M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

mysterious

Sponge Bob wrote: »

You just made it up Mysterious. Admit it.

Sponge Bob, admit that you taunt me here all the time. I never said it was going to open in a partial phrase.

I said the Nenagh interchange will be done by summer. :P I would liike to see the partial opening by summer however. Most adults here can read and understand what I have said, I don't understand why you don't.

Sponge Bob

Tell you what. YOU email the NRA and tell us what THEY say. info@nra.ie should do. Then report back here on what the NRA says and use quotes so we know it ain't speculation.

Amtmann

Sponge Bob and mysterious both warned for bickering. Let's move on now.

fresca

I've emailed the NRA with 2 questions:

1. with regard to a partial opening of the M7 - nenagh / moneygall before moneygall / castletown

2. with regard to completion of M8 and delayed opening of M7 leg

As soon as I get a reply, i'll post it...

mysterious

Thanks Fresca. With the good weather we have been having lately, I would expect to see a lot of progress on the Nenagh to Moneygall section. It would mean we have bypasses of both Toomevara and Moneygall. The worst sufrace road on the N7 is at both sides of Toomevara. It's a disgrace. If it's not opening not to worry. It's just that the lenght of the N-C scheme is pretty long and there is no reason to not open a phrase section imo.

fresca

It's 24 hours since I emailed info@nra.ie.
I'm still awaiting a response.
So this morning, I sent the mail onto Mr. Sean O'Neill, Head of Communications, NRA soneill@nra.ie

see http://www.nra.ie/AboutUs/ContactInformation/

fresca wrote: »

I've emailed the NRA with 2 questions:

1. with regard to a partial opening of the M7 - nenagh / moneygall before moneygall / castletown

2. with regard to completion of M8 and delayed opening of M7 leg

As soon as I get a reply, i'll post it...

fresca

See below, Ms. McNally has ruled out a partial opening....

Thank you for your email regarding the M7/M8 projects.
It is unlikely that a partial opening of the M7 Castletown-Nenagh scheme will take place in advance of the entire scheme completion scheduled for late 2010.
The M7/M8 Portlaoise to Cullahill/Castletown scheme is ahead of schedule and it is anticipated that the entire scheme will open in early June.

Regards,
Annamarie McNally
Programme Administrator

Dear Sir / Madam,
I have 2 questions with regard to the M7/M8 projects:
Firstly, I notice that significantly more progress appears to have been made on the Nenagh to Moneygall section of the M7 Castletown to Nenagh project.
Are you considering a partial opening of this scheme? i.e. opening the Nenagh to Moneygall section prior to opening the Moneygall to Castletown section.
Secondly, I notice that on the M7/M8 project, it would appear that Portloaise to Cullahill is more advanced than the M7 leg to Castletown.
Again, are you considering a partial opening here? i.e. opening of the completed M8, prior to the M7 leg?
Thank you for your time,

fresca wrote: »

I've emailed the NRA with 2 questions:

1. with regard to a partial opening of the M7 - nenagh / moneygall before moneygall / castletown

2. with regard to completion of M8 and delayed opening of M7 leg

As soon as I get a reply, i'll post it...

knipex

Thanks for that.

popebenny16

I decided to have a foot inspection of this last night, as driving over the thing is bugging me - I could not see where they were putting slip roads ect as i drive past.

So it turns out that (and I appreciate there may be someone on the board who will link me to the plans, so this may not be news to people but it was to me) there is one one slip road in each direction on and off the motorway for this road. Looking down from the new N62 overbridge it looks as though the slips roads will be two way traffic but i really do not look forward to joining the motorway from them, espicially if I am driving an articulated truck.

When you consider that the other potential junction i would use - the ballacolla/abbeyleix one on the M8 - is a classic four sliproad junction i have to wonder. The N62 is the major link road form the Cork road to Tullamore/Athlone and takes in Birr, Roscrea, Templemore, Thurles, and I would have thought that the junction would be a big more substantial than the one linking onto the Abbeyleix/Rathdowney road.

Irish and Proud

popebenny16 wrote: »

I decided to have a foot inspection of this last night, as driving over the thing is bugging me - I could not see where they were putting slip roads ect as i drive past.

So it turns out that (and I appreciate there may be someone on the board who will link me to the plans, so this may not be news to people but it was to me) there is one one slip road in each direction on and off the motorway for this road. Looking down from the new N62 overbridge it looks as though the slips roads will be two way traffic but i really do not look forward to joining the motorway from them, espicially if I am driving an articulated truck.

When you consider that the other potential junction i would use - the ballacolla/abbeyleix one on the M8 - is a classic four sliproad junction i have to wonder. The N62 is the major link road form the Cork road to Tullamore/Athlone and takes in Birr, Roscrea, Templemore, Thurles, and I would have thought that the junction would be a big more substantial than the one linking onto the Abbeyleix/Rathdowney road.

