Julianstown Blog

Juliantown Traffic Volumes Exceed Dual Carriage-Way Level

August 5th, 2007

According to the NRA’s own figures the traffic levels in the villiage of Julianstown exceed the capacity of a dual carriageway. These figures were revealed in an Irish Times article (see below). Julianstown with 22,000 vehicles per day is 10% above dual carriageway level.

We have written to TDs Shane McEntee of Fine Gael and Thomas Byrne of Fianna Fail. Deputy McEntee confirmed that he had seen the article and said he was continuing to seek meetings with the NRA and minster for the environment. Meanwhile Deputy Byrne has yet to reply.

The National Roads Authority has decided not to use a “2+1″ road design for an upgrade of more than 850km of national roads.

The system is designed to eradicate head-on crashes by providing overtaking lanes at 2km intervals in a bid to curb driver frustration and has been piloted on three national routes over the past two years.

The “2+1″ layout has two lanes in one direction, and one in the opposite. The two-lane section is a safe overtaking zone and alternates with the one-lane section at intervals of around two kilometres with a barrier separating traffic. Separating lanes of oncoming traffic is one of the recommendations in a draft of the new Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2011.

However, the NRA found that there was a tendency for drivers to accelerate to try and pass traffic just before the double-lane section switched and that this was a hazard.

A cost-benefit analysis also showed that an upgrade on a single carriageway national route to a 2+2 - with two lanes in each direction separated by a central barrier cost - between 10 to 15 per cent more than a 2+1 format.

Because the 2+2 arrangement can also carry more traffic at 20,000 vehicles per day, compared to 14,000 for a 2+1, the NRA has decided to use this design layout as the basis for the widening of almost 850km of single carriageway national roads.

© 2007 The Irish Times

Entry Filed under: Traffic, julianstown, fianna fail, fine gael, thomas byrne, shane mcentee