M8 motorway (general thread)

Amtmann

I think so. The Shannon Tunnel will also be a tolled N road (N7). The NRA will not be releasing a third tranche of redesignations, so the N7 and N25 will not be redesignated in the medium term.

kaizersoze

csd wrote: »

Right, so the "must be a motorway" idea is as misconception, probably brought about by all previous major toll roads being motorways?


/csd

You could well be right but I remember reading the PPP contracts somewhere 'official'...maybe not.

Chris_533976 wrote:

But in any case, its being built as an N road until Reclassification #2 says otherwise

Will reclassification #2 be done before Ballinasloe-Galway is finished? They're definately putting blue directional signage for it on the junction.

BluntGuy

Chris_533976 wrote: »

But in any case, its being built as an N road until Reclassification #2 says otherwise

I wonder if any of us will actually still be alive by the time that happens.

Chris_533976

kaizersoze wrote: »

Will reclassification #2 be done before Ballinasloe-Galway is finished? They're definately putting blue directional signage for it on the junction.

No idea Blue signage could be done like the Carlow bypass, put up blue signs with 100kmh speed limits and no mention of motorway restrictions.

D'Peoples Voice

Furet wrote: »

They have a broad plan of the network on the inside cover:

That picture certainly explains the tag of the "Sunny South East"

emfifty

KevR wrote: »

I notice the cats eyes are on the inside of the yellow hard shoulder line in those pictures.

I always wondered why sometimes they are on the inside, other times they are on the outside of the line and are sometimes even on the line/paint itself. (Also applicable for the white line at the median). I would have thought that the NRA would have picked their preference and instructed the various contractors to do it that way.

No a big issue at all but I do find it a tiny bit odd that it varies from scheme to scheme.

I personally prefer if they're outside the lines or on the line itself. Prefer when they're not inside the line basically.

Kev R I noticed this on the M6 today driving back from Galway and they have a similar inconsistency re cats eyes....a mixture of on/off the solid yellow line, central median line, some had rumble strips some didn't!

I was in Britain a couple of years ago and they had similar inconsistencies. Red cats eyes inside and outside white line though I rarely if anytime saw them on the white line as they are quite wide and usually have thick rumble strips....anyway i have gone a bit off topic on my first post. I am looking forward to seeing the opening of the M8 mitchelstown to fermoy scheme.

emfifty

Furet wrote: »

I think so. The Shannon Tunnel will also be a tolled N road (N7). The NRA will not be releasing a third tranche of redesignations, so the N7 and N25 will not be redesignated in the medium term.

I would be very surprised if this scheme did not go to motorway status.

BTW Great to see all of your photos Furet on the M-F scheme to date and on other threads.

Amtmann

While I agree that the Shannon Tunnel should be a motorway, it definitely won't be. Here are the current M7 redesignation proposals. As you can see, they stop short of the ring road phase two: http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/10978-8.pdf

And I have pestered the NRA about this matter; there will be no third tranche of redesignations.

emfifty

It's a pity. I wonder because of the current 'objections' on tranch 2 they have decided to hold off before they get ahead of themselves. anyway i will watch this space on the redesignation thread

Chris_533976

N18 Shannon - Limerick is far too low quality to be motorway, but I'm not sure why the new ring road isnt going to be M.

FWIW the gap that Shannon - Limerick will be, soon sandwiched between the M18 and M7/20 should be making far more of a fuss than the Athlone bypass as really its a far bigger deal, but funny enough noones ever mentioned it.

larryone

How rare.
Absolutely agreed Chris. Anything north of Shannon is fine, but that stretch between Shannon and Limerick is unpleasant.

*larryone notices that we're starting to stray off topic.

mysterious

Chris_533976 wrote: »

N18 Shannon - Limerick is far too low quality to be motorway, but I'm not sure why the new ring road isnt going to be M.

FWIW the gap that Shannon - Limerick will be, soon sandwiched between the M18 and M7/20 should be making far more of a fuss than the Athlone bypass as really its a far bigger deal, but funny enough noones ever mentioned it.

Well the N18 close to Shannon is the only real problem area, The New bypass removes this section.

The N18 is fairly ok IMO, Some sections are HQDC. From Bunratty to Newmarket on fergus are motorway standard. The only area is Bunratty really.

What is the issue with this road not getting classified.


