M7 - Castletown to Nenagh

Deedsie

Just passing Moneygall junction, they have started laying tar.

Amtmann

trellheim wrote: »

Is it off topic to say that I think paying the toll at the M8 and then driving the M7 bit leaves me feeling a bit short-changed, i.e. you don't seem to get a lot of road for your money ?

A lot of people felt the same when the M8 Fermoy Bypass opened. I remember it was almost deserted in the first year. Now people generally take it without issue.

popebenny16

the N62 overbridge was opened today with a slight amount of work to be done at each end of the new link into the existing N62. Would imagine they will eat up the old road and plough the M7 through it starting Monday, unless they are on holidays. Would only take them a week to join up and then its more or less done from as far as I can see. Can see October Bank Holiday as an ideal opening from Castletown to Birdhill.

Deedsie

They were still working away today on the Nenagh tie in. Not sure if that means they won't be on holidays next week.

Has anyone a map of what junction 24 (nenagh tie in) is going to look like?

lukejr

Deedsie wrote: »

Has anyone a map of what junction 24 (nenagh tie in) is going to look like?

Have a look at this from the OSi Maps:
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,592000,678793,6


Not the best map but gives you an idea of what it'll look like.

lottpaul

lukejr wrote: »

Have a look at this from the OSi Maps:
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,592000,678793,6


Not the best map but gives you an idea of what it'll look like.

Very good link. Many thanks.

Chris_5339762

Furet wrote: »

A lot of people felt the same when the M8 Fermoy Bypass opened. I remember it was almost deserted in the first year. Now people generally take it without issue.

Yeah once Castletown - Nenagh is opened way more people will pay the toll.

popebenny16

trellheim wrote: »

Is it off topic to say that I think paying the toll at the M8 and then driving the M7 bit leaves me feeling a bit short-changed, i.e. you don't seem to get a lot of road for your money ?

i was thinking about this but the other way around yesterday. as we know the junction of the m7/8 means that if i am coming from limerick on the m7 i have to go through the toll twice to get to go to cork on the m8. of course to avoid this i should use the n62, which is what i guess a lot of traffic will do, and of course they have built a yellow pack junction on this....

and while i am at it, last night the change only automatic toll thought my car was a two axle truck and wanted €3.20. luckily there was nothing behind me near the toll plaza so i revered out and tried it again, same result. in the end i reversed out and drove over to the manned booth and told the guy who seemed pissed off but not too surprised and said he hoped i hadn't put any money in. wonder how often this happens?

Tech3

There is no way of directly doing this route. There is no access from M8N-M7S or M7N to M8S unless you keep driving and eventually cross carriageways by using another junction later up on the M7 and coming back down the southbound carriageway.

Stark

popebenny16 wrote: »

and while i am at it, last night the change only automatic toll thought my car was a two axle truck and wanted €3.20. luckily there was nothing behind me near the toll plaza so i revered out and tried it again, same result. in the end i reversed out and drove over to the manned booth and told the guy who seemed pissed off but not too surprised and said he hoped i hadn't put any money in. wonder how often this happens?

A good few people on the forum have mentioned this issue actually. It's to do with the number plate recognition failing and the system defaulting to the most expensive option. (They should default to the least expensive option when their system ****s up imo).

tech2 wrote:

There is no way of directly doing this route. There is no access from M8N-M7S or M7N to M8S unless you keep driving and eventually cross carriageways by using another junction later up on the M7 and coming back down the southbound carriageway.

What's the quality of the R435 like? That's the most logical route judging from the map.

Tech3

Stark wrote: »

What's the quality of the R435 like? That's the most logical route judging from the map.

I havn't driven this route myself but it looks the shortest one to take.

Amtmann

I took the R435 once. It's a standard, narrow R-road, some bends, but not too bad in fairness. You'd do 80 on it for the most part.

Deedsie

Working away on the Nenagh tie in and the join up at borrisinossory this morning. They must be working through the holidays.

popebenny16

Furet wrote: »

I took the R435 once. It's a standard, narrow R-road, some bends, but not too bad in fairness. You'd do 80 on it for the most part.

aha!!! thing is, i wouldnt like lots of HGVs going through Donaghmore and Rathdowney....

phog

It looks like that they are dipping the road to give the height under the arched bridge at the Dublin end of the Nenagh bypass. I think they will have 4 lanes and no hard shoulders at this point.

