N8/N25/N40 - Dunkettle Interchange [open to traffic]

Signs this mornings say 'Both Lanes Use N25'

I had no coffee at 9.13am when I posted - the sign said 'N25 Use Both Lanes' - not the other way around 🙄

A ferry, suitable for being part of a bus route, between the Ringmahon Rd / CastleRd area of Mahon and the R623 in Little Island would also provide a connection between the cycle routes of both areas.

🤔 Not sure what you mean

Well would wonders never cease.

Maybe it was our bitching on this thread, the emails that went in, or maybe they'd planned it from the start, but the gantry as you come out of the tunnel going northbound (seen in the bottom left at 0:20) in the video above, is being changed.

It wasn't fully up when I passed through this evening but is much more sensible and not misleading - both lanes to N25, a slip road sign for Cork/Tivoli and one for Dublin too.

BusConnects has a planned route from Little Island to CUH via the tunnel, Mahon Point, Douglas, South Ring, Blackash P&R.

Only really looked at gantry sign before tunnel, at least its clear that both lanes are for N25E. One thing on it though, the info for M8N is the width of the 2 lanes, so would fear people heading that way may stay in left lane then have to dive across lanes to make the correct route. It may not happen, but do think it opens up the possibility.

Hopefully, with two uninterrupted lanes running the whole way through the intersection from the N40 to the N25, the 80km/h speed limit will be restored thus alleviating the long queues at rush hour on the N40 northbound.

On the N25 to N40 route, with three lanes merging, one from the right followed by another from the left into one lane heading for the N40, I can't see a speed limit of anything over 60km/h through where the merging is taking place so it looks like we'll be stuck with long queues at rush hour on that route forever.

I suspect that it was always planned but there are other considerations that we're not aware that are slowly being put into place. Clearly there are problems to be ironed out as things go along but this is still a construction site. I'm not saying I don't have sympathy for those caught up in it but sometimes it's simply not possible to avoid issues while trying to keep the junction open during all of these works.

Do think the Mahon merge will still keep it slow there at peak times due to sheer volume, but should be moving grand before the tunnel again. At least it won't be a case of heavy traffic and people skipping through red lights, blocking other lanes from moving

The second one seems to be a very Irish thing, other countries in my experience let others merge. We’re just poor drivers in general really, unsurprising given the joke of a driving test.

A similar 'Irish' thing is drivers in lane 2 speeding up to prevent someone from moving from lane 1 into lane 2 to overtake slower traffic in lane 1

I've traveled extensively in Europe where there are lots of tunnels and overtaking in a tunnel is generally forbidden, in fact, I can't recall being in one that doesn't have the lanes separated by double white lines.

Regarding the JLT, if there was to be a speed limit of 80km/h from immediately after the M8/N25 merge it would help with HGV speeds on the southern incline out of the tunnel after which they could move over to lane 1. If traffic already in that lane facilitated the move.

As regards people's rights. However, in a civilised society, they should only be exercised in a manner that doesn't negatively impact others. Personally, I consider it a good deed to let someone pull out to overtake a slower vehicle and not box them in causing them to slow down unnecessarily.

I'm just back from a recent visit to the UK. Over there and elsewhere in Europe, my lived experience is that after putting on the indicator to indicate you wish to move over a lane to overtake a slower vehicle it's common practice for drivers in the lane you wish to move into to momentarily lift off the throttle and let you out, a lot will even give you a quick 'off you go' flash of their headlights.

The flash IS NOT an I'm coming through stay where you are flash as it's clear the vehicle giving the flash is no longer closing the gap to you.

Maybe it's because we really don't know what heavy traffic is in this country but our lane discipline is generally atrocious and most Irish drivers would be totally out of their depth on the motorways and dual carriageways in countries where such roads can be like car parks moving at speeds of up to 130 km/h.

I often would flash to let drivers out, and sometimes wonder why they're slow to pull out. Never dawned on me that they would think it was me saying I'm coming through. Always put it down their to lack of attention.