And why isn't the tunnel made motorway. It's a toll road?

Irish and Proud

Furet wrote: »

The Waterford Bypass, which will be tolled and which will be built to motorway standard, will open as the N25.

...something that really annoys me - the N25 Waterford Bypass is clearly a motorway type road (as you say) but yet it falls foul of the pen - erm, I wonder why? :rolleyes:

...scientifically, the reason might become apparent when you take a sample of certain high profile politicians and mix them with rich brown paper envelopes!!! :rolleyes:

Regards!

Chris_533976

mysterious wrote: »

Well the N18 close to Shannon is the only real problem area, The New bypass removes this section.

The N18 is fairly ok IMO, Some sections are HQDC. From Bunratty to Newmarket on fergus are motorway standard. The only area is Bunratty really.

What is the issue with this road not getting classified.


And why isn't the tunnel made motorway. It's a toll road?

Nah Shannon - Limerick isnt HQDC. The sightlines are pants and there are some bends (one especially) that make the Athlone bypass seem like an autobahn. Its also riddled with direct frontage houses and some of the junctions are awful. IMO it would require a complete rebuild which would be a very expensive CPO given the houses.

Perhaps keeping the SRR #2 and tunnel as N road will slow traffic down from 120 to 100 before hittin the bad sections?

larryone

There are some farmyards that have direct access to the dual carriageway between Bunratty and Shannon. They dont have any other access roads at the moment, so they can impose motorway restrictions until that is rectified.
North of Shannon is fine, and could be considered HQDC.
Between there and Limerick cant. There are farm entrances, at grade junctions, other local access, etc, that all need to be fixed before it could be considered for redesignation.

The SRR phase 2 will merge with the N18 just north of the two really bad at grade junctions, but the other issues cant be ignored.

BluntGuy

Not to sound like a mod or anything, but does anybody else think this thread may have a just veered a little off-topic.

It's all interesting stuff, I just think there are better threads for it. Namely the motorway redesignation ones which are now gathering dust at the bottom of the forum (although there is the risk that if they are revived, people may get their hopes up that progress has been made).

Err anyway, just thought I'd say that.

larryone

I actually made note of that a few posts up and then promptly bombed on with an off-topic post. My bad.

Am driving south on the M8 again tomorrow, wont have time for a photo opertunity, but will report on anything interesting I see.

darkman2

Furet wrote: »

Larry, are you familiar with this site? If not, zoom right in and you get aerial photography.

The OSI have a contract at the moment for a complete flyover of the country, but because of cloudiness very little of this (less than 5% I think) was completed in 2008. Hopefully we'll enjoy clearer conditions this summer. It will be good, as updated aerial photography will show all the schemes currently being built or newly open.

Furet, does that Collins atlas do those strip maps still that show junction types etc? Looks nice with all that blue. 5 years ago the map was looking very empty!

Amtmann

They don't do strip maps darkman.

I'll also be using the M8 from Dunkettle to Cahir twice this week, on Wednesday evening and again on Friday. I'll make the usual detours to see if they're making surfacing progress. There's still a bit to do on the southbound carriageway, including the on-slips. But if the weather holds like this they should have the northbound carriageway started and almost done by Friday 1 May or shortly thereafter.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I am looking forward to the opening of the M-F scheme. Goodbye Corbett Court and Mitchelstown. No offence, but I hope I never see you again.

On another note, this opening sees the end of state-driven M8 motorway construction (the M7/M8 is slightly different, as it is two motorways and a PPP). Three substantial projects totalling 93km of motorway delivered within three years. Who would have believed it possible a few years ago. The Glanmire Bypass, back in the day, at only 7km took almost seven years to build!

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

I cannot emphasis enough how much I am looking forward to the opening of the M-F scheme. Goodbye Corbett Court and Mitchelstown. No offence, but I hope I never see you again.

I second that.

But it's not Mitchelstown I'm looking forward to avoiding. It's the hideous roundabouts on that bypass.

It also means that as of May - over 220 km of the Dublin-Cork route will be motorway or dual-carriageway.

The pace of construction has been astonishing. One of my qualms with these new schemes is the lack of wide-median every now and again. I wish that every 20 km or so, there was a short 2/3 km stretch of wide-median - especially in areas of beauty. It is so refreshing after staring at a concrete barrier for nearly a whole journey. A stretch of M8 near Cahir provides a good example of how new-build wide-median can be integrated into a new narrow median scheme. It is one of the nicest parts of the M8 (or it would be, if it was landscaped properly).