Deedsie

I think this junction has a fair bit of work to go on it. They are working away on it every time I pass it from half seven till after five. They also nearly have all the tar laid on the off ramp on the village side of the moneygall junction.

Amtmann

Going to try to get a few photos of this this afternoon. I'm heading to Roscrea so I'll stop if the N62 isn't too busy...

Amtmann

Okay, I got some photos of the N62 junction.

Standing on the new N62 overbridge looking to Limerick.


Direct view of the mainline to Limerick from the N62:


View from the new N62 overbridge looking to Dublin. The plug separating the two sections of the motorway is the old N62, soon to be obliterated


View of mainline looking to Dublin, taken east of Dunkerrin:


Impressive view of the mainline from the top of the M7 as it travels over the current N7 at Moneygall:



Bottom line: no lining or wearing course yet along any section I saw. These photos are of what seems to be the most advanced section - i.e. the bit between Roscrea and Nenagh. From Borris-in-Ossory to Roscrea is probably less advanced. If this opens in October, it will be towards the end of that month. It might slip to November. Wouldn't surprise me at all quite frankly.

lukejr

Thanks for posting the photos. It does appear to be more advance than the M18 Gort to Crusheen which is due to open in October too.

Lets hope they get the head down and have it opened for October.

Amtmann

What do people think of the Autobahn-style junctions at Roscrea and Moneygall? In my opinion junctions on one motorway ought to be in some way consistent; those on the M7 won't be.

Amtmann

21 February 2009:
The M7 C-N mainline seen from 3km east of Dunkerrin looking towards Dublin.


Late May 2010
See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:M7_Castletown_to_Nenagh.JPG

1 August 2010
View of mainline looking to Dublin, taken east of Dunkerrin:

-Corkie-

Furet wrote: »

What do people think of the Autobahn-style junctions at Roscrea and Moneygall? In my opinion junctions on one motorway ought to be in some way consistent; those on the M7 won't be.

A bit like the one on the knock/claremorris by pass????

Amtmann

SARASON wrote: »

A bit like the one on the knock/claremorris by pass????

M7 junctions 22 and 23 won't have on/off ramps with roundabouts. Instead they'll be like this:

The A9 through Thuringia. One of Germany's first autobahns, this connects Berlin and Munich. The section photgraphed is by far the poorest I drove when I was in Germany last July: the surface was bumpy, it had no emergency lanes, and the speed limit was 130 km/h. Most of the rest of the A9, however, is of a very high standard.

Further west and east the M7 will have more standard dumbell interchanges. Lack of consistency.

Chris_5339762

Could this project go any slower?

Deedsie

It's frustratingly slow, I drive this stretch everyday. The sooner it opens the better. Doesn't look like that will be happening anytime soon. Sickened

Amtmann

The problem is, I'm fairly sure that the M7 in the area around Knock village (a tiny place well off the beaten track) is far behind what's shown in the photos. Granted I haven't seen it around there since late May, but there wasn't even any surface down at that stage and many of the overbridges were still unopened.

Deedsie

Furet wrote: »

The problem is, I'm fairly sure that the M7 in the area around Knock village (a tiny place well off the beaten track) is far behind what's shown in the photos. Granted I haven't seen it around there since late May, but there wasn't even any surface down at that stage and many of the overbridges were still unopened.

That's depressing reading right there. So it could be November before it opens? Just as long as nothing sinks.

Amtmann

Deedsie wrote: »

That's depressing reading right there. So it could be November before it opens? Just as long as nothing sinks.

I think November is realistic... I wouldn't be shocked if it even slipped to December. Yet a lot of it is almost ready for wearing course, and signage poles have been erected too. We'll have a better idea come mid-September.

popebenny16

Furet wrote: »

What do people think of the Autobahn-style junctions at Roscrea and Moneygall? In my opinion junctions on one motorway ought to be in some way consistent; those on the M7 won't be.

i have posted about these, they are appalling yellow pack, and in my opinion, the ones in Momeygall being right on the bridge are an accident waiting to happen.

just wait till the first garda graduation ceremony in Templemore and see the tailbacks onto the motorway to get off.

not forgetting that it is the best exit for HGVs to use to get from the M7 to and from the M8.....

have no idea what muppet thought them up, but there you go.

Amtmann

popebenny16 wrote: »

i have posted about these, they are appalling yellow pack, and in my opinion, the ones in Momeygall being right on the bridge are an accident waiting to happen.

I thought that yesterday too when I walked on the mainline there. There will be accidents.