M50 motorway (Ireland)
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2009) |
 | |
|---|---|
| Mótarbhealach M50 | |
  Clickable image | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 45.5 km (28.3 mi) |
| Existed | 1990–present |
| History | Completed 1990–2005 Upgraded 2006–2010 |
| Major junctions | |
| From | Dublin Port |
                | |
| To | Shankill |
| Location | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Primary destinations | Dublin,Finglas,Blanchardstown,Ballymount,Tallaght,Sandyford |
| Highway system | |
TheM50 motorway(Irish:Mótarbhealach M50) is a C-shaped orbitalmotorwayinDublinand the busiest motorway inIreland.The current route was built in various sections over the course of 27 years, from 1983 to 2010. It begins atDublin Port,running northward through theDublin Port Tunneland along a portion of the Airport Motorway. It then turns west at its junction with theM1,circling the northern, western and southern suburbs of Dublin, before merging with theM11atShankillin South East Dublin. The road forms part ofEuropean route E01.
An orbital motorway for Dublin was first proposed in the Dublin Transportation Study of 1971. Construction began on the first section, the Western Parkway (J6-J11) in 1987, and opened to traffic in 1990. This was followed by the Northern Cross Route (J3-J6) in 1996, the Southern Cross Route (J11-J13) in 2001, and the Southeastern Motorway (J13-J17) in 2005. The M50 route was extended to Dublin Port in 2006, via a section of the 1985 Airport Motorway (up to then a part of theM1) and the newly opened Dublin Port Tunnel.
A massive upgrade project commenced in early 2006 due to the motorway's chronic capacity problems. Lanes were added J3-J13, and many of the low-capacityroundabout interchangeswere replaced with free-flowing interchanges. These upgrades were completed in 2010.
Layout[edit]
The M50 was originally planned to divert traffic travelling on National Primary Routes away from the city (a full bypass of Dublin). Due to urban expansion and sprawl it now runs through Dublin's suburbs and serves as a route within Dublin, connecting the suburbs.
All of the National Primary Routes radiating from Dublin begin at their junctions with the M50. The junctions were originally in the form of grade-separated signal-controlledroundaboutjunctions, not free-flowinginterchanges.The M50 mainline itself was free-flow through all junctions. The other primary routes served are theN1/M1toBelfast/Dundalk/Newry,N2toDerry/Monaghan,N3toCavan/Donegal/Navan,N4/M4(N5) (M6) toGalway/Sligo/Westport,N7/M7(M8) (M9) toCork/Limerick/Waterford,and theN11/M11toWexford/Wicklow.Additional junctions along the motorway serve other suburbs of Dublin such asBallymun,Blanchardstown,Cherrywood,Dundrum,SandyfordandTallaght.
Most of these interchanges were subject to high levels of traffic congestion, as was the former toll-plaza north of theWest-Link bridge.The busier roundabout junctions weresignal-controlled,with tailbacks extending for several kilometres atrush hour.The most infamous was theRed Cow Roundaboutjunction with the N7, jokingly dubbed the "Mad Cow Roundabout".[1]As well as being the junction of two of the busiest roads in the State, theLuastramRed Linefrom Tallaght to the city centre used to cross twoslip roadsat-grade, before continuing city-bound in the median of the R110 (formerly N7). As part of the M50 upgrade works (see below), these at-grade crossings were removed, and in December 2008, the completely reconstructed interchange was open. This greatly reduced the congestion at the once-notorious traffic black-spot.
The roundabout at the N3 is also notable as theRoyal Canaland theDublin-Sligo railway linepass through its centre.
The original speed limit on the M50 was 70 mph (112 km/h). The Southern Cross Route from J12-J13 was given a lower limit of 60 mph (96 km/h), due to its more undulating, twisting route. The route from J3-J13 was changed to 100 km/h after the Republic of Ireland's speed limits became metric in 2005, while the Southeastern Motorway section (J13-J17) became 120 km/h. The Airport Motorway-Port Tunnel section of the route from J1-J3 has a speed limit of 80 km/h due to the closely packed junctions and heavy volume of weaving traffic. Average speed camera technology is in operation in thePort Tunnelsection of the M50.
Junctions[edit]
 | This section ismissing kilometre posts for junctions. |
TheSouth Eastern Motorwaysection, a radial route, was originally meant to be part of theM11.It curves away from the city centre and instead joins the N11 at junction 17 heading south. The next opportunity to exit the motorway at theBray Northexit 5 of the M11.
There is no Junction 8, the junction number having been reserved for a potential extension of the M7 motorway from Lucan/Clondalkin to Naas. This is unlikely to be built given that the N7 Naas Road has been upgraded to dual three lane with at grade junctions converted to grade-separated interchanges orleft-in, left-out (LILOs)junctions. However, it is an objective of South Dublin County Council to construct a new junction and use to it provide local access to the Cloverhill area ofPalmerstown.[citation needed]This is also very unlikely to happen as the NRA have stated they are against the provision of new interchanges on the existing M50 as they are seen to contribute to traffic congestion on the route and undermine its function as a motorway.
Future plans[edit]
Completion of Dublin's ring road by the building of anEastern Bypassof the city has been proposed. This plan is controversial, as it would require a tunnel acrossSandymount Strandto or possibly throughBooterstown marshbird sanctuary. A motorway reservation from Sandyford toBooterstownwas included in theDún Laoghaire–RathdownDevelopment Plan, with space allowed for an interchange where it crosses the N11. TheDublin Port Tunnel,which opened on 20 December 2006, would form the northern half of the Eastern bypass. This project was cancelled in 2009.
Anotherouter orbital roadhas been proposed for the Dublin region. It will, if approved, run approximately fromDroghedaviaNavan,TrimandKilcocktowardsNaas.
See also[edit]
- M50 Roma encampment
- N40
- Roads in Ireland
- Motorways in Ireland
- National secondary road
- Regional road
- European route E01
References[edit]
- ^Bielenberg, Kim (19 January 2008)."My Mad Cow Break (Wish You Were Here)".Independent News & Media PLC.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2012.Retrieved9 April2009.