M50-N4 interchange

[SPDAY]

Upgrade of M50 to cause traffic constraints




From the first week of August motorists using the M50 will face traffic restrictions along a 7km (four miles) stretch between the N4 interchange and Ballymount as construction starts on the upgrade of Dublin's chronically congested orbital route, writes David Labanyi.

The N4 and N7 interchanges within this section will be redesigned to create a "free flow" system that will not require traffic lights. An extra lane is being added in each direction on the M50 along with a fourth lane linking adjacent interchanges.


This extra lane is to allow traffic going from one interchange to the next to remain separate from the main body of traffic on the M50. When complete, the M50 will have a hard shoulder.

John Glynn, project manager with lead contractor SIAC-Ferrovial, said the speed limit on this section of the M50 will be reduced to 60km/h (37mph) during the construction.

He admitted that trying to minimise traffic congestion on a route handling up to 100,000 vehicles a day was the most complicated part of the project and that disruption was "unavoidable" during the construction stage.

However, by using "quite a complex system" of road layout changes and giving motorists regular updates on restrictions, Mr Glynn said capacity on the route would not be significantly affected.

To reduce driver confusion, details of layout changes at junctions and along the M50 will be published in local and national media and will also be available on a website, he said.

Mr Glynn said two lanes in each direction would remain open to traffic between 6am and 10pm but outside these peak times intermittent traffic restrictions would apply.

To reduce traffic congestion much of the building work will take place at night.

One of the first changes motorists will experience will be M50 traffic pushed on to the hard shoulder and the slow lane to allow construction begin along the central median.

What is now the inside lane will be reserved for emergency vehicles, allowing them to reach any possible crash.

The land required to widen the M50 will come primarily from placing additional lanes on what is now the central median and also narrowing existing lanes slightly to 3.5 metres. This is the standard lane width. Once building is complete, north-bound and south-bound traffic will be separated by a concrete barrier.

Hugh Creegan, NRA head of programme management, said the Ballymount interchange would also be upgraded under the first phase of works but not to a "free flow" system.

Access lanes to and from all the interchanges along the M50 will also be upgraded.

Mr Glynn said when work on the central median was completed, traffic would be temporarily switched to one side of the motorway while work was completed on the other, before being switched back again.

Because the additional M50 lanes will run along what is now the median, no extra land is required for the upgrade, although extra land has been purchased to accommodate the new, larger interchanges. However, once completed, the current upgrade on the M50 is the limit of extra capacity possible.

If future demand runs over the capacity of the upgraded M50, Mr Creegan said demand management measures would be required. A number of these were currently being assessed, he said.

Mr Glynn added that barriers would be erected near housing to reduce the impact of noise and dust during construction.

Work on the section between the N4 and Ballymount is expected to last two years and will cost ?244 million, including land acquisition costs, according to the NRA.

The section between the N4 and Ballymount will be the first part of the 32km-long M50 upgraded to six lanes. The overall project is expected to be completed by 2010.

[TYA]

Ну, да а про мостик через канал между N7 и N4 ни слова. Ну да, там же только от N4 до Ballymount - самая легкая часть между N7 и N4 и за копейки - 244 лимона. За сколько французы свой мост отгрохали? 390 миллионов евро? Мелочь. А тут видать землю будут выкупать по ценам 2010 года вместе с потенциально выстроенными на ней тоговыми центрами и т.д.
Перед этим мостиком и на нем будем развлекаться, удивляясь почему стоим, а обещали 60 км/ч... а к 2015 выясниться, что надо еще 300 лимонов, что бы мостик сделать шире... готовтесь к конкретным пробкам в Clondalkin и Liffey Valley, такое мое предчувствие...

[alz]

Сообщение от TYA

Ну, да а про мостик через канал между N7 и N4 ни слова. Ну да, там же только от N4 до Ballymount - самая легкая часть между N7 и N4

Вообще-то Ballymount exit это следующий за N7 если ехать от N4
И чем мостик не угодил? Расширять-то вовнутрь собираются, а не наружу...

