M50 opening. Be careful out there.

DubTony

Those of you who have small kids ... (my son just turned one) will be all too familiar with what happens when they see something they've never seen before. It could be a dog. It could be a car. It could be a ball. It could be grass.

The eyes lock into a sort of gaze. Sometimes the face screws up slightly as the eyes do a very small sort of squinty thing. The head inevitably moves forward as if to get a closer look. And a hand goes out in the direction of the new thing. And then there's a short "AH" sound.

Today, we will see grown adults become children again as they drive down the now complete M50. Thousands of people who complain about M50 traffic will extend their journey and instead of turning off at the N4, N7, N81 or whatever gridlocked exit they normally take, will stay on the godforsaken road and drive to Bray.

Some will actually go home and pick up the family before embarking on their little adventure. And as they travel between Sandyford and Bray and they see things they've never seen before their eyes will lock into a sort of gaze. Their faces will screw up slightly as their eyes do a very small sort of squinty thing. Their heads will inevitably moves forward as if to get a closer look. And hands will appear from car windows in the direction of the new things they see. Finally a constant hum of of "AH"s will be heard from Leopardstown to Shankill.

I have to pick up the little guy at 5:30. At least with all the tourists going to Bray and back it should leave the Scholarstown Interchange with something that resembles a decent traffic flow. (Maybe that's wishful thinking)

If you happen to be travelling along that section of road today, remember this, KEEP YOUR ARMS INSIDE THE VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES.

Doodah7

LOL!!!

I see from here that the Leapordstown Rd. is chocker already with tourists trying to see the new road...

For God's sake, what road did people use yesterday evening and the billion evenings before that to get home???

mollser

jeepers, watch out for other reasons.

I don't think i've ever witnessed so much aggression on a road in my life. The cops would have an absolute field day if they drove around there tonight.

Its crazy :eek:

Hecate

tourists trying to see the new road

Huh?

Good god its just a motorway, get over it people. I swear I heard someone mumbling somthing about those "new fangled horseless carriages" today...

HashSlinging

Just back from a spin Woohooo!! got to tallaght in 8 minutes! from bray

VeeEmmy

I have to say, it was brilliant this morning.

I had no idea it would have that much impact. I'm a North Wexford-to-Donnybrook commuter, and from the Loughlinstown roundabout to Donnybrook was like a ghost town at 7:25. It was great!

Good thing too, because I massively overslept this morning. That would usually cost me an extra 10-20 mins commute time. With the motorway and school out, I got to work faster than I ever have (only 3 mins "late"). Wonder what it will be like on Monday if I actually leave the house "on time??!!"

Maybe one day I'll venture up the new "SE Motorway" to have that gaze around at the new sights. oohh ahhhh.

Now if they'll just finish the resurfacing on the N11... then we can look forward to the pain of the construction of the Gorey by-pass... and lose there what we just gained with the opening yesterday...

Ah well, enjoy it while it lasts.

Ban

Doodah7

HashSlinging wrote:

Just back from a spin Woohooo!! got to tallaght in 8 minutes! from bray

Jaysus, there is a speed limit you know!!!

I did from Southern Cross Road in Bray to Balrothery Roundabout in 12 minutes last night. Very good road to say the least. Would be interested to hear further how it affected the Stillorgan Road this morning...

Macy

tallpaul wrote:

Would be interested to hear further how it affected the Stillorgan Road this morning...

No difference from the rest of the week tbh. I kinda remain sceptical about it's rush hour benefits for the N11 into town, as I think most on the road are heading into the City Centre. I suppose we'll know in September once the schools are back...

VeeEmmy

Well... it made a huge difference on Stillorgan Road this morning between 7:18 and 7:33. I flew in. I have never made it from the Loughlinstown roundabout to my car park in 15 minutes! (Well, on a Sunday, maybe...)

Most cars stayed in the outer lanes and headed for the M50 this morning.

What time do you go in, Macy? I know I'm early, but before today, it was very congested all the same, even at that hour (and I would normally be at Loughlinstown roundabout by 7:10). Once we were past the turnoff for the M50, there were almost no cars until after Cornelscourt. But even then, many fewer than usual, even for summer.

September will surely tell...

Ban

Macy

Banished-She wrote:

What time do you go in, Macy? I know I'm early, but before today, it was very congested all the same, even at that hour (and I would normally be at Loughlinstown roundabout by 7:10). Once we were past the turnoff for the M50, there were almost no cars until after Cornelscourt. But even then, many fewer than usual, even for summer.

Actually around that time. I genuinely didn't think it was any different today at that time than the rest of the week. The last two weeks have been really easy traffic wise anyway, and don't forget all the schools are finished as of yesterday so this morning probably would've been easier again. It's been flowing through Donnybrook all week, for example.

You must have been damn lucky with lights all the same, even if you were the only car on the road 15 mins would be good going...

Open it in the summer, so it'll get hailed as a success as the N11 is clear (which it would be anyway), and no body will be paying attention by the time winter (and the traffic) come...

HashSlinging

my other half left bray at 8:35 and arrived in Dublin at 8:58. its made a huge difference, but yes I have my doubts as to why they left it until now to open it. The road was finished ages ago.

The thing is I read its taken 32 years to build, from planning etc.... 32 years

Victor

HashSlinging wrote:

Just back from a spin Woohooo!! got to tallaght in 8 minutes! from bray

Making up for your small penis? :rolleyes:

DubTony

Coming back on the M11 today I was heading for Loughlinstown and so took the "exit" from the M11 to the M11

I moved into the overtaking lane to get past the crawlers and as I came to where the roads splits wasy from the M50 completely this arsehole in a truck towing one of those generator things decided to go my way.

He came off the M50 at the very last second, across the ghost island just at the blue plastic thing with the arrows on it and straight into my path. I braked hard and carried on behind him giving the idiot the benefit of the doubt. Then he obviously got doubly confused and braked coming to a complete stop. The woman in the Avensis behind me almost got to know me, but thankfully stopped in time.

I know it's a new road, but for the love of god, some of these f*ckers haven't got a clue of how to read road signs. And this guy with a HGV licence?

murphaph

Even if the clown can't read signs (how good/bad is the new signage on the road btw?) braking to almost a full stop on a motorway, any motorway is bloody idiotic.

drdre

the new road is amazing.he must be right 8 mins to tallaght.

there is no speed limit for me anyway
i got 195 kilometres per hour in my golf1.4,which is really good for the size of engine.

the new m50 isamazing but they should of had more lanes

murphaph

drdre wrote:

there is no speed limit for me anyway

Perhaps not but by the sound of your idiocy the laws of physics will catch you out one of these days even if the law of the land doesn't.

Macy

HashSlinging wrote:

my other half left bray at 8:35 and arrived in Dublin at 8:58. its made a huge difference, but yes I have my doubts as to why they left it until now to open it. The road was finished ages ago.

Whilst I still have my doubts I was impressed this morning. Was after 8 hitting Loughlinstown and there were no hold ups the at all until Donnybrook. Monday morning with no schoolies so hardly typical, but a good sign none the less. November the month with the most traffic on the road, so we'll see then...