M2 Motorway Belfast

[Hereiam]

Aye I'm sure you would have a better chance of a new road than us poor souls in the west of the province.

[Walter Cronc]

Been travelling it for the past 5 years.
Back rounds around Toome are the only way to avoid the queue there.

As for the M2, avoid the car park that it is in the morning by heading For Antrim and then over the Mountain into Belfast.  Saves me easily 45 minutes every day.

The M2 problem is easily solved.
1.  Remove the traffic lights at the start/end of the M2 in Belfast that link to the West Link.
Then the traffic should flow a lot better.
2.  Make a Motorway that links the M2 the whole way to Derry.

Extending a motorway for another 50 miles is not an easy solution. They badly need to change the road from toome bypass to the motorway, need to bypass Dungiven and after those two things are done they can change the road from the castledawson roundabout to Dungiven to a dual carriageway

Wont be that easy to upgrade it to a dual. Plenty of properties and premises running parallel to the route. Will likely be a mishmash of roundabouts unless there is a huge windfall of cash to fund a new build.

[93-DY-SAM]

At the time the Toome by-pass was built there was a story going around that FP McCann who built the bypass offered to extend it way all the way from the Castledawson roundabout to the motorway on very fair terms including repayment over a long period of time but this was turned down by the Department of Environment. 

I think a bit part of the problem between Toome and the motorway is lorries turning right into McLarnons mill.  The sheer volume of traffic coming from the Belfast side makes it very difficult for them to cross the road and they end up holding back a serious amount of traffic coming behind them.  Add into the mix traffic coming from side roads and it just becomes a real bottleneck.   Usually once you clear there traffic moves on quickly again. 

Then add onto all of that our useless MLA's with their panache for wasting money left right and centre and you have your problem.   

[johnneycool]

Been travelling it for the past 5 years.
Back rounds around Toome are the only way to avoid the queue there.

As for the M2, avoid the car park that it is in the morning by heading For Antrim and then over the Mountain into Belfast.  Saves me easily 45 minutes every day.

The M2 problem is easily solved.
1.  Remove the traffic lights at the start/end of the M2 in Belfast that link to the West Link.
Then the traffic should flow a lot better.
2.  Make a Motorway that links the M2 the whole way to Derry.

Yeah, in one feckin way. I think its safe to presume there's traffic coming into Belfast from more than the M2 at this junction.

[David McKeown]

Traffic in Belfast is shocking at the minute its a bad as it has been since the time some bright spark decided to do road works on the M1, M2, Sydenham bypass and Hill Hall road all at the same time a few years back.  I remember reading at that time that Belfast would take longer to evacuate per person than any other city in Europe in the event of a terrorist attack. 

Concerts at the Odyssey can also cause big issues not only on M3/Sydneham bypass but even as far back as the Westlink.  All in all its a farce

[Orior]

The problem is not the roads. There was never an issue when the Motorways were opened.

The problem is that there are too many cars. Tomorrow, check how many cars have only one occupant? That wont include me as I will be giving my blow-up doll a lift into work.

[armaghniac]

The problem is not the roads. There was never an issue when the Motorways were opened.

The problem is that there are too many cars. Tomorrow, check how many cars have only one occupant? That wont include me as I will be giving my blow-up doll a lift into work.

I used to have a blow up doll, but not only did she let me down, she let herself down.

[TabClear]

Been travelling it for the past 5 years.
Back rounds around Toome are the only way to avoid the queue there.

As for the M2, avoid the car park that it is in the morning by heading For Antrim and then over the Mountain into Belfast.  Saves me easily 45 minutes every day.

The M2 problem is easily solved.
1.  Remove the traffic lights at the start/end of the M2 in Belfast that link to the West Link.
Then the traffic should flow a lot better.
2.  Make a Motorway that links the M2 the whole way to Derry.

Extending a motorway for another 50 miles is not an easy solution. They badly need to change the road from toome bypass to the motorway, need to bypass Dungiven and after those two things are done they can change the road from the castledawson roundabout to Dungiven to a dual carriageway

Wont be that easy to upgrade it to a dual. Plenty of properties and premises running parallel to the route. Will likely be a mishmash of roundabouts unless there is a huge windfall of cash to fund a new build.

Get those useless feckers on the hill to pay back the money they have been claiming and you would get a few miles....

[armaghniac]

You won't be driving fast anyway, as the road will not be gritted
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-30232706

[InSeine]

Motorways aren't difficult per se. It's that they are expensive, needing roundabouts, flyovers and alternative routes. Dualling is much cheaper but inherently more unsafe with traffic both joining and leaving to right and left. Add a 70mph speed limit and you are guaranteed carnage. But sure thats good enough for us culchies west of tbe Bann. 😕

[DennistheMenace]

A concert in the odyssey arena = Delays across the city, the west link is usually a nightmare.

I've never seen traffic as bad both on M1 and M2, when the schools get off it's a relief.

[Maguire01]

Been travelling it for the past 5 years.
Back rounds around Toome are the only way to avoid the queue there.

As for the M2, avoid the car park that it is in the morning by heading For Antrim and then over the Mountain into Belfast.  Saves me easily 45 minutes every day.

The M2 problem is easily solved.
1.  Remove the traffic lights at the start/end of the M2 in Belfast that link to the West Link.
Then the traffic should flow a lot better.
2.  Make a Motorway that links the M2 the whole way to Derry.

#1 is in the pipeline: http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/m2m3westlink.html
The question is the length of the pipeline.

[giveherlong]

Traffic at the end of M2 heading towards Toome has been a disaster lately in evenings
Anyone know of any short cuts in the area to cut out moneynick area?

[illdecide]

funny you mention the extra traffic...the trains are jam packed. I haven't got a seat on the train in a long long time, sardines in a tin. These last 2 weeks i have seen 2 girls faint on the train in the morning on their way to work who had to stand and the heat on the trains is keeling them over. Translink have said they have seen a 6% increase in the last 6 months alone (I reckon it's more)...

So where is all this traffic coming from...M1 packed, M2 packed, Buses and bus lanes packed and trains on overload...WTF

[Minder]

funny you mention the extra traffic...the trains are jam packed. I haven't got a seat on the train in a long long time, sardines in a tin. These last 2 weeks i have seen 2 girls faint on the train in the morning on their way to work who had to stand and the heat on the trains is keeling them over. Translink have said they have seen a 6% increase in the last 6 months alone (I reckon it's more)...

So where is all this traffic coming from...M1 packed, M2 packed, Buses and bus lanes packed and trains on overload...WTF

Seafoid reckons it's Brexit