Amtmann

BluntGuy wrote: »

The pace of construction has been astonishing. One of my qualms with these new schemes is the lack of wide-median every now and again. I wish that every 20 km or so, there was a short 2/3 km stretch of wide-median - especially in areas of beauty. It is so refreshing after staring at a concrete barrier for nearly a whole journey. A stretch of M8 near Cahir provides a good example of how new-build wide-median can be integrated into a new narrow median scheme. It is one of the nicest parts of the M8 (or it would be, if it was landscaped properly).

From an aesthetics point of view, I think the Cashel to Cullahill scheme is the real gem. The two rock cuttings and the abundant planting of trees and shrubs, plus eventually the MSA will make this a very pleasing drive in the future.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

From an aesthetics point of view, I think the Cashel to Cullahill scheme is the real gem. The two rock cuttings and the abundant planting of trees and shrubs, plus eventually the MSA will make this a very pleasing drive in the future.

Cashel-Cullahill is a real gem from nearly every point of view. I cannot think of many other stretches of motorway in Ireland, certainly not narrow-medians anyway, that come close to it in terms of a good drive.

Unlike C-M which feels a bit sloppy in places - C-C has the feel of a real motorway. It feels like it was finished to perfection rather than rushed to completion. I don't think any other stretch of M8 will match up to it.

Amtmann

I intend to create a poll option thread for M8 users a few months after the redesignations go through and M-F is open a while to determine what section of the M8 is the best:

Glanmire Bypass
Watergrasshill Bypass
Fermoy Bypass
Mitchelstown to Fermoy
Cashel to Mitchelstown
Cashel Bypass
Cashel to Cullahill

Can't see Cashel to Cullahill being beaten to be honest, though I'm fairly optimistic that M-F will do well.

BluntGuy

Well we'll have to see... C-M might also do well because of its scenery.

I can see the Fermoy Bypass doing the worst out of the lot to be honest... it's a bit drab.

Amtmann

Would you agree with me Blunt Guy that the section of M8 between junctions 9 and 10 looks excellent, even though it is part of the Cashel to Mitchelstown scheme? Whether you're traveling north or south between these junctions, it looks super in my opinion - the only exception being the parking areas. Other than those, the alignment is superb, as are the views of the Knockmealdowns and fields. There's one point where you travel south and the Vee looms large in front of you. I really like that vista. That's also the area I happen to hail from, so I'm delighted the motorway looks its best there.

The Vee and Knockmealdown range is usually visible here on a clear day:





***

The Watergrasshill Bypass is the worst aesthetically in my opinion, though it has the best sight lines.

BluntGuy

The M8 between Cahir and Cashel is very high-quality - as good as the Cashel-Cullahill scheme. I still wonder why the Cashel-Mitchelstown segment pales so miserably in comparison.

Amtmann

It just might have something to do with the boggy and mountainous terrain at the foot of the Galtees. But really, if it was properly built and engineered that shouldn't matter. Ergo...it wasn't properly built, and I just don't know why. It's a sickener. My letter to The Nationalist got a good reaction from the locals by the way, but not a peep from the feckless council.

Amtmann

I just noticed...the 22 May is the third anniversay of the turning of the sod for the Cashel to Mitchelstown scheme. It's a perfect date from a PR point of view to open the Mitchelstown to Fermoy scheme.

BluntGuy

Furet wrote: »

It just might have something to do with the boggy and mountainous terrain at the foot of the Galtees. But really, if it was properly built and engineered that shouldn't matter. Ergo...it wasn't properly built, and I just don't know why. It's a sickener.

If Roadbridge can do such a wonderful job with C-C then there's really no excuse for the (relative) mess they made of C-M. I think "sickener" is the right word. Arguably, that should have been the nicest stretch of M8, and it is ruined by unnecessary undulations and curves. However, as I must always say after a little rant like that, it can still be a nice stretch to drive... just not as good as it could've been.

Amtmann

Just off the phone with Roadbridge. RE the 22 May opening date, they told me not to believe what's in the papers. They are aiming for the 25 May, but said it could open one week before that date even.