[gustavatwork]

Я одного не могу понять. Почему дорогу от М4 к N7 надо было прокладывать через жилые (когда-то самые перспективные районы Лукана)? Ну, ж/д станция там, ну, и чё? В обход не льзя былоэто всё, обязательно через город? Расширяют тропинку до размеров дорожки. И это в относительно новой части Лукана. Проблемы с планированием. Тротуар уничтожили. О травке вдоль него и говорить не приходится. А всеми так горячо любимый паб теперь вообще загнётся. Там теперь трафик будет такой, что 100 раз подумаешь перед тем, как ехать... Короче, не устают удивлять...

[TYA]

Сообщение от alz

Вообще-то Ballymount exit это следующий за N7 если ехать от N4

Елки-палки, перепутал с Ballyfermot.

Сообщение от alz

И чем мостик не угодил? Расширять-то вовнутрь собираются, а не наружу...

Так, мостик был задизайнен на 4 полосы, а тут 6. Учитывая как они строят, это в него не было заложено по определению... По ходу дела выясниться, что надо будет его укреплять/подпирать/раширять, ну они найдут чего-нибудь - точно.
Вчера Патрик показал мне как собирются сделать интерченж на N4 и M50 - понравилось. Почти как у французов на переферике. Интересно, это к какому году интерченж на N7 сделают. А 244 лимона я так понял не включают перестройку развязок на N4 и N7. Побоялись опубликовать, или еще не оценили до конца, пробуют публику на выдержку? Так по мне, 244 лимона только на расширение M50 - астрономическая сумма.

[nexus]

И вот еще немного инфы, касательно West-Link:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Eazy Pass Customer,

As you may be aware, the National Roads Authority (NRA) project to upgrade the M50 to three lanes in each direction and the upgrade of the interchanges has commenced.

Construction will initially focus on the section of the M50 between the N4 Liffey Valley Interchange, immediately south of the West-Link Bridges, and the Ballymount Exit. In addition to adding extra lanes, the Liffey Valley and Red Cow interchanges are to be upgraded to free flow interchanges enabling greater traffic movement on and off the M50.

In order to facilitate this, a construction zone will be created in the middle of the motorway, resulting in the loss of the fast lanes from south of the Ballymount Exits to beyond the N4 Liffey Valley Interchange, and a change of speed limit to 60 kmph. Traffic will be directed on to the left hand lane and the hard shoulder, to ensure that two lanes remain in place.

However, the lane restrictions will extend onto the West-Link Bridges and will affect Eazy Pass users at West-Link. Eazy Pass customers using the southbound dedicated lane will have to taper left after the Toll Plaza, as the right hand lane on the bridge will be closed. The other issue to note going southbound is that currently there are two lanes on the West-Link Bridge for the N4 off ramp. During the upgrade this will be reduced to one lane while two lanes will be maintained for M50 traffic. It will be important for customers needing to exit at the N4 to keep left before the Plaza and use the tollbooths on the left-hand side. Eazy Pass is accepted in all lanes.

Northbound the dedicated Eazy Pass lane will operate as usual, but will commence a little further up the bridge. Eazy Pass customers should exercise caution when entering this dedicated lane as construction vehicles may periodically exit from the construction zone into this lane.

We have been informed by the NRA that the new road lining and guard barriers will be installed in the coming week. Should we receive any additional information in the coming weeks and months regarding the upgrade, we will communicate it to you immediately.

Information on the M50 upgrade is available at www.m50.ie or by calling 1800 24 34 54.

[vdc]

<table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3" border="0" align="center"><tr> <td><span class="genmed">gustavatwork писал(а):</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="quote">Там теперь трафик будет такой, что 100 раз подумаешь перед тем, как ехать... Короче, не устают удивлять...</td> </tr></table><span class="postbody">
И Лукан разделится на западный, восточный и южный.....