turning lane in the middle for Finnegans meaning there could NOT be 2 lanes inbound at all. Strange then as it seems like they are just resurfacing and thanking a long time to do it. (lights look the same)

There are some new poles erected near the traffic lights but they don't look like poles for traffic lights because they're only on the inbound side.

Don't know why they have a turning lane for the pub, customers could easily go around the roundabout to enter the pub.

Berty

Mc Love wrote: »

Don't know why they have a turning lane for the pub, customers could easily go around the roundabout to enter the pub.

Guess if you're the pub and paying your rates you can stipulate it and/or object to the plans.

The Specialist

Berty wrote: »

Saw a load of guys on the road today wearing clean hard hats and clean Hi ViZ jackets marking out the road for future lines and the like.

There is a turning lane in the middle for Finnegans meaning there could NOT be 2 lanes inbound at all. Strange then as it seems like they are just resurfacing and thanking a long time to do it. (lights look the same)

There are some new poles erected near the traffic lights but they don't look like poles for traffic lights because they're only on the inbound side.

You're right, I drove home past Finnegans and there are 2 lanes outbound and 1 inbound. Traffic heading for the m7 now has its own lane.

h3000

Just passed there a little bit ago. There are two lanes inbound from the Murroe junction as far as the village turn off. The left lane feeds into the bus lane. Maybe they will get rid of the bus lane. There are two lanes outbound again from the village junction but I’m not sure for how far it goes, there is also a filter lane for Murroe direction. There’s definitely no room for people to stop at the outbound bus stop now.

Berty

h3000 wrote: »

There’s definitely no room for people to stop at the outbound bus stop now.

They will. They always do. It's like around Arthur's Quay. They'll park anywhere to drop people off on the buses.

h3000

Berty wrote: »

They will. They always do. It's like around Arthur's Quay. They'll park anywhere to drop people off on the buses.

You’re probably right unfortunately.

dashoonage

The could move the bus stop to a more appropriate place

Poxyshamrock

dashoonage wrote: »

The could move the bus stop to a more appropriate place

Into Annacotty itself? Anywhere on the street they could put one?

dashoonage

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Into Annacotty itself? Anywhere on the street they could put one?

I dunno i hadnt thought that far ahead with it.....but having busses and cars stop on a busy ( now dual lane) roads is very.....well.....irish.

Berty

White lanes are down. Two lanes outbound alright. One inbound to just passed Finnegan's. Hard to tell if the left lane will be straight on as well,(no arrows yet)it should be or like Childers road by Dunnes where the left is for left only unless you're a bus and go straight or if you're a D*ckhead jumping traffic.

Two lanes outbound is a waste. Most people are stuck in the left lane for the roundabout taking the first or second exit and the idiots taking the third exit in there for some reason in the wrong lane. The right lane isn't used much unless taking the third exit or the lane jumpers heading Newport bound.

They've missed a trick here. Two lanes going the wrong way.

topper75

The big disappointment with the works is that they fail to address the morning mess on the Mackey roundabout, a pet peeve of mine.

Basically the lane exiting towards Finnegans etc. fills to capacity (as far as the mway onramp).

Then drivers arriving cannot block the onramp, so they are forced to jump the queue and stay on the inner lane. I find myself often having to do this, though I know it is unfair to queueing drivers.

The ONE SINGLE big fix that was needed here (two lanes going inbound past Finnegans) was not done, despite ample verge being available for removal on both sides as I have highlighted in pic. Crazy.

Berty

Used the outbound this evening. Makes zero sense. It's like somebody built it, the lane markings with the map upside down. It's honestly a simple fix. Just burn off the lines and relay them with two lanes inbound.

Surely they couldn't have gotten it so wrong. The right lane was basically empty this evening on the outbound 2 lanes. Also because they didn't put down the white lines before the traffic lights for the right hand turning lane there was pretty much bedlam with people turning right blocking those from going straight on.

The dark and rain really didn't help either.

Speaking of the bus stop. It is still there. The new blacktop starts after it so shouldn't really affect traffic except for those who block the cycle lane waiting for the bus to drop off their passengers.

turbbo

topper75 wrote: »

The big disappointment with the works is that they fail to address the morning mess on the Mackey roundabout, a pet peeve of mine.

Basically the lane exiting towards Finnegans etc. fills to capacity (as far as the mway onramp).

Then drivers arriving cannot block the onramp, so they are forced to jump the queue and stay on the inner lane. I find myself often having to do this, though I know it is unfair to queueing drivers.

The ONE SINGLE big fix that was needed here (two lanes going inbound past Finnegans) was not done, despite ample verge being available for removal on both sides as I have highlighted in pic. Crazy.

There seems to be serious retardation in limerick when it comes to building roads.

turbbo

They managed to build a belfield(ucd exit) on the stillorgan bypass back in 1974 over 40 years ago.
They will eventually cop it in Limerick not before serious pain and suffering on the part of the motorist that UL and surrounds will need it's own exit also. They have their head firmly stuck up their arse on this motorway business - downgrade it, and get on with the badly needed exits.

Berty

I'm not tempting fate here but has anyone noticed for the past 3 mornings traffic has been much lighter than before? This morning at 8:10am I got to the roundabout from Newport with only 2 cars in front of me and traffic only building under the bridge heading onto Dublin road.

You'd think the cold and rain would actually make it worse

turbbo

Berty wrote: »

I'm not tempting fate here but has anyone noticed for the past 3 mornings traffic has been much lighter than before? This morning at 8:10am I got to the roundabout from Newport with only 2 cars in front of me and traffic only building under the bridge heading onto Dublin road.

You'd think the cold and rain would actually make it worse

UL off??

Berty

turbbo wrote: »

UL off??

I was in UL Wednesday and the place was hopping and traffic was light enough that morning also.