Yes, I saw these junctions on the EIS a couple of years back and to say the least, compact GSJs for a mainline with a design speed of 120kph (regardless of designation) seemed rather strange. IMO, this type of interchange on a motorway should be banned. I was hoping that in light of re-designation, such junctions would be substituted for slips similar in design to those of service areas such as the proposed M11 Gorey Service Area. This is basically a single side MSA with access to the M11 via a compact junction, but with longer slips terminating at vergeside roundabouts. Would be far better IMO.

Regards!

Accordion

The attached map from the NRA's website gives all the junction layouts for the M7. As you can see, Junction 22 which is the Roscrea interchange, does have two way slip roads.

http://www.nra.ie/RepositoryforPublicationsInfo/file,16998,en.pdf

CrowdedHouse

Handy diagram that.

My home place is about a mile or so from that Roscrea junction but I'm afraid I don't have the same enthusiasm for roads as regular posters here.

Thanks for the updates though

JupiterKid

Accordion wrote: »

The attached map from the NRA's website gives all the junction layouts for the M7. As you can see, Junction 22 which is the Roscrea interchange, does have two way slip roads.

http://www.nra.ie/RepositoryforPublicationsInfo/file,16998,en.pdf

I think those are shockingly poor junctions for a motorway.:( These types of interchanges were used on the very first sections of UK motorway back in the late 1950s/early 1960s and most have long since been rebuilt/reconfigured as they were deemed too dangerous and inadequate for the traffic volumes.

Who made the decision to design these interchanges so badly when for pretty much the same cost a dumbell design could have been used?

Geogregor

Accordion wrote: »

The attached map from the NRA's website gives all the junction layouts for the M7. As you can see, Junction 22 which is the Roscrea interchange, does have two way slip roads.

http://www.nra.ie/RepositoryforPublicationsInfo/file,16998,en.pdf

Do you have similar diagrams for other motorways in Ireland?

richardjjd

M1
M2
M4
M8
M9
M50

All from the NRA publications section.

Geogregor

richardjjd wrote: »

M1
M2
M4
M8
M9
M50

All from the NRA publications section.

Thanks.

popebenny16

JupiterKid wrote: »

I think those are shockingly poor junctions for a motorway.:(

I agree and will debate using it to be honest when i could detour through Rathdowney to the Borris in Ossory one or even the Abbeyleix one on the M8.

Thing that i dont understand is that they are both NPR's - so why difffernt junctions for the N62 and N7? Then again, the same junction appears on the N7 at Moneygall.

For the sake of two sliproads....

popebenny16

drove through moneygall this morning and the on/off ramp southbound carraigeway looks very very steep, the ramp is right on where the mortorway is raised up to cross the N7. That looks a bit severe to me and wouldnt be surprised if it causes problems from day one.

Amtmann

Progress isn't great from east of Dunkerrin towards Borris.

Eastern end of scheme, looking to Limerick. The M7/M8 scheme starts at the other side of the overbridge from which this is taken:


Close to the hamlet of Knock, looking east:


Same as above, looking west:


Also close to Knock, looking east:


From same overbridge, looking west:


Vista of the scheme on the Knock to Roscrea road (L-number escapes me):


Mainline off the L-road mentioned above:


From same position, looking towards Limerick:


View of scheme looking east a few kilometres east of Dunkerrin. Overbridge incomplete:

Amtmann

Scheme looking east a few kilometres east of Dunkerrin:


From same position, looking west:


Looking east from Dunkerrin (standing on top of concrete barrier):


Looking west from same position:


Looking west from east of Toomevara:


Looking east from same position:


Looking east directly from an L-road near Toomevara:


That's all I have of this scheme.

Chris_5339762

Good stuff God they're taking their precious time with this one. Didnt the M7/8 scheme start after this one yet its done faster?

roosterman71

No the M7/M8 started much earlier than this one

lukejr

This section is progressing slowly alright. Even with the great weather over the past couple of months progress has been slow.

Is there any chance this will be a staged opening bypassing Moneygall and Toomevara as soon as possible.

freighter

Lad... you were busy today:D

Amtmann

freighter wrote: »

Lad... you were busy today:D

I needed to relax and it was a lovely day for a drive. Took about 5 hours starting off in Cashel, up to Cullahill, cross country to Borris and then taking the backroads to Roscrea, stopping off in there for a bite to eat. Then I took the Limerick to Nenagh motorway, the N24 to Tipp and the N74 back to Cashel. I only used 20 euro of diesel during it all! Now its back to Germany and carlessness tomorrow

Tech3

lukejr wrote: »

Is there any chance this will be a staged opening bypassing Moneygall and Toomevara as soon as possible.

This was the NRA's reponse to fresca's email re partial opening:

It is unlikely that a partial opening of the M7 Castletown-Nenagh scheme will take place in advance of the entire scheme completion scheduled for late 2010.

lottpaul

Brilliant pics, and its great to see the progress but it'll be another while yet before its done. Many thanks.

popebenny16

they do seem to be taking this in a higgledy piggledy way, there are a few overbridges not finished, and where some are there is very little on the mainline, just seems not to be done in a logical way

marmurr1916

Judging by the photos I'd say it'll probably take about another three months to finish, with a mid-September opening date.

Deedsie

Two weeks since anyone commented on this project. Has anyone any news on it?